Yes, the main
method is compulsory in Java for a standalone Java program to run.
In Java, the main
method is the entry point for a program, which means that the Java Virtual Machine (JVM) looks for the main
method in the specified class and executes it when the program is run. Without the main
method, the JVM won't know where to start the program execution.
The main
method has the following signature:
public static void main(String[] args)
It takes an array of strings as input, which represents the command-line arguments passed to the program. The main
method must be declared as public
, static
, and void
so that the JVM can access it without creating an instance of the class.
Note that the main
method is not compulsory in all types of Java programs. For example, in a web application or a Java applet, the entry point is typically defined by the container or the web browser, and the main
method may not be needed.