Return every item in a list from a foreach

Question

List<object> li = new List <object>(Items);
string name = "";
foreach (var item in Items)
{
    name = item["title"].ToString();
}
return name;

Using this code snippet, I can't find a way for to change the return to output all items from the list. As is, it only returns the last item. How can I get every item returned?

Solution

You have to return a new list, in your example you're just setting name to the current name then returning name at the end. Since you loop through all the elements name is set to the final value in the list before returning. Besides that, your return type is string unless you concatinate all the elements in li into a single string then you can't return a list as a string.

 List<string> newList = li.Select(x => x["title"].ToString()).ToList();

Will create a new list of strings where each element is the title of an element from your source list, li.

If you really want to return a string you can use (I believe) String.Join or, (this one I'm certain of) Aggregate like so;

 return li.Aggregate((c, n) => c["title"].ToString() + ", " + b["title"].ToString());

The above code will return string that is a comma separated list of the elements titles.

Comments

[O. R. Mapper]

yield return and returnwithin one method? If I remember correctly, this will not compile.

[DotNetRussell]

Yeah I fixed it thanks I was thinking that it would complain about not all paths exicuting a return

[Dustin Kingen]

Your code will not compile. Assignment cannot happen in the yield return

[Chris]

Also if this is not your recommended solution why not include the recommended solution that returns the whole thing at once?

[DotNetRussell]

@Chris because he didn't ask for my opinion he asked how to return one thing at a time

[Chris]

He wanted to return each item in the list. You're basically returning an ienumerable at the moment. If you think returning a list is better (for example) then that still qualifies as returning each item in the list...

[O. R. Mapper]

Given that the OP did not seem to expect to only get back the last item based on his or her code, I fear he or she may not understand concepts such as the yield return-compiler magic iterators created by the C# compiler and how to use them without any further explanations yet. BTW, what purpose does the name variable serve in your code?

[DotNetRussell]

lol To everyone that has a problem with this answer... As I understood the question, the OP wanted to do a return of each item from a foreach loop. I answered that question. Its not a big deal, relax lol...