Question

My code looks like the below. Obviously I can’t write ‘Ok’ because the object has been disposed. I can’t do return sw.Clone() because clone doesn’t exist. If I don’t use a using then at any point between = new and return (like iterating and writing to the object as my example doesn’t do) can have an exception and thus not disposing the object.

Am I to define sw outside of a try block and check if it’s null then dispose in a catch block? That seems like a bit of excessive work. Is there a better way? Is that the only way?

    static void func1()
    {
        using (var sw = func2())
        {
            sw.WriteLine("Ok");
        }
    }
    static StringWriter func2()
    {
        using (var sw = new StringWriter())
        {
            return sw;
        }
    }

Answer 1

You may want to reconsider returning a StringWriter. While you may have a few places where you need that extra functionality, it feels to me like plumbing sticking up in the middle of the living room. It shouldn’t be part of a public API, and is kinda clunky even in a private one.

With that said, if you need one, don’t Close or Dispose it before returning it, and don’t use a using block. Use a try/catch block (ie: Dispose in the catch, not the finally clause).