What's the difference between a function and a sub?

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Guest

I am a newbie to C# and have come across some VB .NET code in my studies. I
notice that VB uses functions and subs, and was wondering what the difference
was. Is it that one has a return value and the other doesn't?
 
cashdeskmac said:
I am a newbie to C# and have come across some VB .NET code in my
studies. I
notice that VB uses functions and subs, and was wondering what the
difference was. Is it that one has a return value and the other
doesn't?
Click to expand...

Yes, it is.

Armin
 
well with byref parameters a sub can also return values ,,,,

maybe a better explanation if you can follow me , is that a sub is a
method that doesn`t return values by its method name , and a function is a
method that can return values by it`s method name
 
m.posseth said:
well with byref parameters a sub can also return values ,,,,
Click to expand...

Even a 'ByVal' parameter of a reference type can do that ;-).
 
Herfried,
Even a 'ByVal' parameter of a reference type can do that ;-).
Click to expand...
No it does not "return" a value, those can be set.

A sub is just a void function.

Cor
 
Michel.

I don't agree with you, a void function (in VBNet a Sub) does not "return" a
value. You can set values, however those are not returned.

You can use them afterwards, however that I see as a complete different
approach, as there are than more possibilities. (By instance set values in
modules or whatever)

Just my thought,

Cor
 
It depends on how you define "returing a value".
Click to expand...

Maybe in Thuringen however for the rest of the world it is well knowed.

A = B where B returns a value to A.

Cor
 
Cor,

Cor Ligthert said:
Maybe in Thuringen however for the rest of the world it is well knowed.

A = B where B returns a value to A.
Click to expand...

I still believe that using output parameters is one technique to "return"
values.
 
Herfried K. Wagner said:
Cor,



I still believe that using output parameters is one technique to
"return" values.
Click to expand...


Yes, but talking about the difference between subs and functions, the
statement "Is it that one has a return value and the other doesn't?" it's
for sure related to the function return value. I think you know this. :-)

Armin
 
Armin Zingler said:
Yes, but talking about the difference between subs and functions, the
statement "Is it that one has a return value and the other doesn't?" it's
for sure related to the function return value. I think you know this. :-)
Click to expand...

Yeah, I know this :-).
 

This is also referred to as "side-effect" programming. There are times when
it's necessary, but as a general rule, it is harder to maintain code that
returns values in parameters. The most common usage for this is in a
function that returns a status code and puts a value (usually a string or
byte array) in a passed parameter. The windows API is full of these.

Mike Ober.
 
Michael D. Ober said:
This is also referred to as "side-effect" programming. There are times
when
it's necessary, but as a general rule, it is harder to maintain code that
returns values in parameters.
Click to expand...

Java? ;-)

--

Best regards,

Carlos J. Quintero

MZ-Tools: Productivity add-ins for Visual Studio .NET, VB6, VB5 and VBA
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it is NOT a way to return a value... since you dont actually "return" a value but u change the value of a object(since ur using a reference) ... as already mentioned this is "side effect programming" and if u dont seriously need to, DONT DO IT !!!!

p.s.: i just noticed that this thread hasn't been answered to in years, it just made me, well, angry... :mad:
 
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