Why doesn't this method work? Java ternary operator

Question

What's wrong with this code:

void bark(boolean hamlet) {
    hamlet ? System.out.println("To Bark.") : System.out.println("Not to Bark");
}

Answer 1

Ternary operators can't have statements that don't return values, void methods. You need statements that have return values.

You need to rewrite it.

void bark(boolean hamlet) {
     System.out.println( hamlet ? "To Bark." : "Not to Bark" );
}

Answer 2

You can read why in the Java Language Specification, 15.25. Conditional Operator ? :

It is a compile-time error for either the second or the third operand expression to be an invocation of a void method.

You need to do as several of the other answers suggest, and apply the conditional operator to just the argument.