Java 6 Illuminated: An Active Learning Approach, 2nd Edition

946 CHAPTER 13 Recursion

13.2 Recursion with a Return Value

In the preceding example, we coded a very simple method. Now let’s look at

some examples that are a little more complex, with recursive methods that

return a value.

In a value-returning method the return statement can include a call to

another value-returning method, as in:

public static int multiplyAbsoluteValueBy3( int n )

{

return ( 3 * Math.abs( n ));

}

In this case, the multiplyAbsoluteValueBy3 method cannot return its value

until the abs method returns a value, allowing the expression in the return

statement to be fully evaluated.

The same principle applies to a value-returning method that ...