return

A built-in function to exit early and return an exit status.

Where to run

This can be used

in the CLI
in a function.
in a script outside a function, but only if run with source SCRIPT. This is similar to running as exit.

Otherwise you get this error:

return: can only return from a function or sourced script

If you want to return output from a function, use echo rather - see Functions.

return

Same as above but explicit.

return 0

Similar to exit 1 but won’t abort scrit.

return 1

Inside a function with a return, the script continues.

foo.sh

  abc() {
    echo 'line 1'

    return 0

    echo 'line 2'
  }

  abc
  echo "Function exit status $?"

  echo 'line 3'

Run as:

$ bash foo.sh

This will print

line 1
Function exit status 0
line 3

If you use 1 or another integer for return, you get that.

line 1
Function exit status 1
line 3

`foo.sh

  echo 'line 1'

  return 0

  echo 'line 2'
  echo 'line 3'

Run in the CLI:

$ source foo.sh
line 1

Note the exit status now will be the return value. So these are similar: