So if I am iterating using a foreach loop and I have a function inside that takes an argument of the object iterated from list, and lets say i set its value to be different. Why don't I have to use out or ref ? I thought it was only passed by value if it you didn't use out or ref.... I know that a ref you must have initialized the variable before and out you just have to have set its value before return from the method.
It seems like if you a iterating thru a list and pass an object in its actually passed by reference. Consider the following example.
Example
class Program
{
static void Main(string[] args)
{
List<Foo> list = new List<Foo>();
list.Add(new Foo() { Bar = "1" });
list.Add(new Foo() { Bar = "2" });
foreach (var f in list)
{
Foo f2 = f;
Console.WriteLine("SetFoo Pre: " + f2.Bar);
SetFoo(f2);
Console.WriteLine("SetFoo Post: " + f2.Bar);
Console.WriteLine("SetFooRef Pre: " + f2.Bar);
SetFooRef(ref f2);
Console.WriteLine("SetFooRef Post: " + f2.Bar);
Console.WriteLine("");
}
Console.WriteLine("");
int i = 0;
// Not using ref keyword
Console.WriteLine("SetI Pre: " + i);
SetI(i);
Console.WriteLine("SetI Post: " + i);
// Using ref keyword
Console.WriteLine("SetRefI Pre: " + i);
SetRefI(ref i);
Console.WriteLine("SetRefI Post: " + i);
}
private static void SetRefI(ref int i)
{
i = 3;
Console.WriteLine("SetRefI Inside: " + i);
}
private static void SetI(int i)
{
i = 2;
Console.WriteLine("SetI Inside: " + i);
}
private static void SetFooRef(ref Foo f)
{
f.Bar = String.Format("{0} :: {1}", f.Bar, "WithRef");
Console.WriteLine("SetFooRef Inside: " + f.Bar);
}
private static void SetFoo(Foo f)
{
f.Bar = String.Format("{0} :: {1}", f.Bar, "WithoutRef");
Console.WriteLine("SetFoo Inside: " + f.Bar);
}
}
class Foo
{
public string Bar { get; set; }
}
Output:
SetFoo Pre: 1 SetFoo Inside: 1 ::
WithoutRef SetFoo Post: 1 WithoutRef
SetFoo Pre: 1 :: WithoutRef SetFoo
Inside: 1 :: WithoutRef :: WithRef
SetFoo Post: 1 WithoutRef :: WithRefSetFoo Pre: 2 SetFoo Inside: 2 ::
WithoutRef SetFoo Post: 2 WithoutRef
SetFoo Pre: 2 :: WithoutRef SetFoo
Inside: 2 :: WithoutRef :: WithRef
SetFoo Post: 2 WithoutRef :: WithRefSetI Pre: 0 SetI Inside: 2 SetIPost: 0
SetRefI Pre: 0 SetRefI Inside: 3
SetRefI Post: 3
I understand the ref with the integer example but not the above Foo object iteration example.
Thanks!