How to return multiple objects from a Java method?

Question

I want to return two objects from a Java method and was wondering what could be a good way of doing so?

The possible ways I can think of are: return a HashMap<

Answer 1

You may use any of following ways:

private static final int RETURN_COUNT = 2;
private static final int VALUE_A = 0;
private static final int VALUE_B = 1;
private static final String A = "a";
private static final String B = "b";

1) Using Array

private static String[] methodWithArrayResult() {
    //...
    return new String[]{"valueA", "valueB"};
}

private static void usingArrayResultTest() {
    String[] result = methodWithArrayResult();
    System.out.println();
    System.out.println("A = " + result[VALUE_A]);
    System.out.println("B = " + result[VALUE_B]);
}

2) Using ArrayList

private static List methodWithListResult() {
    //...
    return Arrays.asList("valueA", "valueB");
}

private static void usingListResultTest() {
    List result = methodWithListResult();
    System.out.println();
    System.out.println("A = " + result.get(VALUE_A));
    System.out.println("B = " + result.get(VALUE_B));
}

3) Using HashMap

private static Map methodWithMapResult() {
    Map result = new HashMap<>(RETURN_COUNT);
    result.put(A, "valueA");
    result.put(B, "valueB");
    //...
    return result;
}

private static void usingMapResultTest() {
    Map result = methodWithMapResult();
    System.out.println();
    System.out.println("A = " + result.get(A));
    System.out.println("B = " + result.get(B));
}

4) Using your custom container class

private static class MyContainer {
    private final M first;
    private final N second;

    public MyContainer(M first, N second) {
        this.first = first;
        this.second = second;
    }

    public M getFirst() {
        return first;
    }

    public N getSecond() {
        return second;
    }

    // + hashcode, equals, toString if need
}

private static MyContainer methodWithContainerResult() {
    //...
    return new MyContainer("valueA", "valueB");
}

private static void usingContainerResultTest() {
    MyContainer result = methodWithContainerResult();
    System.out.println();
    System.out.println("A = " + result.getFirst());
    System.out.println("B = " + result.getSecond());
}

5) Using AbstractMap.simpleEntry

private static AbstractMap.SimpleEntry methodWithAbstractMapSimpleEntryResult() {
    //...
    return new AbstractMap.SimpleEntry<>("valueA", "valueB");
}

private static void usingAbstractMapSimpleResultTest() {
    AbstractMap.SimpleEntry result = methodWithAbstractMapSimpleEntryResult();
    System.out.println();
    System.out.println("A = " + result.getKey());
    System.out.println("B = " + result.getValue());
}

6) Using Pair of Apache Commons

private static Pair methodWithPairResult() {
    //...
    return new ImmutablePair<>("valueA", "valueB");
}

private static void usingPairResultTest() {
    Pair result = methodWithPairResult();
    System.out.println();
    System.out.println("A = " + result.getKey());
    System.out.println("B = " + result.getValue());
}