help with following error: java:32: unreachable statement

[Sally Curtis]

i keep getting this error( java:32: unreachable statement) within my class and i dont see why i am getting it.

  
public class Meds
{
  private static String pill;//
  private static int clock;//
  //Constructors
  public Meds()
  {
  int clock =0;
  }
  public Meds (int time)
  {
 clock = time;
  }
  //Accessors
  String getPill()
  {
 String medOne ="IronPills";
 String medTwo ="Calcium";
 String medThree ="Vitamin";
 String medFour = "Antibiotic";
 String medFive = "None";
 switch(clock)
 {
 case 400:
 return medFour;
                 break;
 case 800:
 return medOne;
 return medThree;
 return medFour;
                 break;
 case 1100:
 return medTwo;
         break;
 case 1200:
         return medOne;
         return medFour;
         break;
 case 1600:
 return medFour;
 break;
 case 1800:
 return medOne;
 break;
 case 2000:
 return medTwo;
 return medFour;
 break;
 case 2100:
 return medThree;
         break;
 default:
         return medFive;
         break;
    }
  }

}

[Wayne L Johnson]

The method "getPill()" is set up to return a String. Fine. But look at this code snippet:

case 400:
   return medFour;
   break;            [B]Can't reach this statement[/B]
case 800:
   return medOne;
   return medThree;  [B]Can't reach this statement[/B]
   return medFour;   [B]Can't reach this statement[/B]
   break;            [B]Can't reach this statement[/B]
case 1100:
   return medTwo;
   break;            [B]Can't reach this statement[/B]

You can't have any executable code immediately following a "return ..." statement because there is no way the code can reach that point, which is what the compiler is explaining.
There are a couple of ways of correcting this. You can us an "if/else if/else" construct. Or you can set the med type within the "switch()" construct and remove the "return" statements, placing one return at the end of the method.
Also, it looks like you're trying to return multiple pills in some cases. But the method says it return a single String. If you want to return multiple values, you'll need to use and Array or ArrayList or some other collection.
Give it a try and post again if you run into additional problems.

[Jim Yingst]

I assume the message actually said something like

Meds.java:32: unreachable statement
The first part indicates that the problem is in the file Meds.java, line 32. Find that line number to get a better idea what the problem is.