Thread: The compiler apparently doesn't like my method definition.

Here I am again. In Java SE 16, I wrote

/* Return true if testWord is an abbreviation of fullWord.  Case must match.         */
    public static boolean isAbbrev(String testWord, String fullWord, int minLength)
     {if (minLength         <= testWord.length() &&
          fullWord.length() >= testWord.length() &&
          fullWord.startsWith(testWord)
         )
        return true;
 
      return false;
     }

but the compiler says,

$ javac Jute.java
Jute.java:228: error: class, interface, enum, or record expected
    public static boolean abbrev(String testWord, String fullWord, int minLength)
                  ^
Jute.java:235: error: class, interface, enum, or record expected
      return false;
      ^
Jute.java:236: error: class, interface, enum, or record expected
     }
     ^

I reviewed the Oracle Tutorial pages in https://docs.oracle.com/javase/tutor...aOO/index.html but I can't see what I'm doing wrong. Do the public, static, etc. attributes have to specified in a particular order or something?

Originally Posted by Norm

In the proper location the code compiles without errors for me.
The proper location is inside of a class's enclosing {}s and outside of any method's enclosing {}

I'd guess that the method is outside of any class.

Can you post the surrounding code?

I looked at that, and as far as I can see it's inside my class. If there's a brace out of place, I can't see it.

 
  import java.io.File;
  import java.util.*;
 
  public class Jute
   {public static void main(String[] args)
      throws UnrecognizedOPtion,
             InvalidLinend
     {String                     token[];
      String                  subToken[];
      String                   arguments   = java.util.Arrays.toString(args);
      String                    language   = new String("en");
      String                     country   = new String("US");
      Locale               currentLocale   = new Locale(language, country);
      ResourceBundle            messages   = ResourceBundle.getBundle("MessagesBundle", currentLocale);
      Map<String, String> globalSettings   = new HashMap<String, String>();
 
      final static String DISPLAY_MESSAGES = "displayMessages";
      final static String DISPLAY_WINDOW   = "displayWindow";
      final static String LOCK_FILE        = "lockFile";
      final static String MAKE_DIFF        = "makeDiff";
      final static String RUN_PROFILE      = "runProfile";
      final static String PROFILE_NAME     = "profileName";
      final static String DIFF_TYPE        = "diffType";
      final static String LINEND           = "linend";
      final static String WIDTH            = "width";
 
      globalSettings.put(DISPLAY_MESSAGES, "true");
      globalSettings.put(DISPLAY_WINDOW,   "true");
      globalSettings.put(LOCK_FILE,        "false");
      globalSettings.put(MAKE_DIFF,        "false");
      globalSettings.put(RUN_PROFILE,      "true");
      globalSettings.put(PROFILE_NAME,     "profile");
      globalSettings.put(DIFF_TYPE,        "diff");
      globalSettings.put(LINEND,           "nl");       // TODO: make this dependent on the hosting OS.
      globalSettings.put(WIDTH,            "1000");
 
      while (arguments.length > 0)
        token = arguments;
 
        if (arguments.startsWith("-") )
         {token = token.split("[\s=]", 1);
 
          switch (token[0].toLowerCase() )
           {case isAbbrevIgnoreCase(token[0], "-Diff",      2):
              globalSettings.put("makeDiff", "true");
              break;
 
            case isAbbrevIgnoreCase(token[0], "-NODiff",    4):
              break;
 
            case isAbbrevIgnoreCase(token[0], "-Git",       2):
              globalSettings.put("diffType", "git");
              break;
 
            case isAbbrevIgnoreCase(token[0], "-Svn",       1):
              globalSettings.put("diffType", "svn");
              break;
 
            case isAbbrevIgnoreCase(token[0], "-Help",      2):
              /* Display usage info. and quit. */
              break;
 
            case isAbbrevIgnoreCase(token[0], "-Linend",    2):
             {subToken = token[1].split("\s", 2);
 
              if (subToken[0].matches("^\\p{Digit}+$") )              /* integer */
                globalSettings.put("linend", token[0]);
 
              else if (subToken[0].matches("^(\\p{Punct}).*\1") )     /* delimitedSstring */
               {subToken = token[1].split(token[1].charAt(1), 2);
                globalSettings.put("linend", subToken[1]);
               }
              else if (subToken[0].compareToIgnoreCase("nl") )
                globalSettings.put("linend", "nl");
 
              else if (subToken[0].compareToIgnoreCase("crnl") )
                globalSettings.put("linend", "crnl");
 
              else if (subToken[0].compareToIgnoreCase("crlf") )
                globalSettings.put("linend", "crlf");
 
              else
                throw new InvalidLinend(subToken[0]);
 
              break;
             }
 
            case isAbbrevIgnoreCase(token[0], "-LOck",      3):
              globalSettings.put("lockFile", "true");
              break;
 
