The main() Method

Every Java program needs a starting point — a place where execution begins. This starting point is one very specific method called main(). When you start a Java program, the Java Virtual Machine (JVM) automatically looks for this method.

public class Main {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        System.out.println("Hello, Java!");
    }
}

The line "public static void main(String[] args)" is called the method's signature. Each word has a fixed meaning: "public" makes the method callable from outside, "static" means it belongs to the class itself (you don't need an object to start it), "void" means the method doesn't return a value, "main" is the fixed name the JVM looks for, and "(String[] args)" is a place for text arguments at program start — the parentheses must be there even if you don't use them.

public static void main(String[] args) {

}

What does the JVM look for to start a Java program?

If the signature isn't exactly right — for example wrong capitalization like "Main" instead of "main", or a missing word — the JVM won't recognize the method as the starting point. The program then can't be started.

For the JVM to start a program, it looks for a method called ____.

In Java, the main() method must always read exactly "public static void main(String[] args)".

Inside the main() method, you write your program's actual statements — they are executed step by step, in the order they appear. We'll take a closer look at exactly what a "statement" is in the next lesson.

What does the keyword "void" mean in the main() method?