out keyword: C# to python translation

Question

I am a beginner python programmer, and trying to understand a c# script. I came across the out keyword, I have read several other threads, but I think i have not been able to understand it completely. So here's a snippet of the script I am trying to understand.

void Vector3(out NewVector3 v) {
    double x, y, z; 
    Double(out x);
    Double(out y);
    Double(out z);
    v = NewVector3(x, y, z);

A python equivalent of this snippet based on my understanding would be,

def Vector3():
    return NewVector(float(),float(),float())

is my translation correct?

Martijn Pieters · Accepted Answer · 2018-06-05T23:17:33.467

-2

out is used in languages that can't return multiple objects; you pass in a complex object for the function to 'return' by altering the contents.

In Python, just return multiple values (a tuple, really), or in this case, an instance of the NewVector() class:

return NewVector(0., 0., 0.)

edited Jun 05 '18 at 23:17

answered Jun 05 '18 at 23:15

Martijn Pieters

1,048,767
296
4,058
3,343

True, and in this case, it seems `x`, `y` and `z` are all zeroes, so this whole function becomes `return 0, 0, 0` :\ – zvone Jun 05 '18 at 23:17
@zvone: or `0.` for a shorthand float value. – Martijn Pieters Jun 05 '18 at 23:17
Interesting, I would use `0.`, but `.0` also works :) Anyway, I would also avoid making distinction between `int` and `float`, but that is just me – zvone Jun 05 '18 at 23:20
I did not know float() == 0., thankyou. – Faraz Khan Jun 06 '18 at 20:24

out keyword: C# to python translation

1 Answers1