asked on

How can i return 2 values from a class library into my User Inteface

I have a c# application and need to return 2 items from a class library

when i had 1 item i was able to return it but some how i am having error returning 2 items

The 2 items i want returned are RegisteredStatus and RegisteredLevel

Both variables were defined as strings ie

string RegisteredStatus = "";
string RegisteredLevel ="";

After some processing in the script , I have values in both variables which i want returned.

1. Part of my code in the Library

  MyActiveLock.KeyStoreType = ActiveLock3_6NET.IActiveLock.LicStoreType.alsFile;


            MyActiveLock.Acquire(ref strMsg, ref strRemainingTrialDays, ref strRemainingTrialRuns, ref strTrialLength,
                   ref strUsedDays, ref strExpirationDate, ref strRegisteredUser, ref strRegisteredLevel, ref strLicenseClass,
                   ref strMaxCount, ref strLicenseFileType, ref strLicenseType, ref strUsedLockType);

            if (strMsg != null && strMsg.Length > 0) //There's a trial
            {
                RegisteredStatus = "Trial Mode";
                RegisteredLevel = strRegisteredLevel;
            }
            else
            {

                //cmdKillTrial.Visible = false;
                //cmdResetTrial.Visible = false;
                RegisteredStatus = "Registered";
                RegisteredLevel = strRegisteredLevel;        
            }
            return (RegisteredStatus, RegisteredLevel);

Open in new window

Return RegisteredStatus worked fine, while Return (RegisteredStatus, RegisteredLevel) gave a syntax error

I introduced the Tuple below into library hoping it would help me return the 2 values

But i think i might not be calling/using the tuple properly (see Below the tuple in the library)

2. A Tuple also defined in the Library

public static Tuple<string, string> Location(string RegisteredStatus, string RegisteredLevel)
        {
            return new Tuple<string, string>(RegisteredStatus, RegisteredLevel);
        }

Open in new window

3. Eventually in my application i need to get the 2 returned variables in to

some text field on the screen .

For the 1 variable which worked my script was

ActiveLockProcessor processor = new ActiveLockProcessor();
txtRegStatus.Text = processor.GenerateActiveLockStatus();

What would be the correct syntax now for getting the 2 variables to my Text fields on screen

Please NOTE that i do not have to use Tuples if there is a simpler and more straight way to achieve this.

Thanks

Olukay

Ryan Chong

Return RegisteredStatus worked fine, while Return (RegisteredStatus, RegisteredLevel) gave a syntax error

try declare a class and return that class object instead. For class object, you can define it with objects or properties you wanted.

Juan Carlos

You can return array of string:

   public string[] ......
      {
             string[] result = {RegisteredStatus, RegisteredLevel};
              return result;
         }

Open in new window

result[0] = RegisterStatus
result[1]= RegisteredLevel

Rikin Shah

Hi,

If you're using C# 7.0 (Visual Studio 2017) there is a new construction to do that:

return (RegisteredStatus: registeredStatus, RegisteredLevel: registeredLevel);

Open in new window

sarabande

you can pass the strings registeredStatus and registeredLevel as arguments to your function by reference. then the function could assign the values and return a bool for example to signal success.

Sara

Gustav Brock

Or, indeed if you in general use this pair of info, you could create and use a tiny Struct like:

public struct RegisteredInfo
{
    public string Status;
    public string Level;
}

Open in new window

struct (C# Reference)

ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION

Chris Stanyon

membership

This solution is only available to members.

To access this solution, you must be a member of Experts Exchange.

Start Free Trial

Rikin Shah

Hi,

You can also go for dynamic object-

dynamic obj = new ExpandoObject();
obj.Property1 = "hello world";
obj.Property2 = 123;
return obj;

Open in new window

Check ExpandoObject

Olukayode Oluwole

ASKER

I have tried the solution that is a 1 liner (i.e by Rikin Shah) because of its simplicity

return (RegisteredStatus: registeredStatus, RegisteredLevel: registeredLevel);

The line was how flagged as an error.

Below please find my full method including the declaration of RegisteredStatus and RegisteredLevel

{
    public class ActiveLockProcessor
    {
        private object strUsedLockType;
        private string strKeyStorePath;
        private string strAutoRegisterKeyPath;
        string autoRegisterKey = null;
        bool boolAutoRegisterKeyPath = false;
        string[] A;
        // public object MyActiveLock { get; private set; }
        //public _IActiveLock MyActiveLock1 { get => this.MyActiveLock; set => this.MyActiveLock = value; }

        //private _IActiveLock MyActiveLock;
        private ActiveLockEventNotifier ActiveLockEventSink;
        private _IActiveLock MyActiveLock;
        private object modMain;

        [DllImport("kernel32.dll")]
        static extern uint GetSystemDirectory([Out] StringBuilder lpBuffer, uint uSize);
        [DllImport("shell32.dll")]
        static extern bool SHGetSpecialFolderPath(IntPtr hwndOwner, [Out] StringBuilder lpszPath, int nFolder, bool fCreate);

        internal const string SOFTWARENAME = "Crystal";

        string RegisteredStatus = "";
        string RegisteredLevel = "";

        public string GenerateActiveLockStatus()
        {
  
            string activelockFile = Application.StartupPath + @"\Activelock3_6NET.dll";

            string strMsg = null;
            string strRemainingTrialDays = null, strRemainingTrialRuns = null, strTrialLength = null, strUsedDays = null, strExpirationDate = null,
                strRegisteredUser = null, strRegisteredLevel = null, strLicenseClass = null, strMaxCount = null, strLicenseFileType = null,
                strLicenseType = null, strUsedLockType = null;
            //string RegisteredStatus;


