Methods

A method is a class member that implements certain calculations or actions on an object or class.

method-declaration:

sub-declaration

function-declaration

sub-declaration:

attributesopt method-modifiersopt

Sub member-name ( formal-parameter-listopt ) ; method-localsopt

Begin method-body End Sub member-nameopt ;

function-declaration:

attributesopt method-modifiersopt

Function member-name ( formal-parameter-listopt ) : return-type ; method-localsopt

Begin method-body End Function member-nameopt ;

method-modifiers:

method-modifier

method-modifiers method-modifier

method-modifier:

New

Public

Protected

Friend

Private

Shared

Virtual

Final

Override

Abstract

return-type:

type

member-name:

identifier

interface-type . identifier

method-locals:

method-locals-declarations

method-locals-declarations:

method-locals-declaration

method-locals-declarations method-locals-declaration

method-local-declaration:

Var local-variables : type local-variable-initializeropt ;

local-variables:

identifier

local-variables , identifier

local-variable-initializer:

= expression

= array-initializer

method-body:

block

Method declaration is correct if all of the following are true:

The declaration includes a valid combination of access modifiers.
Each modifier occurs only once.
The declaration includes at most one of the following modifiers: Shared, Virtual and Override.
The declaration includes at most one of the following modifiers: New and Override.
If the declaration includes the Abstract modifier, it should not include the following modifiers: Shared, Virtual and Final.
If the declaration includes the Private modifier, it should not include the following modifiers: Virtual, Override and Abstract.
If the declaration includes the Final modifier, it should also include the Override modifier.

When abstract methods are declared, only the method header is specified. The declaration of other methods includes the method body that contains operators executed when this method is invoked.

The name and formal parameters list of a method determine its signature.

Method Body

The method body consists of the operators block. Abstract methods do not have an implementation, and accordingly, the declaration of such methods does not include a body.

If a method does not return a value, it is not possible to use the Return operator in its body and specify the returned value. When the return type of a method is not void, each return statement in that method's body must specify an expression of a type that is implicitly convertible to the return type.

Additional information is contained in the following subsections: