VB function with multiple output - assignment of results

Question

I know there's no straightforward way for multiple assignment of function in VB, but there's my solution - is it good, how would you do it better?

What I need (how would I do it in python, just an example)

def foo(a)    ' function with multiple output
    return int(a), int(a)+1

FloorOfA, CeilOfA = foo(a) 'now the assignment of results

How I do it in VB:

Public Function foo(ByVal nA As Integer) As Integer() ' function with multiple output
    Return {CInt(nA),CInt(nA)+1}
End Function

Dim Output As Integer() = foo(nA) 'now the assignment of results
Dim FloorOfA As Integer = Output(0)
Dim CeilOfA As Integer = Output(1)

Answer 1

For future readers, VB.NET 2017 and above now supports value tuples as a language feature. You declare your function as follows:

Function ColorToHSV(clr As System.Drawing.Color) As (hue As Double, saturation As Double, value As Double)
  Dim max As Integer = Math.Max(clr.R, Math.Max(clr.G, clr.B))
  Dim min As Integer = Math.Min(clr.R, Math.Min(clr.G, clr.B))

  Dim h = clr.GetHue()
  Dim s = If((max = 0), 0, 1.0 - (1.0 * min / max))
  Dim v = max / 255.0

  Return (h, s, v)
End Function

And you call it like this:

Dim MyHSVColor = ColorToHSV(clr)
MsgBox(MyHSVColor.hue)

Note how VB.NET creates public property named hue inferred from the return type of the called function. Intellisense too works properly for these members.

Note however that you need to target .NET Framework 4.7 for this to work. Alternately you can install System.ValueTuple (available as NuGet package) in your project to take advantage of this feature.

Answer 2

Your solution works and it is an elegant way to return multiple results, however you could also try with this

Public Sub foo2(ByVal nA As Integer, ByRef a1 As Integer, ByRef a2 As Integer) 
    a1 = Convert.ToInt32(nA)
    a2 = Convert.ToInt32(nA) +1
End Sub

and call with

foo2(nA, CeilOfA, FloorOfA)    

If you have many results to return it is logical to think to a class that could return all the values required (Expecially if these values are of different dataTypes)

Public Class CalcParams
   Public p1 As Integer
   Public p2 As String
   Public p3 As DateTime
   Public p4 As List(Of String)
End Class

Public Function foo2(ByVal nA As Integer) As CalcParams
    Dim cp = new CalcParams()
    cp.p1 = Convert.ToInt32(nA)
    .......
    Return cp
End Function

Answer 3

The methodology you are using is a good one, by the way, you can pass the required variable as a reference to your subroutine inorder to make your code more cleaner.

Dim FloorOfA As Integer
Dim CeilOfA As Integer

Call foo(10.5, FloorOfA, CeilOfA)

Public Sub foo(ByVal xVal As Integer, ByRef x As Integer, ByRef y As Integer)
    x = CInt(xVal)
    y = CInt(xVal) + 1
End Sub

Answer 4

Maybe you can use Tuple:

Public Function foo(ByVal nA As Integer) As Tuple(Of Integer,Integer) ' function with multiple output
    Return Tuple.Create(CInt(nA),CInt(nA)+1)
End Function

Dim FloorOfA, CeilOfA As Integer
With foo(nA) 'now the assignment of results
   FloorOfA =.item1
   CeilOfA = .item2
End With

Edit: New Tuple replace by Tuple.Create (thanks to @mbomb007)