static void main(String args[])

[Hamsagayathri Palanisamy]

Hi All,
can anyone say why do main() need to be "public"?
when i tried as

static void main(String args[])

it compiles good but, throws error as "Main method is not public" during run time.

-Thanks & Regards,
Hamsa

[Christophe Verré]

You can refer to this FAQ.
[ March 14, 2008: Message edited by: Christophe Verre ]

[Ulf Dittmer]

So, the short answer is: "Because the JLS says so."

[sara adrem]

static void main(String[] args) {
}

Its a legal syntax for declaring a method called "main" with default access.
So there is no compilation problem.



If you want to run the "main" static method from command line, it needs to be declared public. Its defined by java spec.

[sandhi mridul]

Hi Hamsagayathri,

If you take the

 static void main(String a[]){}   

It behaves like any method
with the name "main" which is "static" and the return type is "void" takes "String array" as argument.
So it will compile without any problem just like any other method.
But if you try to call any other method from this main method specially whih is out of the scope of the default modifier then it will throw exception as the modifier here is "default".

That is why it shld be public and can also be final.

    
public static void main(String a[]){}
or
public final static void main(String a[]){}

Hope this help

Sandhi

[Hamsagayathri Palanisamy]

Originally posted by sandhi mridul:
Hi Hamsagayathri,

If you take the

 static void main(String a[]){}   

It behaves like any method
with the name "main" which is "static" and the return type is "void" takes "String array" as argument.
So it will compile without any problem just like any other method.
But if you try to call any other method from this main method specially whih is out of the scope of the default modifier then it will throw exception as the modifier here is "default".

That is why it shld be public and can also be final.

    
public static void main(String a[]){}
or
public final static void main(String a[]){}

Hope this help

Sandhi

Thank you sandhi.What you said is exactly rite.
sandhi,I like to know what exactly happening when we run the program.
why the main() method is called first?
and also in the above reply you have mentioned like

"But if you try to call any other method from this main method specially whih is out of the scope of the default modifier then it will throw exception as the modifier here is "default"."

For sample i have tried following code.Imhavent call any method but, still it shows error while running program..

 
class Main_Example
{
  static void main(String args[])
  {
    System.out.println("Main Method");
  }
 
}

-Thanks & Regards,
Hamsa

[Hamsagayathri Palanisamy]

Originally posted by sandhi mridul:
Hi Hamsagayathri,

If you take the

 static void main(String a[]){}   

It behaves like any method
with the name "main" which is "static" and the return type is "void" takes "String array" as argument.
So it will compile without any problem just like any other method.
But if you try to call any other method from this main method specially whih is out of the scope of the default modifier then it will throw exception as the modifier here is "default".

That is why it shld be public and can also be final.

    
public static void main(String a[]){}
or
public final static void main(String a[]){}

Hope this help

Sandhi

Thank you sandhi.What you said is exactly rite.
sandhi,I like to know what exactly happening when we run the program.
why the main() method is called first?
and also in the above reply you have mentioned like

"But if you try to call any other method from this main method specially whih is out of the scope of the default modifier then it will throw exception as the modifier here is "default"."

For sample i have tried following code.Imhavent call any method but, still it shows error while running program..

 
class Main_Example
{
  static void main(String args[])
  {
    System.out.println("Main Method");
  }
 
}

-Thanks & Regards,
Hamsa

[Hamsagayathri Palanisamy]

Originally posted by sandhi mridul:
Hi Hamsagayathri,

If you take the

 static void main(String a[]){}   

It behaves like any method
with the name "main" which is "static" and the return type is "void" takes "String array" as argument.
So it will compile without any problem just like any other method.
But if you try to call any other method from this main method specially whih is out of the scope of the default modifier then it will throw exception as the modifier here is "default".

That is why it shld be public and can also be final.

    
public static void main(String a[]){}
or
public final static void main(String a[]){}

Hope this help

Sandhi

Thank you sandhi.What you said is exactly rite.
sandhi,I like to know what exactly happening when we run the program.
why the main() method is called first?
and also in the above reply you have mentioned like

"But if you try to call any other method from this main method specially whih is out of the scope of the default modifier then it will throw exception as the modifier here is "default"."

For sample i have tried following code.Imhavent call any method but, still it shows error while running program..

 
class Main_Example
{
  static void main(String args[])
  {
    System.out.println("Main Method");
  }
 
}

-Thanks & Regards,
Hamsa

[Jesper de Jong]

Originally posted by Hamsagayathri Palanisamy:
why the main() method is called first?

Again, because the Java Language Specification says so.

Originally posted by Hamsagayathri Palanisamy:
For sample i have tried following code.Imhavent call any method but, still it shows error while running program..

It throws an error because the main method is not public, and it is required to be public by the JLS. There is nothing more to it.
[ March 17, 2008: Message edited by: Jesper Young ]

[Hamsagayathri Palanisamy]

Originally posted by sandhi mridul:
Hi Hamsagayathri,

If you take the

 static void main(String a[]){}   

It behaves like any method
with the name "main" which is "static" and the return type is "void" takes "String array" as argument.
So it will compile without any problem just like any other method.
But if you try to call any other method from this main method specially whih is out of the scope of the default modifier then it will throw exception as the modifier here is "default".

That is why it shld be public and can also be final.

    
public static void main(String a[]){}
or
public final static void main(String a[]){}

Hope this help

Sandhi

Thank you sandhi.What you said is exactly rite.
sandhi,I like to know what exactly happening when we run the program.
why the main() method is called first?
and also in the above reply you have mentioned like

"But if you try to call any other method from this main method specially whih is out of the scope of the default modifier then it will throw exception as the modifier here is "default"."

For sample i have tried following code.Imhavent call any method but, still it shows error while running program..

 
class Main_Example
{
  static void main(String args[])
  {
    System.out.println("Main Method");
  }
 
}

-Thanks & Regards,
Hamsa