Function Return writing style in Java

Question

Is this :

String function() { return someString; }

Any different than this ?

String function() { return(someString); }

Its the return I'm interested in. I see the 2nd style less frequently, is it just convention or is the return in parenthesis actually doing something different?

Answer 1

No, there is no functional difference at all between wrapping the return value in parentheses or not.

According to the Java Coding Convention (section 7.3), you should stick with

return expression;

unless the paretheses makes it more clear:

7.3 return Statements
A return statement with a value should not use parentheses unless they make the return value more obvious in some way.

Example:
return;
return myDisk.size();
return insert(root, data);
return (size ? size : defaultSize);

Answer 2

The return with parentheses is not 'calling the return function with an argument', it is simply putting parentheses around the value of the return statement. In other words it is just like writing:

a = (b + c);

instead of

a = b + c;

It's perfectly legal but it doesn't add anything useful. And convention is that you don't write the parentheses.