java - Switch Statement Inside a method of another class -

public int alphcheck(char check){     switch(check){         case 'a':             return 1;             break;         case 'b':             return 2;             break;         case 'c':             return 3;             break;         case 'd':             return 4;             break;         case 'e':             return 5;             break;         case 'f':             return 6;             break;         case 'g':             return 7;             break;         case 'h':             return 8;             break;         case 'i':             return 9;             break;         case 'j':             return 10;             break;         case 'k':             return 11;             break;         case 'l':             return 12;             break;         case 'm':             return 13;             break;         case 'n':             return 14;             break;         case 'o':             return 15;             break;         case 'p':             return 16;             break;         case 'q':             return 17;             break;         case 'r':             return 18;             break;         case 's':             return 19;             break;         case 't':             return 20;             break;         case 'u':             return 21;             break;         case 'v':             return 22;             break;         case 'w':             return 23;             break;         case 'x':             return 24;             break;         case 'y':             return 25;             break;         case 'z':             return 26;             break;      } } 

ps.this done in class want able use method in main class, input letter, , return number/index letter. kept getting: method must return result of type int.

very confused. please help. thx.

here's question consider: happens if inputted letter isn't 1 of cases described?

while you may know you're feeding in letters, compiler doesn't know that, , because can't figure out return if 1 of cases defined isn't hit, emits error result. you'll need put in default case, compiler knows method guaranteed return something:

switch(check) {     case 'a':     ...     default:          // return or maybe print/throw error } 

a better solution may use fact chars numbers in different form. example, 'a' equivalent integer 97 (check out table here table of characters , ascii numerical equivalents). can math trick equivalent results:

public int alphcheck(char check) {     return check - 'a' + 1; }