Continued to refine the API based on real-world usage.

 - <experimental> Added IOutcome.Failure as an alternate and perhaps more expressive way to say If(!outcome.Success)
 - Removed a few method signatures that just seem to generate ugly code. There are better ways.
 - Added the ability for a failure to have a value. Turns out it happens sometimes.
 - Added some methods for rolling up outcomes that only appeared on failures previously. Sometimes you need them for successes too.

Author: Brian

Outcomes.Tests/Ether.Outcomes.Tests.csproj

@@ -52,7 +52,6 @@
   </Choose>
   <ItemGroup>
     <Compile Include="FailureTests.cs" />
-    <Compile Include="FailureFormatTests.cs" />
     <Compile Include="Helpers\StatusCodes.cs" />
     <Compile Include="SuccessFormatTests.cs" />
     <Compile Include="MultiLineFormatterTests.cs" />

Outcomes.Tests/FailureFormatTests.cs

@@ -69,11 +69,11 @@ public void Failure_FromException_Works()
         {
             var exception = new InvalidOperationException("test message");
 
-            var outcome = Outcomes.Failure().FromException(exception, "prefix message");
+            var outcome = Outcomes.Failure().FromException(exception);
 
             Assert.IsFalse(outcome.Success);
-            Assert.IsTrue(outcome.Messages.Count == 2);
-            Assert.IsTrue(outcome.ToMultiLine("<br>") == "prefix message<br>Exception: test message<br>");
+            Assert.IsTrue(outcome.Messages.Count == 1);
+            Assert.IsTrue(outcome.ToMultiLine("<br>") == "Exception: test message<br>");
         }
 
 
@@ -90,19 +90,6 @@ public void Failure_FromException_Chaining_Works()
             Assert.IsTrue(outcome.ToMultiLine("<br>") == "prefix<br>Exception: test<br>suffix<br>");
         }
 
-
-        [TestMethod]
-        public void Failure_FromOutcome_Works()
-        {
-            var previousOutcome = Outcomes.Failure().WithMessage("test");
-
-            var outcome = Outcomes.Failure().FromOutcome(previousOutcome, "prefix");
-
-            Assert.IsFalse(outcome.Success);
-            Assert.IsTrue(outcome.Messages.Count == 2);
-            Assert.IsTrue(outcome.ToMultiLine("<br>") == "prefix<br>test<br>");
-        }
-
         [TestMethod]
         public void Failure_FromOutcome_Chaining_Works()
         {
@@ -149,6 +136,19 @@ public void Failure_StatusCode_WithStatusCode_Works()
                                   .WithStatusCode(200);
 
             Assert.IsTrue(outcome.StatusCode == 200);
-        }  
+        }
+
+        [TestMethod]
+        public void Failure_WithValue_Works()
+        {
+            var outcome = Outcomes.Failure<Decimal>()
+                                  .WithValue(23123.32M);
+
+            Assert.IsTrue(!outcome.Success);
+            Assert.IsTrue(outcome.Messages.Count == 0);
+            Assert.IsTrue(outcome.Value == 23123.32M);
+            Assert.IsTrue(outcome.ToString() == string.Empty);
+            Assert.IsTrue(outcome.ToMultiLine("<br>") == string.Empty);
+        }
     }
 }

Outcomes.Tests/FailureTests.cs

@@ -7,6 +7,11 @@ Project("{FAE04EC0-301F-11D3-BF4B-00C04F79EFBC}") = "Ether.Outcomes", "Outcomes\
 EndProject
 Project("{FAE04EC0-301F-11D3-BF4B-00C04F79EFBC}") = "Ether.Outcomes.Tests", "Outcomes.Tests\Ether.Outcomes.Tests.csproj", "{08B07FB9-E8D7-4F4E-B5A1-9E6D98738998}"
 EndProject
+Project("{2150E333-8FDC-42A3-9474-1A3956D46DE8}") = "Solution Items", "Solution Items", "{34E8307F-3A0B-4148-9CA4-88B999A9C8F0}"
+	ProjectSection(SolutionItems) = preProject
+		WebEssentials-Settings.json = WebEssentials-Settings.json
+	EndProjectSection
+EndProject
 Global
 	GlobalSection(SolutionConfigurationPlatforms) = preSolution
 		Debug|Any CPU = Debug|Any CPU

