Introduce Result Variable

• Jun 07, 2019
• 2 min read

Introduces a variable to accept a value, replacing early-exit return statements with assignments to the variable and consolidating multiple method exit points into a single one.

Purpose

This refactoring is great if you need to provide additional processing for your method's return values. Instead of using values or calculated expressions in your return statements, the code works via a temporary variable, making it easier to implement value validation, for instance.

Availability

Available from the context menu or via shortcuts:

• when the caret is on a return statement.

Notes

• This refactoring first declares a variable of the same type as the method's return type. Then it adds an assignment statement before each exit point so that return statements can return this variable's value. Following that, if the code flow remains unchanged, return statements are eliminated.
• This refactoring is the functional opposite of Inline Result.

Example

private string TestMethod(bool b)
{
    if (b)│return "b - true";
    else
        return "b - false";
}

Private Function TestMethod(ByVal b As Boolean) As String
    If (b) Then│Return "b - true"
    Else
        Return "b - false"
    End If
End Function

Result:

private string TestMethod(bool b)
{
    string │result;
    if (b)
        result = "b - true";
    else
        result = "b - false";
    return result;
}

Private Function TestMethod(ByVal b As Boolean) As String
    Dim │result As String
    If (b) Then
        result = "b - true"
    Else
        result = "b - false"
    End If
    Return result
End Function

Animation