Return a C# tuple from a method

A tuple in C# is a data structure that can hold multiple values of different types. You can return a tuple from a method, which is useful when you need to return multiple values from a single method call.

There are two main ways to return tuples from methods in C# − using the Tuple class and using the newer value tuples with more concise syntax.

Syntax

Using the Tuple class −

static Tuple<int, int, string> MethodName() {
    return Tuple.Create(value1, value2, value3);
}

Using value tuples (C# 7.0 and later) −

static (int, int, string) MethodName() {
    return (value1, value2, value3);
}

Using named tuple elements −

static (int age, string name, double salary) GetEmployeeInfo() {
    return (25, "John", 50000.0);
}

Using Tuple Class

The traditional way to return tuples uses the Tuple class with Tuple.Create() method −

using System;

public class Demo {
    public static void Main() {
        var tuple = Show();
        Console.WriteLine("Item1: " + tuple.Item1);
        Console.WriteLine("Item2: " + tuple.Item2);
        Console.WriteLine("Item3: " + tuple.Item3);
        Console.WriteLine("Item4: " + tuple.Item4);
        Console.WriteLine("Item5: " + tuple.Item5);
    }
    
    static Tuple<int, int, int, int, int> Show() {
        return Tuple.Create(3, 5, 7, 9, 11);
    }
}

The output of the above code is −

Item1: 3
Item2: 5
Item3: 7
Item4: 9
Item5: 11

Using Value Tuples

Value tuples provide a more concise syntax and better performance compared to reference tuples −

using System;

public class Demo {
    public static void Main() {
        var result = GetPersonInfo();
        Console.WriteLine($"Name: {result.Item1}");
        Console.WriteLine($"Age: {result.Item2}");
        Console.WriteLine($"City: {result.Item3}");
        
        // Deconstruction
        var (name, age, city) = GetPersonInfo();
        Console.WriteLine($"Deconstructed - Name: {name}, Age: {age}, City: {city}");
    }
    
    static (string, int, string) GetPersonInfo() {
        return ("Alice", 28, "New York");
    }
}

The output of the above code is −

Name: Alice
Age: 28
City: New York
Deconstructed - Name: Alice, Age: 28, City: New York

Using Named Tuple Elements

Named tuple elements make the code more readable by providing meaningful names instead of Item1, Item2, etc. −

using System;

public class Demo {
    public static void Main() {
        var employee = GetEmployeeDetails();
        Console.WriteLine($"ID: {employee.id}");
        Console.WriteLine($"Name: {employee.name}");
        Console.WriteLine($"Department: {employee.department}");
        Console.WriteLine($"Salary: ${employee.salary:F2}");
    }
    
    static (int id, string name, string department, double salary) GetEmployeeDetails() {
        return (101, "Bob Johnson", "Engineering", 75000.50);
    }
}

The output of the above code is −

ID: 101
Name: Bob Johnson
Department: Engineering
Salary: $75000.50

Comparison of Approaches

Conclusion

Returning tuples from methods in C# provides an efficient way to return multiple values. Value tuples with named elements offer the best combination of performance, readability, and modern syntax, making them the preferred choice for new C# applications.