Question

For example, I understand that I am able to do this:

string x = Int32.Parse("123").ToString();

Instead of:

int y = Int32.Parse("123");
string x = y.ToString();

because Parse() method returns and integer and then I can use ToString() method on an integer. But what is this technique called? I couldn’t put it into words to google for more information. Is it yummies of .NET/high-level programming, or are you able to do this in low-level programming languages too, like C?

Answer 1

That is called Method chaining. Here is the details:

Universal method chaining 

You may want to see this article with respect to LINQ

Understanding LINQ to Objects (2) Method Chaining

Example from the Article:

int[] source = new int[] { 0, 1, -2, 3, 24, 6, 3 };
var results = source.Where(item => item > 0 && item < 10)
                    .OrderBy(item => item)
                    .Select(item => item.ToString(CultureInfo.InvariantCulture))