C# 10.0 All-in-One For Dummies

Chapter 10

Improving Productivity with Named and Optional Parameters

IN THIS CHAPTER

Distinguishing between named and optional parameters

Using optional parameters

Declaring and using output parameters

Implementing reference return types

Parameters, as you probably remember, are the inputs to methods. They’re the values that appear as part of the method’s signature. When the method returns a value (it doesn’t always do so), the parameters provide the data required to generate the output value. Sometimes, the return values are parameters (out parameters), which confuses things.

In ancient versions of C# and most C-derived languages, parameters can't be optional (oddly enough, you find some examples of this ancient code lurking about online just waiting to make you feel hindered). Instead of making parameters optional, you are required to make a separate overload for every version of the method you expect your users to need. This pattern works well, but there are some problems that are explored in this chapter.

C# 4.0 and above have optional parameters. Optional parameters are parameters ...