Function Returning Multiple Values in Go Language

In Go language, you are allowed to return multiple values from a function, using the return statement. Or in other words, in function, a single return statement can return multiple values. The type of the return values is similar to the type of the parameter defined in the parameter list.

Syntax:

func function_name(parameter_list)(return_type_list){
     // code...
}

Here,

• function_name: It is the name of the function.
• parameter-list: It contains the name and the type of the function parameters.
• return_type_list: It is optional and it contains the types of the values that function returns. If you are using return_type in your function, then it is necessary to use a return statement in your function.

Example:

// Go program to illustrate how a
// function return multiple values
package main

import "fmt"

// myfunc return 3 values of int type
func myfunc(p, q int)(int, int, int ){
    return p - q, p * q, p + q
}

// Main Method
func main() {

    // The return values are assigned into
    // three different variables
   var myvar1, myvar2, myvar3 = myfunc(4, 2)

   // Display the values
   fmt.Printf("Result is: %d", myvar1 )
   fmt.Printf("\nResult is: %d", myvar2)
   fmt.Printf("\nResult is: %d", myvar3)
}

Output:

Result is: 2
Result is: 8
Result is: 6

Giving Name to the Return Values

In Go language, you are allowed to provide names to the return values. And you can also use those variable names in your code. It is not necessary to write these names with a return statement because the Go compiler will automatically understand that these variables have to dispatch back. And this type of return is known as the bare return. The bare return reduces the duplication in your program.

Syntax:

func function_name(para1, para2 int)(name1 int, name2 int){
    // code...
}

or

func function_name(para1, para2 int)(name1, name2 int){
   // code...
}

Here, name1 and name2 is the name of the return value and para1 and para2 are the parameters of the function.

Example:

// Go program to illustrate how to
// give names to the return values
package main

import "fmt"

// myfunc return 2 values of int type
// here, the return value name
// is rectangle and square
func myfunc(p, q int)( rectangle int, square int ){
    rectangle = p*q
    square = p*p
    return
}

func main() {

    // The return values are assigned into
    // two different variables
   var area1, area2 = myfunc(2, 4)

   // Display the values
   fmt.Printf("Area of the rectangle is: %d", area1 )
   fmt.Printf("\nArea of the square is: %d", area2)

}

Output:

Area of the rectangle is: 8
Area of the square is: 4