Simple Func<T> and Func<T1, T2, TResult> Examples

Full source code available here.

About a month ago I wrote a post with a simple explanation of how to use methods that take Action or Action<T> as parameters. Actions themselves take 0 to 16 parameters and return nothing.

This is a follow up with some examples of how to call methods that take Func<TResult> or Func<T1, T2, TResult> as parameters. Funcs return a value and take 0 to 16 parameters.

As with Actions, there are a variety of ways to call methods that take Funcs.

Example 1

It’s not easy to come up with a non contrived examples for this post, and especially difficult for Func, a function that takes no parameters and returns something.

1public static string DateCalculator(Func<double> daysSinceSomeDate)
2{
3   return $"{daysSinceSomeDate()} days in your date calculation";
4}

This method expects a Func<double>, that is, a Func<TResult> that returns a double and takes no parameters.

Here are two examples calling this –

1Console.WriteLine(DateCalculator(() => Math.Round(DateTime.Now.Subtract(new DateTime(2000,1,1)).TotalDays, 2)));
2Console.WriteLine(DateCalculator(() => Math.Round(new DateTime(2020,12,31).Subtract(DateTime.Now).TotalDays , 2)));

The calls pass in a Func that performs a calculation with date subtraction, not very useful, as I said, it’s not easy to come up with a simple and useful example of using a Func<TResult>.

Example 2

This method expects a Func<int, int, int>, that is, a Func<T1, T2, TResult>. It takes two ints and returns an int.

1public static void SomeMath(Func<int, int, int> mathFunction)
2{
3    int result = mathFunction(7, 5);
4    Console.WriteLine($"The mathFunction returned {result}");
5}

I also have a method called Subtraction -

public static int Subtraction(int number1, int number2)
{
    return number1 - number2;
}

There are a variety of ways to call this. Here are some examples.

Create a method that takes two ints and returns an int.

You can now call SomeMath(..) like this –

SomeMath(Subtraction);

Or this –

Func<int, int, int> myFuncAsMethod = Subtraction;
SomeMath(myFuncAsMethod);

I like showing how to pass a method into a method that takes a Func, because if you are ever struggling writing a lambda to satisfy a Func parameter, stop, and write a simple method instead to work out what you need to do. It can be easier to read and is usually easier to debug.

Speaking of lambdas, here’s how to call the SomeMath(..) method with lambdas.

This is the simplest approach –

SomeMath((a, b) => a + b);

This lambda will take two parameters, named a and b, then performs addition on them. You can think of (a, b) as parameters to the “method body” to the right of =>. That “method body” adds a and b. There is also an implied “return” statement, but it can be left out of single line lambdas like that. For multi-line lambdas it is necessary.

Here is such an example –

1SomeMath((x, y) =>
2{
3    int temp = x * y; // you can make your lambdas multi-line
4    int calculatedNumber = temp * temp; 
5    return calculatedNumber;
6});

You can also assign a lambda to a declared Func, but I don’t see that done very often. You might do this if you are going to use the same lambda logic in multiple places.

1Func<int, int, int> myFuncAsLambda = (a, b) => a * b;
2SomeMath(myFuncAsLambda);

There are other ways to satisfy the method SomeMath(..), but these should be enough for most scenarios you will come across.

Full source code available here.