Modern programming languages are very small, but they allow you to extend the language by creating new command words. [[BR]]
In Java, a new word is called a ''function'' or ''method''.  Functions are a powerful way to keep your code readable and easy to maintain.[[BR]]
A function is an abstraction: it does something, but you don't have to know how it does it in order to use it.[[BR]]
You can think of a function as a machine.  All machines have some function (do something):
* Some machines (like a meat grinder) require input of raw materials and output (return) processed materials.
* Other machines (like a music box) produce output (music) without any specific input.
* Still other machines have neither inputs nor outputs but affect other things (like pressing the button on your car remote control)

Every Java function has 4 primary characteristics:
* a name followed by parentheses
* optional inputs (called parameters) placed inside the parentheses
* a body (the code that defines what the function does)
* an optional output (called a return value)

Consider the following function:
{{{
   int square(int a) {
       return a * a;
   }
}}}

* The function's name is 'square' (notice that function names are typically verbs because they ''do'' something).  
* It takes an input parameter that is an integer and is referred to within the function as a. 
* The function returns an integer that it computes by multiplying a by itself.

You could use the square function as follows:
{{{
   int a = 9;
   int b = square(a);
}}}

Functions can take more than one parameter, but they can only return 1 value (or no values).  Consider this function that takes two input parameters and returns no value:
{{{
   void echo(String msg, int times) {
        for (int n=0; n<times; n++) {
            System.out.println(msg);
        }
   }
}}}

Create a new EchoExample project folder and in it create an Echo program as follows:
{{{
public class Echo {

    static void echo(String msg, int times) {
        for (int n=0; n<times; n++) {
            System.out.println(msg);
        }
   }
    public static void main(String args[]) {
        echo("howdy", 10);
    }
}
}}}

* Run the program and observe the output
* For now, we're going to ignore the keywords public and static, we'll get to those soon