How to pass multiple variables from a method to Main

Question

Please close to avoid any additional unnecessary downvoting

I'm quite shocked that I can't find this on SO so I guess my question is acceptable...

Originally, I wanted to pass multiple variables to Main from a method but it only allows one return type, so I then split the method up into two methods, returning both data types but I want to send them to Main so I can display them after being assigned in the method...

CODE

      static void Main(string[] args)
    {
        GetID();
        Console.WriteLine("Your id is {0} and your password is {1}");            
    }

    public static int GetID()
    {

        Console.WriteLine("Please enter your ID");
       int id = int.Parse(Console.ReadLine());
        Console.WriteLine("You entered {0} as the id \t, is this correct? Y/N", id);
        string response = Console.ReadLine();
        switch (response)
        {
            case "N":
                GetID();
                break;
            case "Y":
                Console.WriteLine("Accepted");
                GetPass(ref id);
                break;
            default:
                Console.WriteLine("Incorrect answer");
                break;
        }
        return id;
    }
    public static string GetPass(ref int id)
    {
        Console.WriteLine("Please enter your password");
        string password = Console.ReadLine();
        Console.WriteLine("You entered {0} as the id \t, is this correct? Y/N", password);
        string response = Console.ReadLine();
        switch (response)
        {
            case "N":
                GetPass(ref id);
                break;
            case "Y":
                Console.WriteLine("Accepted");
                break;
            default:
                Console.WriteLine("Incorrect answer");
                break;
        }
        return password;
    }

I have come back to C# after a long hiatus and I'm quite rusty as you can tell by this simple issue, so I apologise for the low quality power of the question

You project can only have one Main(). So I think you code posted should be in a class module instead of a console module. A class module doesn't have a main. — jdweng, Dec 23 '16 at 20:40
You can only pass variables to main from a command line arg[]. So where are your inputs coming from. In windows when you double click on the exe there are no inputs. You can create a shortcut and add arguments into the shortcut. — jdweng, Dec 23 '16 at 20:49
@DannyWatson Actually your question is a bit misstated; to *pass* a variable to main you have to use command line args as @jdweng stated. You aren't passing variables in, you are trying to get them out of other methods (and into `Main` which is actually ancillary here). Your title especially indicates that you are manually invoking `Main` (since that is the context of "passing" in most programming) — BradleyDotNET, Dec 23 '16 at 21:03

score 2 · Accepted Answer · edited Dec 23 '16 at 20:58

2

Can you use variables to assign the return types in main before printing to the console?

static void Main(string[] args)
{
    var id = GetID();
    var password = GetPass(ref id);
    Console.WriteLine("Your id is {0} and your password is {1}", id, password);            
}

edited Dec 23 '16 at 20:58

imlim

1,607
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answered Dec 23 '16 at 20:44

Jonathan Walton

449
3
18

oh ffs, I remember now, it's been a long time I forgot that I could assign variables to Methods... – Danny Watson Dec 23 '16 at 20:47

score 1 · Answer 2 · answered Dec 23 '16 at 20:38

1

Instead of returning multiple values in separate calls, consider creating an object type that contains multiple values, and return an instance of that object type.

answered Dec 23 '16 at 20:38

Jim Kiley

3,632
3
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The info I came across did include OOP, but I would prefer to avoid it out of simplicity as this code is merely a refresher – Danny Watson Dec 23 '16 at 20:39
@DannyWatson All else being equal, don't avoid it for *too* long. – BradleyDotNET Dec 23 '16 at 20:49
I love how whenever @BradleyDotNET is on the case I always get a downvote shortly after his comment – Danny Watson Dec 23 '16 at 20:58
@DannyWatson lol, not me (can't say if I've ever downvoted you; but not this time) For that matter, I'm not sure I've even seen any of your recent posts (maybe you deleted them?); are you sure I'm the link here? – BradleyDotNET Dec 23 '16 at 20:59

score 1 · Answer 3 · edited May 23 '17 at 11:46

1

You can use out parameters to return multiple values from a method call:

For instance:

public void MyMethod(out string first, out string second)
{
    first = "some";
    second = "thing";
}

And you can call as follows:

string f;
string s;
MyMethod(out f, out s);

Some info on out can be found here:

And the difference between out and ref:

edited May 23 '17 at 11:46

Community

1
1

answered Dec 23 '16 at 20:45

Klinger

4,900
1
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score 0 · Answer 4 · answered Dec 23 '16 at 20:48

you have to make change in code as below which should work.

static void Main(string[] args)
{
    Hashtable ht = GetID(); // Use hashtable to concate 2 parameters
    Console.WriteLine("Your id is {0} and your password is {1}", ht["id"], ht["pass"]);            
}
// Change return type to Hashtable so it can return 2 concate parameter
public static Hashtable GetID()
{
    Hashtable ht = new Hashtable();
    Console.WriteLine("Please enter your ID");
    int id = int.Parse(Console.ReadLine());
    Console.WriteLine("You entered {0} as the id \t, is this correct? Y/N", id);
    string response = Console.ReadLine();
    // Store Password from here
    string pass = "";
    switch (response)
    {
        case "N":
            GetID();
            break;
        case "Y":
            Console.WriteLine("Accepted");
            pass = GetPass(id);
            break;
        default:
            Console.WriteLine("Incorrect answer");
            break;
    }
    // Adding 2 parameters
    ht["id"] = id;
    ht["pass"] = pass;
    return ht;
}
// No need of ref
public static string GetPass(int id)
{
    Console.WriteLine("Please enter your password");
    string password = Console.ReadLine();
    Console.WriteLine("You entered {0} as the id \t, is this correct? Y/N", password);
    string response = Console.ReadLine();
    switch (response)
    {
        case "N":
            GetPass(ref id);
            break;
        case "Y":
            Console.WriteLine("Accepted");
            break;
        default:
            Console.WriteLine("Incorrect answer");
            break;
    }
    return password;
}

How to pass multiple variables from a method to Main

4 Answers4