Tuple

Tuple is a new class in the .Net 4.0 framework which allows you to hold up to 8 components in a single class.  The alternative is creating a specific class with properties for each component.  This makes this class ideal for the following situations:

1.  Returning multiple values from a method without the use of out parameters

2.  Pass multiple values to a method using a single class.

3.  Collections of Tuples can be used to represent database information or array data.

4.  Easy access and manipulation of a data set.

Here’s an example using Tuple<T1, T2>

class Program
    {
        static void Main(string[] args)
        {
            int dividend, divisor;
            Tuple<int, int> result;

            dividend = 136945; divisor = 178;
            result = IntegerDivide(dividend, divisor);
            if (result != null)
                Console.WriteLine(@"{0} \ {1} = {2}, remainder {3}",
                                  dividend, divisor, result.Item1, result.Item2);
            else
                Console.WriteLine(@"{0} \ {1} = <Error>", dividend, divisor);

            dividend = Int32.MaxValue; divisor = -2073;
            result = IntegerDivide(dividend, divisor);
            if (result != null)
                Console.WriteLine(@"{0} \ {1} = {2}, remainder {3}",
                                  dividend, divisor, result.Item1, result.Item2);
            else
                Console.WriteLine(@"{0} \ {1} = <Error>", dividend, divisor);

            Console.ReadLine();

        }

        private static Tuple<int, int> IntegerDivide(int dividend, int divisor)
        {
            try
            {
                int remainder;
                int quotient = Math.DivRem(dividend, divisor, out remainder);
                return new Tuple<int, int>(quotient, remainder);
            }
            catch (DivideByZeroException)
            {
                return null;
            }
        }

    }