C# Ref Returns and Locals

C# Ref Returns and Locals for beginners and professionals with examples on overloading, method overriding, inheritance, aggregation, base, polymorphism, sealed, abstract, interface, namespaces, exception handling, file io, collections, multithreading, reflection etc.

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C# Ref returns and locals

C# ref keyword allows a method to return reference rather than a value. In C# prior versions, a method can return only value.

A variable that holds returned reference known as ref local.

A method that returns reference has certain restrictions that are listed below.

Method can't use void return type
Method can't return local variable
Method can't return null value
Method can't return constant, an enumeration, and property of a class or struct

Let's see an example.

C# Ref Returns Example

using System;
namespace CSharpFeatures
{
    class RefReturnsExample
    {
        public static void Main(string[] args)
        {
            string[] students = { "Rahul", "John", "Mayank", "Irfan" };
            // Calling a method that returns a reference
            ref string student = ref FindStudent(students, "John");
            Console.WriteLine(student);
        }
        // A method that returns a ref type
        static ref string FindStudent(string[] students, string student)
        {
            for (int i = 0; i < students.Length; i++)
            {
                if (students[i].Equals(student))
                {
                    return ref students[i];
                }
            }
            throw new Exception("Student not found");
        }
    }
}

Output:

John

Ref local is a variable that is used to store the reference returned by the method. Let's see an example.

C# Ref Local Example

using System;
namespace CSharpFeatures
{
    class RefReturnsExample
    {
        public static void Main(string[] args)
        {
            string[] students = { "Rahul", "John", "Mayank", "Irfan"};
            Console.WriteLine("Array: [" + string.Join(",",students)+"]");
            // Creating local reference
            ref string student = ref students[3];
            student = "Peter";  // It will change array value at third index
            Console.WriteLine("Updated array: ["+string.Join(",",students)+"]");
        }
    }
}

Output:

Array: [Rahul,John,Mayank,Irfan]
Updated array: [Rahul,John,Mayank,Peter]

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