any equivalent to VB.net function name as return value in C#?

Question

In vb.net there is a weird approach that you can use the function name as the result variable..

example:

Function Foo(ByVal bar As Integer) As List(Of Integer)
    Foo = New List(Of Integer)
    Foo.Add(bar + 1)
End Function

As far as i know, in C# you have to:

List<int> foo(int bar) 
{
     var result = new List<int>();
     result.Add(bar + 1);
     return result;
}

I'm not sure if it's by design or i just don't know the right way to do this.. Please enlight me!

Thanks in advance, Eitan.

I'm asking about how to avoid declaring return variable on each function in C# — Eitan H.S.
– Eitan H.S., Commented Nov 4, 2012 at 11:04

Konrad Rudolph · Accepted Answer · 2012-11-04 11:17:43Z

4

C# doesn’t support that. On a historical note, the only reason for VB to support this is that previous (pre-.NET) versions used the function name assignment exclusively – i.e. didn’t have a Return statement.¹

There’s a general consensus among .NET developers that you should use the Return … method even in VB rather than using FunctionName = … and Exit Function.

¹ Well actually they did but it did something else.

edited Nov 4, 2012 at 11:17

answered Nov 4, 2012 at 11:06

Konrad Rudolph

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2 Comments

Oded Over a year ago

By previous versions, one means non .NET versions of Visual Basic (VB6 , VBScript and VBA).

Konrad Rudolph Over a year ago

@Oded LOL, in my mind “previous versions” is firmly VB6 even though we’ve long left VB7 behind us. Will fix.

LightStriker · Accepted Answer · 2012-11-04 11:09:02Z

1

As far as I know, there is no C# equivalent. However, it is only sugar syntax in VB, as under the hood, the function name is replaced by return behavior anyway.

The readability of using function name as return param is highly debatable. Most don't like it.

return also offer an advantage that function name doesn't have, resolving the method at that specific place.

edited Nov 4, 2012 at 11:09

answered Nov 4, 2012 at 11:03

LightStriker

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4 Comments

Eitan H.S. Over a year ago

Yes, i did understood that.. but i'm trying to get my C# code sweeter (-:

LightStriker Over a year ago

@user1179861: If you want to make your C# sweeter, (or your VB) don't use function names. :)

LightStriker Over a year ago

@Oded: Code Dentists are always overpriced.

as9876 Over a year ago

It's more than just syntactic sugar. With a return statement, the method returns immediately. When using the method name setter, it doesn't. And you can thus change the value several times before it hits the end of the method, such as in a loop, or whatever.

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