Using generic methods, is it possible to get different types back from the same method?

Question

Could I have something like this:

int x = MyMethod<int>();
string y = MyMethod<string>();

So, one method returning different types based on T. Of course, there would be logic inside the method to ensure it was returning the correct thing.

I can never get something like this to run. It complains that it can't cast the return value to T:

public static T MyMethod<T>()
{
  if(typeof(T) == typeof(Int32))
  {
    return 0;
  }
  else
  {
    return "nothing";
  }
}

Answer 1

Try the following

public static T MyMethod<T>() {
  if ( typeof(T) == typeof(Int32) ) {
    return (T)(object)0;
  } else {
    return (T)(object)"nothing";
  }
}

The trick here is the casting to object. What you are trying to do is inherently unsafe since the compiler cannot infer that 0 or "nothing" are convertible to any given T. It is unbounded after all. So just tell the compiler explicitly it's not safe with casting to object.