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PROLOG
       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
       return — return from a function or dot script


SYNOPSIS
       return [n]


DESCRIPTION
       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
       None.


OPERANDS
       See the DESCRIPTION.


STDIN
       Not used.


INPUT FILES
       None.


ENVIRONMENT VARIABLES
       None.


ASYNCHRONOUS EVENTS
       Default.


STDOUT
       Not used.


STDERR
       The standard error shall be used only for diagnostic messages.


OUTPUT FILES
       None.


EXTENDED DESCRIPTION
       None.


EXIT STATUS
       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
       Default.

       The following sections are informative.


APPLICATION USAGE
       None.


EXAMPLES
       None.


RATIONALE
       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.


FUTURE DIRECTIONS
       None.


SEE ALSO
       Section 2.9.5, Function Definition Command, Section 2.14, Special Built-In Utilities, dot


COPYRIGHT
       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 .