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'Cannot Find Symbol' Compile Error in Java

Updated Jan 08, 2020

What is 'Cannot find symbol' Java Error

A 'Cannot find symbol' in Java is a compilation error that occurs when a compiler cannot find what an identifier refers to, for example, an undeclared variable in your code. In simple words, this error occurs when your source code refers to an identifier (id) that the compiler is unable to understand because that identifier is not defined in your code.

At the time of compilation of any Java program, the compiler creates a list of all the identifiers used in the program and then tries to understand what each of those identifiers means or refers. A 'Cannot find symbol' implies that your code is referring to something which compiler cannot understand.

Cause of this error

The compiler while compiling the java programs looks in the code to check where all the identifiers are defined, if in case the compiler cannot find the definition of any identifier it will return an error 'Cannot find symbol.'

Some common causes of this error are:

  • Use of incorrect identifier spelling for example StringBffer instead of StringBuffer 
  • Java identifiers are case-sensitive; therefore, the use of wrong case can cause this error. 
  • Use of inappropriate underscore, letters, numbers, underscore, dollar sign, etc;  i.e., stringstechies and string_stechies are different
  • In case if any variable is not declared or variables declared is outside of the scope, which user is referencing too.
  • If in case, the identifier refers to a method that has not been declared.
  • Or the identifier is trying to inherit a method or field which is not defined in the parent classes.
  • If you forget to import the class

Example

/Java program for Compiler Error: cannot find symbol

//Error

//Main class of the program
public class Main{
    //Main method of the program
    public static void main (String[] args) {
        //First Number
        int fNumber = 45;
        //Second Number
        int sNumber = 33;
        //Variable to hold the multiplication of the program
        result = fNumber * sNumber;
        //Printing the output
        System.out.println(result);
    }
}

Output

Main.java:10: error: cannot find symbol
        result = fNumber * sNumber;
        ^
  symbol:   variable result
  location: class Main
Main.java:12: error: cannot find symbol
        System.out.println(result);
                           ^
  symbol:   variable result
  location: class Main
2 errors

In the above code, we are getting error: 'cannot find symbol' because we have not defined the variable 'result' anywhere in our code.

Correct Program

//Java program to resolve Compiler Error: cannot find symbol

//resolve Error

//Main class of the program
public class Main{
    //Main method of the program
    public static void main (String[] args) {
        //First Number
        int fNumber = 45;
        //Second Number
        int sNumber = 33;
        //Variable to hold the multiplication of the program
        int result = fNumber * sNumber;
        //Printing the output
        System.out.println(result);
    }
}

Output:

1485 

 


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