return problems

[adam faith]

Hi,
I have a problem with some of my code and i just cant see what going on...

 public Drawable getSelected_Object(Coord x)
{
Iterator iter = m_draw.iterator();
while(iter.hasNext())
{
Drawable dr = (Drawable)iter.next();
if(dr.contains(x))
{
iter.remove();
return dr;
}
}
} 

I am calling this method, Drawable is an interface and in the if i am checking if the coordinate object passed is within the shape of an object drawn before.
But i keep getting method does not return a value, can sombody please help

[Garion Winters]

If you notice your return part of code is within an if clause. What happens IF the case isn't true? Then nothing is returned. Hope that helps.

[adam faith]

i added an else with a return but its not made a difference and if i add a continue then i might get caught in an infinite loop

[Garion Winters]

It is the same kind of problem, different loop. Your program says: while(iter.hasNext())
What if iter doesn't have a next? Then it won't even execute the if nor the else part. See what I mean? It would avoid it altogether and jump out of the while loop and return nothing. Sorry for missing that!

[adam faith]

Okay, its clicked, thanks

[Wilfried LAURENT]

Some people said a better way to code would have been only to have a single return statement like:

public Drawable getSelected_Object(Coord x) {
Iterator iter = m_draw.iterator();
Drawable tbr = null;
while(iter.hasNext()) {
Drawable dr = (Drawable)iter.next();
if(dr.contains(x)) {
iter.remove();
tbr=dr;
} else {
tbr= ?
}
}
return tbr;
}

W.