How do I return multiple values in a function?

I would like to return X/Y coordinates in a function, but C3 only seems to allow one return value per function. How do I return pairs, vector2? Or is it possible to return an array or list?

Alternatively, you can concatenate all the required values into a delimited string. And then parse and convert to a number.

You could also have the function return nothing and set some global variables instead that you’d use after calling the function. For example:

Global number retx=0
Global number rety=0

Function rotate90(x,y)
— set retx to -y
— set rety to x

Every 1 seconds
— function: rotate90(sprite.platform.vectorX, sprite.platform.vectorY)
— sprite: platform: set vectorX to retx
— sprite: platform: set vectorY to rety

I will suggest, that encoding multiple values in a string just creates more problems (parsing and extracting types).

The suggested methods are common ways to return multiple values in a language without simple tuple syntax (tuple means arbitrary number of grouped terms, not just 2). I would suggest the standard way of returning a complex typed object.

MyTypedObject returnVal = {

int x: 0,

int y: 2

};

This gets messy when you have lots of functions trying to return multiple values, because now you have a whole bunch of types to namespace and modify when you want to make changes.

A tuple substitute is implementing a kind of intentionally-formed complex object. This gives birth to the "wheel" or whatever you want to call it.

Let's say we have another function where we want to return a string and an int. Modify the wheel to allow those values to be carried.

// MyTypedObject becomes Wheel - or ad-hoc tuple

Wheel returnVal = {

int x,

int y,

string z

};

Now I can use the wheel to return multiple values across multiple functions. You do have to be careful to ensure that only set returned value fields are used, but it makes the code MUCH cleaner when used sparingly. Generally, if you are returning more than a handful of fields, you want a dedicated SomeTypedObject, but for simple things the Wheel will do.

};

How about setting both values in one function, then calling each with its own function? Something like this:

Here I put everything in a group, sort of encapsulating the functions together. Then you can call the first function once without a return value, followed by each of the return values:

A silly example but one that hopefully illustrates the idea.