Why does the compiler not recognize my return statements?

user10509686 :

I have the following chunk of code:

public static boolean isReverse (String s1, String s2) {    
    if((s1.length()==1)&&s2.length()==1) {          
        if(s1.equals(s2)) {             
            return true;
        }
    }       
    else if(s1.charAt(0)==s2.charAt(s2.length()-1)) {           
        return isReverse(s1.substring(1, s1.length()-1),s2.substring(0, s2.length()-2));
    }       
    else return false;  
}

I understand that normally you need a return statement to cover the possibility of none of the if statements being true. That is why I have the else return false at the end, but I still get the error "must return a result of type boolean". Here is the call that I am using it from:

public static void main(String[] args) {
    if(isReverse("Java", "avaJ")) {
        System.out.println("worked");
    }
}

GBlodgett :

In the first if there is a possibility that there will not be a return statement:

if((s1.length()==1)&&s2.length()==1) {
    //What if this is not true?
    if(s1.equals(s2)) {
        return true;
    }
}

In this block if s1 does not equal s2 then it will step out of the if and since the last return false; is linked to the else block, it will reach the end of the method with nothing to return.

To fix this instead of else return false, simply return false;