Return values from a function

[phrajib]

I want to return four values (more than one) from a function to its caller.

Four values are of four datatypes(int, long, double, string).

I just know how to return one value from a function. But how can I return more than one ?

Is it possible ?

plz, Give an example.

--Rajib

[DeadEyes]

technically a function is only meant to return one value, so you should create a class or structure that will hold your four values.
You could use the out keyword, but it's not a good solution

[phrajib]

Thanks for your help.

But I have found that it is easily solved by Reference passing.


---Rajib

[DeadEyes]

Something to bear in mind an argument passed by ref must be first initialised. An out does not have to be initialised.

[mendhak]

Can you tell me more about the out keyword?

[DeadEyes]

further reading:
out

ref

[mendhak]

Ah, so the out keyword is quite like those from SPs. Yet another feature I wish VB.NET had.

[mendhak]

ref exists in VB.NET. When you pass an argument to a function, you can do it ByVal or ByRef.

[sixfeetsix]

An interesting thing with C# is that using out, ref or neither of them for a given function parameter defines different function signatures. This allows the overloading of a function in this way :

        void testfunction(int iVal)
        {
        }

        void testfunction(ref int iVal)
        {
        }

        void testfunction(out int iVal)
        {
        }

All is well if used only in C#, but you cannot use this function in VB through a compiled assembly because it is ambiguious in VB because in VB you don't tell the compiler that you want to send your function parameter ByVal or ByRef.

[DeadEyes]

//this is a valid overload
void testfunction(int iVal){}
void testfunction(ref int iVal){}

//so is this
void testfunction(int iVal){}
void testfunction(out int iVal){}

//this is not a valid overload
void testfunction(ref iVal){}
void testfunction(out int iVal){}

[sixfeetsix]

My bad, I assumed that it would be valid too, I never tried to mix out and ref before...