            case isAbbrevIgnoreCase(token[0], "-NOLock",    4):
              break;
 
            case isAbbrevIgnoreCase(token[0], "-Msg",       2):
              break;
 
            case isAbbrevIgnoreCase(token[0], "-NOMsg",     4):
              globalSettings.put("displayMessages", "false");
              break;
 
            case isAbbrevIgnoreCase(token[0], "-Profile",   2):
              subToken = token[1].split("\s", 2);
              globalSettings.put("profileName", subToken[1]);
              break;
 
            case isAbbrevIgnoreCase(token[0], "-NOProfile", 4):
              globalSettings.put("runProfile", "false");
              break;
 
            case isAbbrevIgnoreCase(token[0], "-WINdow",    4):
              break;
 
            case isAbbrevIgnoreCase(token[0], "-NOWindow",  4):
              globalSettings.put("displayWindow", "false");
              break;
 
            case isAbbrevIgnoreCase(token[0], "-Width",     2):
              subToken = token[1].split("\s", 2);
              globalSettings.put("width", subToken[1]);
              break;
 
            default:
              throw new UnrecognizedOPtion(token[0]);
           }
         }
        arguments = token[1];
       }
 
/*    else                                      */
/*     {for (int A = 0; A < args.length; A++)   */
/*        frame.addDocument(new File(args[A])); */
/*                                              */
/*      if (displayWindow)                      */
/*       {MainFrame frame = new MainFrame();    */
/*        frame.insertNewDocument();            */
/*       }                                      */
/*     }                                        */
/*    frame.setVisible(true);                   */
     }
 
/* ================================================================================= */
/* Return true if testWord is an abbreviation of fullWord.  Case must match.         */
    public static boolean isAbbrev(String testWord, String fullWord, int minLength)
     {if (minLength         <= testWord.length() &&
          fullWord.length() >= testWord.length() &&
          fullWord.startsWith(testWord)
         )
        return true;
 
      return false;
     }
 
/* --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- */
/* Return true if testWord is an abbreviation of fullWord.  Case need not match.     */
    public static boolean isAbbrevIgnoreCase(String testWord, String fullWord, int minLength)
     {String tw = testWord.toLowerCase();
      String fw = fullWord.toLowerCase();
 
      if (minLength   <= tw.length() &&
          fw.length() >= tw.length() &&
          fw.startsWith(tw)
         )
        return true;
 
      return false;
     }
 
/* ================================================================================= */
/* Return fullWord if testWord is an abbreviation of fullWord, else null.            */
/* Case must match.                                                                  */
    public static String isAbbrev(String testWord, String fullWord, int minLength)
     {if (minLength         <= testWord.length() &&
          fullWord.length() >= testWord.length() &&
          fullWord.startsWith(testWord)
         )
        return fullWord;
 
      return null;
     }
 
/* --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- */
/* Return fullWord if testWord is an abbreviation of fullWord; else null.            */
/* Case need not match.                                                              */
    public static String isAbbrevIgnoreCase(String testWord, String fullWord, int minLength)
     {String tw = testWord;
      String fw = fullWord;
 
      if (minLength   <= tw.length() &&
          fw.length() >= tw.length() &&
          fw.startsWith(tw)
         )
        return fullWord;
 
      return null;
     }
 
/* ================================================================================= */
/* Return the number of space-delimited words in phrase.                             */
    public static int words(String phrase)
     {Pattern pattern  = Pattern.compile("\s");
      Matcher matcher  = pattern.matcher(phrase);
      int     numWords = 0;
 
      while (matcher.find())
        numWords += 1;
      return numWords;
     }
 
/* --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- */
/* Return the Wth word of phrase.                                                    */
    public static String word(String phrase, int wordNum)
     {String[] part;
 
      part = phrase.split("\s", wordNum);
      return part[wordNum - 1];
     }
 
/* --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- */
/* Return N words of phrase starting with the Wth word.                              */
    public static String subWord(String phrase, int wordNum, int numWords)
     {String[] parts;
 
      parts = phrase.split("\s");
      return copyOfRange(parts, wordNum - 1, numWords);
     }
 
/* ================================================================================= */
 
    public class UnrecognizedOption extends Exception
     {System.err.println(messages.getString("Jute001E");
      System.err.println(messages.getString("Jute003I");
      exit(1);
     }
 
/* --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- */
 
    public class InvalidLinend extends Exception
     {System.err.println(messages.getString("Jute002E");
      System.err.println(messages.getString("Jute003I");
      exit(1);
     }
 
/* ================================================================================= */
   }

(All of the methods below the main() get the same error. Most of the other statements in them get it too.)

--- Update ---

But, a { was missing at line 122 (token = arguments, so once again, my face is red.