Java: Why is there an initialization error when my variable is initialized?!?!

Question

public class Exponent
{
public static void main(String[] args) {
int number = 3;
int result;
int upTwo = square(number, result);
int upThree = cube(number, result);

System.out.println("3^2 = " + upTwo);
System.out.println("3^3 =" + upThree);
}
public static int square(int num, int squareMainVars) {
squareMainVars = num * num;

return squareMainVars;
}
public static int cube(int three, int cubeMainVars) {
cubeMainVars = three * three * three;

return cubeMainVars;
}
}

Answer 1

You are passing result by value and never put a value in it. Making changes to squareMainVars does not touch result.

Personally, I'd delete result, remove the second parameter from both square & cube, add int before your now undefined locals, and rename them to something that makes more sense (updating both usages.)

Answer 2

Thank you very much.