Why does C# not allow me to call a void method as part of the return statement?

Question

I am curious if there is a legitimate reason as to why C# does not support calling a void method as part of the return statement when the calling method's return type is also void.

public void MethodA()  {      return;  }  public void MethodB()  {     return MethodA(); } 

So we would normally see this:

public void MethodMeh()  {     if (expression)      {         MethodA();         return;     }      // Do more stuff } 

... when we could be using this instead:

public void MethodAwesome()  {     if (expression)          return MethodA();      // Do more stuff } 

Is this a language limitation due to how C# handles void?

Answer 1

Because it's simply the way the language is defined.

A method can use return statements to return control to its caller. In a method returning void, return statements cannot specify an expression. In a method returning non-void, return statements must include an expression that computes the return value.

It's an arbitrary decision (presumably made for compatibility with ANSI C and its other descendants), and other languages do things differently.

For example, in Python, all functions return a value. If you execute a return statement without a value, or let control reach the end of the function, then it's just like you had written return None.

In contrast, Pascal limits the terminology of function to subprograms that have a return value; if you don't want to return anything, you use a procedure instead.

Answer 2

void is the absence of information; it doesn’t make any sense to return it. It’s not a type*, and it’s not a value, unlike in some other languages. No, that’s not really a limitation.

_{* Well, sort of, as @Lucas points out. It’s an informational type; it doesn’t actually represent a type in the usual sense. You can’t have one.}