>>>>Do you really think that the type of pattern used by, for example, Int.TryParse() does not have uses ?
>>>
>>>No, it has its place, I guess, but it could just as easily have returned an object with 2 properties. Not looking to restart a lengthy discussion on style. It is just my personal opinion and practice.
>>
>>I agree with you up to here, but why does TryParse need to return success of failure? I rather have it returning null if it fails and then no need of an output parameter (or an object with 2 properties), I just need to remember that my variable should be nullable.
>
>Starts to get messy if you don't *want* a nullable int ?

I guess it is in the eye of the beholder. For me the whole .NET thing is messy already and I have troubles calling it OO (but I won't go there, I had enough troubles with Martín Salias about this :)), where null is an object that nobody is scared of.