Proper use of 'yield return'
Proper use of 'yield return'
Proper use of 'yield return'
Re: Proper use of 'yield return'
I tend to use `yield return` when I calculate the next item in the list (or even the next group of items).
Using your Version 2, you must have the complete list before returning.
By using `yield return`, you really only need to have the next item before returning.
Among other things, this helps spread the computational cost of complex calculations over a larger time-frame. For example, if the list is hooked up to a GUI and the user never goes to the last page, you never calculate the final items in the list.
Another case where `yield return` is preferable is if the `IEnumerable` represents an infinite set. Consider the list of Prime Numbers, or an infinite list of random numbers. You can never return the full `IEnumerable` at once, so you use `yield return` to return the list incrementally.
In your particular example, you have the full list of products, so I'd use Version 2.
Using your Version 2, you must have the complete list before returning.
By using `yield return`, you really only need to have the next item before returning.
Among other things, this helps spread the computational cost of complex calculations over a larger time-frame. For example, if the list is hooked up to a GUI and the user never goes to the last page, you never calculate the final items in the list.
Another case where `yield return` is preferable is if the `IEnumerable` represents an infinite set. Consider the list of Prime Numbers, or an infinite list of random numbers. You can never return the full `IEnumerable` at once, so you use `yield return` to return the list incrementally.
In your particular example, you have the full list of products, so I'd use Version 2.