Array element is "9" when printed but not equals 9 in a comparison (==)

Question

the code tells if the sum of every other element in an array of int (input 2) is equal to target (input 3).

public static boolean groupNoAdj(int start, int[] nums, int target) {
  if (nums.length<=2){
    System.out.println(nums[0]+""+target);
    return (nums[0]==target);
  }
  int hey = nums[start];
  int[] bleb = Arrays.copyOfRange(nums, start+2, nums.length);
  bleb[0] += hey;
  groupNoAdj(0, bleb, target);
  return false; // doesn't ever run
}

However, this only seems to work with an array with 1 element.

• groupNoAdj(0, {9}, 9) returns true, as intended.
• groupNoAdj(0, {3, 3294582, 6}, 9) returns false.

I added a print to print the values of both variables on line 3 System.out.println(nums[0]+""+target); which prints 99 (9 = num[0], 9 = target). nums[0]==target, then, should be true.

But groupNoAdj(0, {3, 3294582, 6}, 9) returns false, despite being 9. When either of the prompts of nums[0]==target is replaced with 9, false is also returned, despite the print code showing that both are 9.

Answer 1

The problem is that you are not returning from the recursive call at the end of the method. Replace

groupNoAdj(0, bleb, target);
return false; // doesn't ever run

with

 return groupNoAdj(0, bleb, target);