Error states "This method must return a result of type List"

[Geri Calderon]

I am very green and need a bit of help. Here is the code:

public VehSearch() {
}
public List getYear(List carYr){
List yearList = new ArrayList();
Connection connection = null;
Statement stmt = null;
try {
Class.forName(JDBC_DRIVER);
Connection db2Conn = DriverManager.getConnection(URL, USERNAME, PASSWORD);
Statement st = db2Conn.createStatement();
ResultSet rs = st.executeQuery("SELECT DISTINCT YEAR FROM VEHICLE");
while(rs.next()) {
String carYear = rs.getString(1);
System.out.println(carYear);
}
rs.close();
st.close();
db2Conn.close();
}

I am not sure where to put the return or what to put in it for that matter. Any direction would be great!

[marc weber]

"Golf Queen,"

Welcome to JavaRanch! Please check your private messages by clicking on My Private Messages. Thanks!

[marc weber]

Your getYear method declares that it returns a List, so all normal paths of execution within the method body must end with a statement that returns a List.

It looks like your method is just printing years to the console. If that's all you want to do, then there's no need to return anything, and your method can declare a return type of "void" instead of "List."

But if you do want the method to return a List, then you should be adding these years to your List (yearList) as you get them from the ResultSet, and then return yearList when you're done.

[Silpa Sunkavalli]

public VehSearch() {
}
public List getYear(List carYr){
List yearList = new ArrayList();
Connection connection = null;
Statement stmt = null;
try {
Class.forName(JDBC_DRIVER);
Connection db2Conn = DriverManager.getConnection(URL, USERNAME, PASSWORD);
Statement st = db2Conn.createStatement();
ResultSet rs = st.executeQuery("SELECT DISTINCT YEAR FROM VEHICLE");
while(rs.next()) {
String carYear = rs.getString(1);
//Add the carYear element to the list variable
yearList.add(carYear);
System.out.println(carYear);
}
rs.close();
st.close();
db2Conn.close();
//Here you have to return the list
return yearList;


}

[Geri Calderon]

Thank you both for your input. I made the changes and am still getting the error:

public VehSearch()
        {
}
 
public List [I]getYear(List carYr)[/I]// <--this is what is highlighed
        {
List yearList = new ArrayList();
Connection connection = null;
Statement stmt = null;
try
                {
Class.forName(JDBC_DRIVER);
Connection db2Conn = DriverManager.getConnection(URL, USERNAME, PASSWORD);
Statement st = db2Conn.createStatement();
ResultSet rs = st.executeQuery("SELECT DISTINCT YEAR FROM VEHICLE");
while(rs.next())
                                {
String carYear = rs.getString(1);
yearList.add(carYear);
System.out.println(carYear);
                }
rs.close();
st.close();
db2Conn.close();
return yearList;
          }

I must be missing something in the translation...

[edit]Add code tags and change indentation. CR[/edit]
[ September 09, 2008: Message edited by: Campbell Ritchie ]

[Norm Radder]

Can you post the full text of the error message?

[Campbell Ritchie]

And please always use the code button when posting code, and make sure the indentation is right. I have edited your last post and you can see how much easier it is to read. You haven't posted the entire method; is there anything after what you have posted other than a catch block?

[Campbell Ritchie]

And what are you doing with the carYr parameter? It doesn't appear to be used in that method, in which case you ought to lose the parameter.

[Geri Calderon]

Here's the enter code (with company info blocked out)

import java.sql.*;
import java.io.*;
import java.util.*;
 
public class VehSearch {
static final String JDBC_DRIVER = "xxx";
static final String URL = "yyy";
static final String USERNAME = "aaa";
static final String PASSWORD = "bbb";

public VehSearch() {
}

public List getYear(){  
List yearList = new ArrayList();
Connection connection = null;
Statement stmt = null;
try {
Class.forName(JDBC_DRIVER);
Connection db2Conn = DriverManager.getConnection(URL, USERNAME, PASSWORD);
Statement st = db2Conn.createStatement();
ResultSet rs = st.executeQuery("SELECT DISTINCT YEAR FROM VEHICLE");
while(rs.next()) {
String carYear = rs.getString(1);
yearList.add(carYear);
//System.out.println(carYear);
}
rs.close();
st.close();
db2Conn.close();
return yearList;
 
}
catch(ClassNotFoundException e){
System.err.print("class not found");
}
catch(SQLException e){
System.out.println("error " + e);
}
}
}    

[ September 09, 2008: Message edited by: Geri Calderon ]

[Joanne Neal]

Originally posted by Geri Calderon:
Here's the catch

}
catch(ClassNotFoundException e){
System.err.print("class not found");
}
catch(SQLException e){
System.out.println("error " + e);
}
    

I'm trying to get the data from the data base and the yearList goes into a drop down box.

So if an ClassNotFoundException or SQLException exception is thrown, what gets returned from the method ?
[ September 09, 2008: Message edited by: Joanne Neal ]

[Geri Calderon]

Thanks for everyone's help. found the problem. after the last catch:

catch(SQLException e){
System.out.println("error " + e);
}
return yearList;