What does java return void mean?
Does / why does Java need to have void methods? Reference:
Any method declared void doesn't return a value.
As far as I can think, every use of void would be better served by returning a status flag, the object being invoked, or null.
This would make every call a statement that is assignable, and would facilitate builder patterns and method chaining. Methods that are only invoked for their effects would usually return a boolean or a generic Success type or throw an exception on failure.
Regarding the java return void, there is a difference between "This function can succeed or fail and is self-aware enough that it can tell the difference" and "There is no feedback about the effect of this function." Without void, you'd endlessly check success codes and believe that you are writing robust software, when in fact you are doing nothing of the sort.