I'm getting a return statement error

[Heyjude579]

I'm new to Java. I'm getting the following error from my code:
(Palindrome.java:30: error: missing return statement
} // close method)


My code is:

[public class Palindrome { // define class palindrome

public static boolean isPalindrome(String inputWord) { //define method

int rightSide = inputWord.length() -1; // right side

while (leftSide < rightSide) { //loops until middle is found.
if ((inputWord.charAt(leftSide))!= (inputWord.charAt(rightSide))){
return false; // when letters on each side are not equal
// a false value is returned.
} else {
return true; } // if finished, all chars were same

} // close while stmt

} // close method

} // close class ]

[Leen]

maybe this is not the error
but r u define the 2 fields : leftSide and rightSide??

[Rabbit]

It's probably because there exists the possibility that you never return anything.

[kuldeeprsks]

1. In While loop the condition is
tested first and then the statements are executed if the condition turns out to
be true.
In do while the statements are executed for the first time and then the conditions
are tested, if the condition turns out to be true then the statements are
executed again.

All block in method isPalindrome is not return a value.
Place a return between //close while and //close method.

[Leen]

the first mistake: u check the first and the last letter in ur string ONLY, for example if u have the word: " lamikal "--> the first letter is ' l ' and the last is 'l', but it is not a palindrome...
u will increment the leftSide and decrement the rightSide after each check