return

Exit from a function and return a value.

Synopsis

return [n]

Main Purpose

• Causes a shell function to exit and return a value. If the value of n is not specified, the default return status is that of the last command executed within the function.

Parameters

n (optional): An integer.

Return Value

The return value is the value of the parameter n you specified. If the parameter you specify is greater than 255 or less than 0, the return value will always be between 0 and 255 by adding or subtracting 256.

Executing a return statement outside of a function will result in a failure.

Examples

#!/usr/bin/env bash
# Define a function that returns a value greater than 255
example() {
  return 259
}
# Execute the function
example
# Displays 3 (259 - 256)
echo $?

Note

1. This command is a bash built-in; for related help information, please use the help command.