RETURN

Terminate a procedure, user-defined function, or program

Syntax

       RETURN [<exp>]

Arguments

<exp> is an expression of any type that evaluates to the return value for user-defined functions. If a user-defined function terminates without executing a RETURN statement, the return value is NIL.

Description

RETURN terminates a procedure, user-defined function, or program by returning control to either the calling procedure or user-defined function. When RETURN executes in the highest level procedure, control passes to the operating system. All private variables created and local variables declared in the current procedure or user-defined function are released when control returns to the calling procedure.

There can be more than one RETURN in a procedure or user-defined function. A procedure or user-defined function need not, however, end with a RETURN. Since user-defined functions must return values, each must contain at least one RETURN statement with an argument.

Note: A procedure or user-defined function definition is terminated by a PROCEDURE statement, a FUNCTION statement, or end of file but not by a RETURN statement.

Notes

. Arrays: Since array is a data type like any other data type, instances of array type are really values like character strings and, therefore, can be RETURNed from a user-defined function.

. RETURN TO MASTER: Harbour does not support RETURN TO MASTER or any other form of RETURN specifying the level to which the call is to return. You can, however, simulate these operations with BEGIN SEQUENCE…END.

Examples

       .  These examples illustrate the general form of the RETURN
          statement in a procedure and in a user-defined function:
          PROCEDURE <idProcedure>
             //
             <statements>...
             //
             RETURN
          FUNCTION <idFunction>
             //
             <statements>...
             //
             RETURN <expReturn>
       .  This example returns an array, created in a user-defined
          function, to a calling procedure or user-defined function:
          FUNCTION PassArrayBack
             PRIVATE aArray[10][10]
             aArray[1][1] = "myString"
             RETURN aArray

Seealso

BEGIN SEQUENCE, FUNCTION, LOCAL, PRIVATE, PROCEDURE