Outcomes.sln

@@ -16,16 +16,8 @@ internal FailureOutcomeBuilder(bool success) : base(success)
         /// Adds messages from the specified exception. Internally, Outcome.Net calls exception.Message to generate the messages.
         /// </summary>
         /// <param name="exception">Exception used to generate the message.</param>
-        /// <param name="message">Optional message that will appear after the exception's messages.</param>
-        /// <param name="paramList">Shorthand for String.Format</param>
-        public IFailureOutcomeBuilder<TValue> FromException(Exception exception, string message = null, params object[] paramList)
+        public IFailureOutcomeBuilder<TValue> FromException(Exception exception)
         {
-            if (message != null)
-            {
-                message = string.Format(message, paramList);
-                Messages.Add(message);
-            } 
-
             base.Messages.Add("Exception: " + exception.Message);
             return this; 
         }
@@ -34,17 +26,9 @@ public IFailureOutcomeBuilder<TValue> FromException(Exception exception, string
         /// Adds messages from the specified outcome.
         /// </summary>
         /// <param name="outcome">Source outcome that messages are pulled from. If there are no messages, execution continues.</param>
-        /// <param name="message">Optional message that will appear after the specified outcome's messages.</param>
-        /// <param name="paramList">Shorthand for String.Format</param>
-        public IFailureOutcomeBuilder<TValue> FromOutcome(IOutcome outcome, string message = null, params object[] paramList)
+        public new IFailureOutcomeBuilder<TValue> FromOutcome(IOutcome outcome)
         {
-            if (message != null)
-            {
-                message = string.Format(message, paramList);
-                Messages.Add(message);
-            } 
-
-            base.WithMessage(outcome.Messages);
+            base.FromOutcome(outcome);
             return this;
         }
 
@@ -72,18 +56,16 @@ public IFailureOutcomeBuilder<TValue> FromOutcome(IOutcome outcome, string messa
         /// Alternate syntax for FromOutcome. Adds messages from the specified outcome, if any.
         /// </summary>
         /// <param name="outcome">Source outcome that messages are pulled from.</param>
-        /// <param name="message">Optional message that will appear after the specified outcome's messages.</param>
-        /// <param name="paramList">Shorthand for String.Format</param>
-        public IFailureOutcomeBuilder<TValue> WithMessagesFrom(IOutcome outcome, string message = null, params object[] paramList)
+        public new IFailureOutcomeBuilder<TValue> WithMessagesFrom(IOutcome outcome)
         {
-            FromOutcome(outcome, message, paramList);
+            base.FromOutcome(outcome);
             return this;
         }
 
         /// <summary>
         /// Alternate syntax for WithMessage. Adds a collection of messages to the end of the outcome's message list. 
         /// </summary>
-        public IFailureOutcomeBuilder<TValue> WithMessagesFrom(IEnumerable<string> messages)
+        public new IFailureOutcomeBuilder<TValue> WithMessagesFrom(IEnumerable<string> messages)
         {
             base.WithMessage(messages);
             return this;
@@ -94,5 +76,15 @@ public IFailureOutcomeBuilder<TValue> WithMessagesFrom(IEnumerable<string> messa
             base.WithStatusCode(statusCode);
             return this;
         }
+
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Sets the value for a failure outcome. The outcome object is just a wrapper for the value.
+        /// </summary>
+        /// <param name="value">Specifies the value to wrap.</param>
+        public new IFailureOutcomeBuilder<TValue> WithValue(TValue value)
+        {
+            base.WithValue(value);
+            return this;
+        }
     }
 }

Outcomes/Builder/FailureOutcomeBuilder.cs

@@ -9,20 +9,16 @@ public interface IFailureOutcomeBuilder<TValue> : IOutcome<TValue>
         /// Adds an exception's message to the outcome's message collection. 
         /// </summary>
         /// <param name="exception">The exception to record.</param>
-        /// <param name="message">Optional note that will show up before the exception's message.</param>
-        /// <param name="paramList">Shorthand for String.Format</param>
         /// <returns></returns>
-        IFailureOutcomeBuilder<TValue> FromException(Exception exception, string message = null, params object[] paramList);
+        IFailureOutcomeBuilder<TValue> FromException(Exception exception);
 
