Can constructor return values?

[Kenta]

Is it possible to create class constructors that return any value? Like return something; in functions.

Here is an example
//Kent

using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Linq;
using System.Web;
using System.Data;
 
namespace WebApplication1
{
    public class  Class1 
    {
        public  Class1() //This does not work. Is it possible to make a constructor to return anything?
        {
            DataTable table = new DataTable();
            table.Columns.Add("Dosage", typeof(int));
            table.Columns.Add("Drug", typeof(string));
            table.Columns.Add("Patient", typeof(string));
            table.Columns.Add("Date", typeof(DateTime));
 
            table.Rows.Add(25, "Indocin", "David", DateTime.Now);
            table.Rows.Add(50, "Enebrel", "Sam", DateTime.Now);
            table.Rows.Add(10, "Hydralazine", "Christoff", DateTime.Now);
            table.Rows.Add(21, "Combivent", "Janet", DateTime.Now);
            table.Rows.Add(100, "Dilantin", "Melanie", DateTime.Now);
            //return table; It doesn´t work
         }
    }
}
 

[Dheeraj Joshi]

No constructor can not return anything. :)
BTW, why you want constructor to return anything?
Google a bit to know more about constructors.

Regards
Dheeraj Joshi

[semomaniz]

Why dont you create a method for that call to return a value. all you need to do is

 
public class  Class1{
     public Class1(){}   //constructor
     public DataTable  getData()   //method
     {
          //your code here
 
     }
}
 
 

Research a bit as Dheeraj mentioned.

[tlhintoq]

public class  Class1 
    {
        public  Class1() //This does not work. Is it possible to make a constructor to return anything?
{
}
 
public bool DoInitialize()
        {
bool success = false;
            DataTable table = new DataTable();
            table.Columns.Add("Dosage", typeof(int));
            table.Columns.Add("Drug", typeof(string));
            table.Columns.Add("Patient", typeof(string));
            table.Columns.Add("Date", typeof(DateTime));
 
            table.Rows.Add(25, "Indocin", "David", DateTime.Now);
            table.Rows.Add(50, "Enebrel", "Sam", DateTime.Now);
            table.Rows.Add(10, "Hydralazine", "Christoff", DateTime.Now);
            table.Rows.Add(21, "Combivent", "Janet", DateTime.Now);
            table.Rows.Add(100, "Dilantin", "Melanie", DateTime.Now);
success = true;
            //return table; It doesn´t work
Return success;
         }
    }

[hype261]

If you are tracking a failure during the objects initialization then you can throw an exception in the constructor. Just rememeber to catch the exception somewhere.

[Kenta]

Ok, thank you all for your answers, I learned something knew from it. At the moment I am not sitting behind a computer with Visual Studio installed so what I say now is just a thought. - I guess that it should be possible to inherit one class to another like Class2 : Class1. But is it possible to inherit from built in classes? Something like this Class1 : DataTable Is that possible?
//Kent

[tlhintoq]

Yes it is. Usually. Some .NET classes are sealed, meaning you can't inherit from them. That sucks when you run into one. But mostly you can.

I do this fairly often with the PictureBox control, to make a more customized one with a right-click | Save... feature... and that sort of thing.

[Kenta]

Ok, thank you all for your help, i think I get it know. All help has been useful. //Kent

[hype261]

Even if the class is sealed you could still use the decorator design pattern to change its functionality if you really wanted to.