Choosing a return value for a method in C#

Question

Hi there! I have a method, but I'm not sure what I want the return value to be yet. Is there a best practice for using a temporary return value so that I won't get a compile error and can run my application until I decide what I want for the return value? Thank you!

Answer 1

Yep, you can use a placeholder or temporary return value to avoid compile errors while you're still deciding on the final return value for your C# method. One common approach is to return a default or sentinel value that clearly indicates that the method is incomplete or the return value is temporary.

Here's an example using null as a placeholder return value:

public string MyMethod()
{
    // Placeholder return value
    return null;
}

Using null as the placeholder allows your method to compile and run without errors, but it's important to remember to update the return value to the correct type and value once you've decided on the final return value.

Alternatively, you can use a specific value that wouldn't normally occur in the context of your method's logic. For example, if your method typically returns a string, you might use an empty string or a special string like "TODO" as a placeholder:

public string MyMethod()
{
    // Placeholder return value
    return "TODO";
}

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hth

Marcin