Method (computer programming)

In object-oriented programming, a method is a part of an object. A method allows the object to perform an action, whether this action is to modify itself or to return a value. An example is:

<syntaxhighlight lang=cpp> public int getOne() {

   return 1;

} </syntaxhighlight>

This syntax is the same in different programming languages such as Java and C#.

The public identifier means that this method is publicly accessible, that anyone is allowed to use this. In comparison, a method may be private or sometimes protected, protected means only specific parts of the same program are allowed to use this method, and never a human user. A privately accessible method only allows the object it belongs to, to edit it. This is used to give data security.

The int identifier means that the return type is an integer value.

Method (computer Programming) Media

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  UML class diagram of a abstract class named Shape which declares the abstract method Area.*The class Rectangle inherits from the abstract class Shape and has to provide an implementation for the abstract method Area.