What does (String[] arguments) mean?

Question

I added the following code to a new class I created in Java: ``` public static void main(String[] arguments) { ``` I understand what public, static and void mean, but what does (`String[] arguments`) mean?

Accepted Answer

Your `main()` method can take input parameters of type `String` if your program is run through a console like

```
java YourClass arg1 arg2
```

Now, within `main()` if you iterate the `String []` like

```
for (arg : arguments)
    System.out.println(arg);
```

it should print

```
arg1
arg2
```

Demo :

```
public class AddTwoNumbers {

public static void main(String[] args) {
      if(args.length == 2) {
        try {
            int a = Integer.parseInt(args[0]);
            int b = Integer.parseInt(args[1]);
            System.out.println("a + b = " + a + " + " + b + " = "+ (a + b));
        } catch (NumberFormatException e) {
            System.err.println("Invalid Input: Please enter numbers.");
        }
      } else {
         System.err.println("Missing Input: Please enter TWO numbers.");
      }
    }
}
```

You can run this on your console as

```
java AddTwoNumbers 2 3
```

and it should print

```
a + b = 2 + 3 = 5
```

What does (String[] arguments) mean?

Solution

Problem

Related problems