return(1p) — Linux manual page

RETURN(1P)              POSIX Programmer's Manual             RETURN(1P)

PROLOG         top

       This manual page is part of the POSIX Programmer's Manual.  The
       Linux implementation of this interface may differ (consult the
       corresponding Linux manual page for details of Linux behavior),
       or the interface may not be implemented on Linux.

NAME         top

       return — return from a function or dot script

SYNOPSIS         top

       return [n]

DESCRIPTION         top

       The return utility shall cause the shell to stop executing the
       current function or dot script. If the shell is not currently
       executing a function or dot script, the results are unspecified.

OPTIONS         top

       None.

OPERANDS         top

       See the DESCRIPTION.

STDIN         top

       Not used.

INPUT FILES         top

       None.

ENVIRONMENT VARIABLES         top

       None.

ASYNCHRONOUS EVENTS         top

       Default.

STDOUT         top

       Not used.

STDERR         top

       The standard error shall be used only for diagnostic messages.

OUTPUT FILES         top

       None.

EXTENDED DESCRIPTION         top

       None.

EXIT STATUS         top

       The value of the special parameter '?'  shall be set to n, an
       unsigned decimal integer, or to the exit status of the last
       command executed if n is not specified. If n is not an unsigned
       decimal integer, or is greater than 255, the results are
       unspecified. When return is executed in a trap action, the last
       command is considered to be the command that executed immediately
       preceding the trap action.

CONSEQUENCES OF ERRORS         top

       Default.

       The following sections are informative.

APPLICATION USAGE         top

       None.

EXAMPLES         top

       None.

RATIONALE         top

       The behavior of return when not in a function or dot script
       differs between the System V shell and the KornShell. In the
       System V shell this is an error, whereas in the KornShell, the
       effect is the same as exit.

       The results of returning a number greater than 255 are undefined
       because of differing practices in the various historical
       implementations. Some shells AND out all but the low-order 8
       bits; others allow larger values, but not of unlimited size.

       See the discussion of appropriate exit status values under
       exit(1p).

FUTURE DIRECTIONS         top

       None.

SEE ALSO         top

       Section 2.9.5, Function Definition Command, Section 2.14, Special
       Built-In Utilities, dot(1p)

COPYRIGHT         top

       Portions of this text are reprinted and reproduced in electronic
       form from IEEE Std 1003.1-2017, Standard for Information
       Technology -- Portable Operating System Interface (POSIX), The
       Open Group Base Specifications Issue 7, 2018 Edition, Copyright
       (C) 2018 by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics
       Engineers, Inc and The Open Group.  In the event of any
       discrepancy between this version and the original IEEE and The
       Open Group Standard, the original IEEE and The Open Group
       Standard is the referee document. The original Standard can be
       obtained online at http://www.opengroup.org/unix/online.html .

       Any typographical or formatting errors that appear in this page
       are most likely to have been introduced during the conversion of
       the source files to man page format. To report such errors, see
       https://www.kernel.org/doc/man-pages/reporting_bugs.html .

IEEE/The Open Group               2017                        RETURN(1P)

Pages that refer to this page: dot(1p)

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