Declaring functions in JSP?

I come from PHP world, where declaring a function in the middle of a php page is pretty simple. I tried to do the same in JSP:

public String getQuarter(int i){
String quarter;
switch(i){
 case 1: quarter = "Winter";
 break;

 case 2: quarter = "Spring";
 break;

 case 3: quarter = "Summer I";
 break;

 case 4: quarter = "Summer II";
 break;

 case 5: quarter = "Fall";
 break;

 default: quarter = "ERROR";
}

return quarter;

}

I get the following error:

An error occurred at line: 20 in the jsp file: /headers.jsp
Illegal modifier for the variable getQuarter; only final is permitted
17:     return;
18: }

From stackoverflow

• You need to enclose that in <%! %> as follows:

  <%!
  
  public String getQuarter(int i){
  String quarter;
  switch(i){
          case 1: quarter = "Winter";
          break;
  
          case 2: quarter = "Spring";
          break;
  
          case 3: quarter = "Summer I";
          break;
  
          case 4: quarter = "Summer II";
          break;
  
          case 5: quarter = "Fall";
          break;
  
          default: quarter = "ERROR";
  }
  
  return quarter;
  }
  
  %>
  

  You can then invoke the function within scriptlets or expressions:

  <%
       out.print(getQuarter(4));
  %>
  

  or

  <%= getQuarter(17) %>
  

  Adam Jaskiewicz : You can, but you shouldn't.

• and if you want to receive a request variable inside of that function? or just print something?

  thank you