why the output is like that?

public class Test{
public static void main (String[] args){
int i=0;
while (i<=4){
xMethod(i);
i++;
}
System.out.println("i is "+i);
}

public static void xMethod(int i){
do{
if(i%3!=0)
System.out.print(i+" ");
i--;
}
while(i>=1);

System.out.println();
}
}

out is:
1
21
21
421

i is 5

Output is fine (as it should be)

. I think you are thinking about the local variable i with instance variable i? In xMethod(int i), you are passing the value of the instance variable i to it but when you do i-- in the method it change the value of the local variable not the value of the instance variable. Because a copy of the value is passed to the method as the argument. Hope this helps.

What do you expect it to be?

What you might be missing here is that the int passed to xMethod is a "copy" of the int in the main method. Doing an i-- in xMethod will not affect the i in the main method.

If this does not clear your confusion say what you expect the result to be and why you think so..

Well, seriously i am confused.how is 'i' an instance variable?

[ October 27, 2008: Message edited by: rakesh sugirtharaj ]

Sorry about it. Yes it's in the main method didn't noticed that (doesn't make any different though

) My expalnation is still valid.

It is difficult to read your code; we have code tags which make it easier by preserving identation.