yield return is used in C# to return items in sequences on demand, improving the efficiency of processing big data or dynamic sequences. Its core mechanism is that the compiler generates a state machine to implement delayed execution, and only returns one element during each iteration. For example, when reading large files, querying databases or filtering directory files, it can avoid loading all data at once. Note when using: the method cannot contain ref or out parameters, and yield return cannot be used in try-catch, and you need to be careful of repeated execution of expensive operations in the loop. In addition, data changes may affect the enumeration results.
The yield return
statement in C# is a powerful but often misunderstood feature used primarily in methods that return sequences — like IEnumerable<t></t>
. Instead of building a whole collection and returning it all at once, yield return
lets you return items one at a time, on demand. This makes your code more efficient, especially when working with large datasets or infinite sequences.

How Does yield return
Work?
When you use yield return
, you're essentially telling the compiler to generate a state machine behind the scenes. This machine keeps track of where you are in the sequence so that each item is only generated when it's actually needed — a concept known as deferred execution.
Here's a basic example:

public IEnumerable<int> GetNumbers() { yield return 1; yield return 2; yield return 3; }
When someone iterates over this method using a foreach
loop, each number is returned one by one as the loop progresses. The method doesn't run all at once — it pauses after each yield return
and resumes when the next item is requested.
This is especially useful for:

- Reading large files line by line
- Querying databases without loading all results at once
- Generating sequences dynamically
When to Use yield return
You'll typically want to use yield return
when:
- You're returning a sequence from a method
- You don't want or need to build a full list up front
- You're working with data that can be processed incrementally
For example, imagine you're scanning a directory with thousands of files:
public IEnumerable<string> GetLargeFileNames(string path) { foreach (var file in Directory.EnumerateFiles(path)) { if (new FileInfo(file).Length > 1_000_000) { yield return file; } } }
This way, you don't load all file names into memory at once, and you only return what's needed when it's needed.
Things to Keep in Mind
Using yield return
isn't without caveats. Here are a few important points:
- Methods using
yield return
can't haveref
orout
parameters. - You can't use
try-catch
blocks aroundyield return
statements (thoughtry-finally
works). - Each iteration re-enters the method, so any expensive logic inside the loop might be called multiple times — be careful with performance.
Also, because of how deferred execution works, if the underlying data changes between the time the method is called and when it's enumerated, the results can vary. This is something to watch for when working with dynamic or shared data.
Summary
yield return
is a clean and efficient way to produce sequences in C#. It helps reduce memory usage and improves performance by generating items only when needed. It's ideal for filtering, streaming, or lazy-loading data.
That's basically it — not too complicated, but very useful once you understand how and when to use it.
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