If you have some experience in programming in any language like "C", "C++" etc you are well aware about that functions in these languages return only one value at a time, multiple returning values function are not allowed to use. But in Swift there is a little different theory about functions. In Swift language you can use "Nested functions" means function within a function as well as functions can "return multiple values" if you want them to return. Because Swift supports a concept of tuples so by using tuples a functions can return a tuple of values. Here is a good example ,through which I let you know how to make a function return multiple values, in which a function named "alplabetMaxMin()" will takes variable number arguments && then return two values maximum alphabet && minimum alphabet:
Here in this function we will pass any numbers of characters && function accepts them and stores them in an array of characters "characters" after processing it will return two values by calculating which one is maximum && which one is minimum. So now lets call this function:
//function taking variable number of arguments
func alphabetMinMax(characters: Character...) -> (Character, Character) {
//characters variable is an array of characters
var minChar = characters[0]
var maxChar = characters[0]
for char in characters {
if char < minChar {
minChar = char
}
if char > maxChar {
maxChar = char
}
}
//returning two values as characters
return (minChar,maxChar)
}
var (a,b) = alphabetMinMax("z","c","g","e","u","p","d","h","l","s")
println(a)
println(b)
The output will be "c" && "z", where c is minimum && "z" is maximum character respectively. So this is how function using tuple concept can return multiple values.
