Re: Multiple return values

icedancer@ibm.net (Ken Walter)
18 Apr 1997 00:44:28 -0400

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From: icedancer@ibm.net (Ken Walter)
Newsgroups: comp.compilers,comp.lang.misc
Date: 18 Apr 1997 00:44:28 -0400
Organization: Solution Technology
References: 97-04-091
Keywords: design

Arthur.Chance@Smallworld.co.uk (Arthur Chance) writes:
:>Most programming languages allow procedures with multiple arguments
:>(in some cases allowing them to be used in curried form as well), but
:>very few languages allow multiple return values, in spite of the fact
:>that multiple results *are* multiple arguments when you're wearing
:>CPS-tinted glasses. Why is this?


Returning a collection of anonymous results is more complicated than
loading one result into the registers for return. If the caller isn't
interested in the return values how are they discarded, etc.? If
structures are allowed to be returned, then the multiple values can be
returned as one object; this takes care of most cases.


Although I rather like Xerox's Mesa language which did allow multiple returns.


Ken Walter
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