            StringBuilder sbAppfilePath = new StringBuilder(260);
            SHGetSpecialFolderPath(IntPtr.Zero, sbAppfilePath, 46, false); // 46 is for ...\All Users\Documents folder.
            string AppfilePath = sbAppfilePath.ToString();

            Globals MyAL = new Globals();
            MyActiveLock = MyAL.NewInstance();

            //MyActiveLock.SoftwareName = modMain.SOFTWARENAME;
            MyActiveLock.SoftwareName = "Crystal";
            MyActiveLock.SoftwareVersion = "8";
            //MyActiveLock.SoftwareName = "TestApp";
            //MyActiveLock.SoftwareVersion = "3";
            MyActiveLock.SoftwarePassword = Convert.ToChar(99).ToString() + Convert.ToChar(111).ToString() + Convert.ToChar(111).ToString() + Convert.ToChar(108).ToString();
            string PUB_KEY = "";
            // Below is PUB_KEY  for TestApp  Version 3
            PUB_KEY = "RSA1024<RSAKeyValue><Modulus>yEN14ITfjgrvHBcctrYVAPL/f1vLiHCob30+w45h0csbWAM/cbu9MYszZT0H+i23sSKKgmpGcrq2V1oYWOBLSNOakTnvYVYyMNF/EIy+J9LEUaBsjEh22jDgTOoPhPU6+yUhk8u9TgWeDSpvN4ob360Ho3OYdvAz5ZhPLI/Qamk=</Modulus><Exponent>AQAB</Exponent></RSAKeyValue>";


            //// Below is PUB_KEY  for Crystal  Version 8
            //PUB_KEY = "RSA1024<RSAKeyValue><Modulus>ve8rCNEU6MuyBedGQNk68ASxKQ505eOvUI1CUNcHOg44FZxzDVAzFo8I/w93S+jKoiTOKycrtgkV0BFrm/4zrTOiN8fU1ZFgH7TsBznWG+aY8yOIzL/UuUQL8Uj05TEnxfCsXr/LUPqITq7SnfOdI2Ze72qBsNDQc1B243t6RN0=</Modulus><Exponent>AQAB</Exponent></RSAKeyValue>";
            //MyActiveLock.SoftwareCode = modMain.Dec(modMain.PUB_KEY);
            MyActiveLock.SoftwareCode = PUB_KEY;

            strKeyStorePath = Application.StartupPath + @"\Crystal.lic";
            MyActiveLock.Init(Application.StartupPath, ref strKeyStorePath);
            System.Diagnostics.Debug.WriteLine("License path is " + strKeyStorePath);
            MyActiveLock.KeyStorePath = strKeyStorePath;
            // Obtain the EventNotifier so that we can receive notifications from AL.
            ActiveLockEventSink = MyActiveLock.EventNotifier;




            if (!Directory.Exists(AppfilePath + @"\" + MyActiveLock.SoftwareName + MyActiveLock.SoftwareVersion))
                Directory.CreateDirectory(AppfilePath + @"\" + MyActiveLock.SoftwareName + MyActiveLock.SoftwareVersion);
            {
                strAutoRegisterKeyPath = AppfilePath + @"\" + MyActiveLock.SoftwareName + MyActiveLock.SoftwareVersion +
                    @"\" + MyActiveLock.SoftwareName + MyActiveLock.SoftwareVersion + ".all";
                MyActiveLock.AutoRegisterKeyPath = strAutoRegisterKeyPath;
            }
            if (File.Exists(strAutoRegisterKeyPath))
            {
                boolAutoRegisterKeyPath = true;
            }


            MyActiveLock.KeyStoreType = ActiveLock3_6NET.IActiveLock.LicStoreType.alsFile;


            MyActiveLock.Acquire(ref strMsg, ref strRemainingTrialDays, ref strRemainingTrialRuns, ref strTrialLength,
                   ref strUsedDays, ref strExpirationDate, ref strRegisteredUser, ref strRegisteredLevel, ref strLicenseClass,
                   ref strMaxCount, ref strLicenseFileType, ref strLicenseType, ref strUsedLockType);

            if (strMsg != null && strMsg.Length > 0) //There's a trial
            {
                RegisteredStatus = "Trial Mode";
                RegisteredLevel = strRegisteredLevel;
            }
            else
            {

                //cmdKillTrial.Visible = false;
                //cmdResetTrial.Visible = false;
                RegisteredStatus = "Registered";
                RegisteredLevel = strRegisteredLevel;        // 24 in value if registered
            }
            return RegisteredStatus;
            return (RegisteredStatus: registeredStatus, RegisteredLevel: registeredLevel);
        }

Open in new window

This first single parameter return did not raise any error.
When i replaced it with the 2 parameter line the line was flagged (see screen shot below)

Also No mention was made on how to retrieve the values into UI text boxes

Grateful for further assistance

Olukay

Rikin Shah

Hi

Your function definition should be as below-

public (string, string) GenerateActiveLockStatus()

Open in new window

Chris Stanyon

Have a read through my previous comment. Your method declaration needs to match the return types. If you just want to return a tuple, thne you declaration looks like this:

public (string, string) GenerateActiveLockStatus()
{
    ...
    return (registeredStatus, registeredLevel);
}

Open in new window

If you want to return a named tuple, then it will look like this:

public (string status, string level) GenerateActiveLockStatus()
{
    ...
    return (status : registeredStatus, level : registeredLevel);
}

Open in new window

In the first method the result will contain 2 properties called Item1 and Item2. In the second example the results will contain properties called status and level

Olukayode Oluwole

ASKER

Thanks for the help