Java: Other possible forms for return statement

Question

Suppose I wish to return tos = tos-2, than how can the code be modified?

int pop() {
    System.out.print("tos   = " +tos+"  ");
    if (tos<0) {
        System.out.println("Stack limit reached .. UNDERFLOW");
        return 0;}
    else {
        return stck[tos--]; 
    }
}

Answer 1

Java doesn't have an unary "decrement by two" operator, so you'll have to split it to two lines:

tos -= 2;
return stck[tos + 2];

Or use a temp value for readability:

tos -= 2;
int returnIndex = tos + 2;
return stck[returnIndex];

Answer 2

int pop(){

    System.out.print("tos   = " +tos+"  ");
    if (tos<0) {
        System.out.println("Stack limit reached .. UNDERFLOW");
        return 0;
    }
    else {
        tos -=2;
        return stck[tos];
    }
}

Answer 3

stop using postfix. :D

int pop() {
        int tos = 2;//3

        System.out.print("tos   = " + tos + "  ");
        if (tos < 0) {
            System.out.println("Stack limit reached .. UNDERFLOW");
            return 0;
        } 

        return stck[tos-=2];
    }

Answer 4

int pop(){
    System.out.print("tos   = " +tos+"  ");
    if (tos<0) {
        System.out.println("Stack limit reached .. UNDERFLOW");
        return 0;
    }
    else {
        tos = tos-2;
        return stck[tos];
    }
}

Answer 5

If you want to return the array position prior to the change of tos (similar to what return stck[tos--] would do) :

tos-=2;
return stck[tos+2];

Otherwise,

tos-=2;
return stck[tos];