Return more than one value

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1.00/5 (1 vote)

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Hi all,

Is it possible to return more than 1 value from another class for example I have a method:

VB

Public Shared Function GetCustomerData() as Boolean
Dim strMsg as String
Dim i as Integer

If txtNumber1.Text <> String.Empty AND txtNumber2.Text <> String.Empty Then
   i = txtNumber1.Text + txtNumber2.Text
Else
   strMsg="Requirement is empty"
End If

Return i
End Function

This is an example of my code which I call the function method located in other class and want to return a 2 value that is "i" and "strMsg"

Could someone help me solve this? I've tried "Return i, strMsg" but it got blue underline string

Posted 8-Apr-12 16:52pm

Luiey Ichigo

Updated 8-Apr-12 17:03pm

Sergey Alexandrovich Kryukov

v2

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Sergey Alexandrovich Kryukov 8-Apr-12 23:04pm

From a class or a function? Your sample shows a function.
--SA

Luiey Ichigo 8-Apr-12 23:51pm

it's a function a located in other project of the main system

3 solutions

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Dave Kreskowiak · Accepted Answer · 2012-04-08T17:10:00

Solution 1

Create a structure to hold the return data, then populate an instance of the structure and return that.

Posted 8-Apr-12 17:10pm

Dave Kreskowiak

Comments

VJ Reddy 9-Apr-12 0:05am

To the point. +5

Sergey Alexandrovich Kryukov · Accepted Answer · 2012-04-08T17:12:00

Solution 2

There is no such concept as "return a value from class", simply it can mean just about anything. You can return a value only from a function.

There are two ways of doing that.

Fist one is using a data type encapsulating two or more values. It could be a class or a structure.

The second way is using out parameter. This feature is not implemented in VB.NET, but you can use passing parameters by reference, like in this example:

VB

Private Function GetCustomerData(ByRef index As Integer, ByRef message As String) As Boolean
    index = 13
    message = "message"
    Return True
End Function

In this sample, you return three different parameters of three different type. The Boolean parameters is returned on stack, and the other two are "populated in-place" by the references passed in the function.

—SA

Posted 8-Apr-12 17:12pm

Sergey Alexandrovich Kryukov

Updated 8-Apr-12 17:14pm

v2

Comments

Luiey Ichigo 8-Apr-12 23:54pm

Oh! That explain to me..now I totally understand..send a parameter and put the new value then return true. so if i want to grab the value after it, i just call the parameter that send the value to this function.am i right? tq SA

Sergey Alexandrovich Kryukov 9-Apr-12 0:11am

You do not "call the parameter" (what is that?). First of all, you can return any of the types as a return value (on stack or its reference on stack), not just Boolean. This is how you use ByRef: say, you create a local variable indexValue and assign its some value, say, 10. Then you call GetCustomerData and use the variable to substitute the formal parameter. The ByRef parameter will pass the reference of the actual parameter instead its value. The value can be used inside function by this references, but you can also assign a different value to is (13 is shown in a code sample). This value will be preserved after return to a caller, because the function body worked with the same reference to the value, not with the copy of the value. If you do same thing with the by-value parameter, you use the copy of the value, so the value of the variable representing the actual parameter won't be modified on return.

For a record: returning a single return value using the structure or class type is better in most cases.
--SA

VJ Reddy 9-Apr-12 0:05am

To the point. +5

Sergey Alexandrovich Kryukov 9-Apr-12 0:12am

Thank you, VJ.
--SA

Luiey Ichigo 9-Apr-12 0:17am

Thank you sir..

Sergey Alexandrovich Kryukov 10-Apr-12 10:48am

You are welcome.
If you agree that this makes sense, please accept the answer formally (green button) -- thanks.
--SA

Monjurul Habib 10-Apr-12 1:02am

5!

Sergey Alexandrovich Kryukov 10-Apr-12 10:47am

Thank you, Monjurul.
--SA

VJ Reddy · Accepted Answer · 2012-04-08T17:58:00

Solution 3

What is given in Solution 2 by SAKryukov and in Solution 1 by Dave Kreskowiak is absolutely correct answer.
I want to add that in .NET FrameWork 4 and above a Tuple class is provided to readily create a data structure with multiple members as explained here
About Tuple Class on MSDN[^]

Posted 8-Apr-12 17:58pm

VJ Reddy

Updated 8-Apr-12 18:00pm

v2

Comments

Sergey Alexandrovich Kryukov 9-Apr-12 0:13am

Yes, I wanted to mention Tuple but did not choose to spend extra time on that. Thank you for adding this information. My 5.
--SA

VJ Reddy 9-Apr-12 1:56am

Thank you, SA.

member60 18-Apr-12 6:47am

my 5!

VJ Reddy 18-Apr-12 7:05am

Thank you, member60