         /// <summary>
         /// Add an outcome's message to the message list.
         /// Useful for unwinding deep calls where several methods have something to add about the failure. 
         /// </summary>
         /// <param name="outcome">A failure outcome.</param>
-        /// <param name="message">Optional message to add before the source outcome's message.</param>
-        /// <param name="paramList">Shorthand for String.Format</param>
         /// <returns></returns>
-        IFailureOutcomeBuilder<TValue> FromOutcome(IOutcome outcome, string message = null, params object[] paramList);
+        IFailureOutcomeBuilder<TValue> FromOutcome(IOutcome outcome);
 
         /// <summary>
         /// Add a string to the end of the outcome's message collection.
@@ -43,15 +39,19 @@ public interface IFailureOutcomeBuilder<TValue> : IOutcome<TValue>
         /// Alternate syntax for FromOutcome. Adds messages from the specified outcome (if any).
         /// </summary>
         /// <param name="outcome">Source outcome that messages are pulled from.</param>
-        /// <param name="message">Optional message that will appear after the specified outcome's messages.</param>
-        /// <param name="paramList">Shorthand for String.Format</param>
-        IFailureOutcomeBuilder<TValue> WithMessagesFrom(IOutcome outcome, string message = null, params object[] paramList);
+        IFailureOutcomeBuilder<TValue> WithMessagesFrom(IOutcome outcome);
 
         /// <summary>
         /// Alternate syntax for WithMessage. Adds messages to the end of the message collection.
         /// </summary>
         IFailureOutcomeBuilder<TValue> WithMessagesFrom(IEnumerable<string> messages);
 
         IFailureOutcomeBuilder<TValue> WithStatusCode(int? statusCode);
+
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Sets the value for a failure outcome. The outcome object is just a wrapper for the value.
+        /// </summary>
+        /// <param name="value">Specifies the value to wrap.</param>
+        IFailureOutcomeBuilder<TValue> WithValue(TValue value);
     }
 }

Outcomes/Builder/IFailureOutcomeBuilder.cs

@@ -42,6 +42,25 @@ public SuccessOutcomeBuilder<TValue> WithMessage(IEnumerable<string> messages)
             return this;
         }
 
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Alternate syntax for FromOutcome. Adds messages from the specified outcome, if any.
+        /// </summary>
+        /// <param name="outcome">Source outcome that messages are pulled from.</param>
+        public SuccessOutcomeBuilder<TValue> WithMessagesFrom(IOutcome outcome)
+        {
+            FromOutcome(outcome);
+            return this;
+        }
+
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Alternate syntax for WithMessage. Adds a collection of messages to the end of the outcome's message list. 
+        /// </summary>
+        public SuccessOutcomeBuilder<TValue> WithMessagesFrom(IEnumerable<string> messages)
+        {
+            WithMessage(messages);
+            return this;
+        }
+
         /// <summary>
         /// Sets the value for a success outcome. The outcome object is just a wrapper for the value.
         /// </summary>
@@ -54,12 +73,23 @@ public SuccessOutcomeBuilder<TValue> WithValue(TValue value)
         }
 
         /// <summary>
-        /// (optional) Sets the StatusCode, which is an additional piece of metadata you can use for your own purposes.
+        /// (optional) Sets the StatusCode, which is an additional piece of metadata you can use for your own purposes. 
+        /// This is handy when there could be, for instance, multiple failure modes. 
         /// </summary>
         public SuccessOutcomeBuilder<TValue> WithStatusCode(int? statusCode)
         {
             base.StatusCode = statusCode;
             return this;
         }
+
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Adds messages from the specified outcome.
+        /// </summary>
+        /// <param name="outcome">Source outcome that messages are pulled from. If there are no messages, execution continues.</param>
+        public SuccessOutcomeBuilder<TValue> FromOutcome(IOutcome outcome)
+        {
+            WithMessage(outcome.Messages);
+            return this;
+        }
     }
 }

Outcomes/Builder/SuccessOutcomeBuilder.cs

@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ public interface IOutcome
     {
         int? StatusCode { get; } 
         bool Success { get; }
+        bool Failure { get; }
         List<string> Messages { get; }
         string ToMultiLine(string delimiter = null);
         string ToString();

Outcomes/IOutcome.cs

@@ -45,5 +45,10 @@ public string ToMultiLine(string delimiter = null)
         {
             return MultiLineFormatter.ToMultiLine(delimiter, Messages);
         }
+
+        public bool Failure
+        {
+            get { return !Success; }           
+        }
     }
 }