# what is the function of the word return?

**URL:** <https://forum.kirupa.com/t/what-is-the-function-of-the-word-return/651042>\
**Category:** programming\
**Created:** [March 8, 2022, 4:17am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/what-is-the-function-of-the-word-return/651042 "2022-03-08T04:17:07Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![CoolDude01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f19dbf/32.png) [@CoolDude01](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/CoolDude01)\
**Post date:** [March 8, 2022, 4:17am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/what-is-the-function-of-the-word-return/651042/1 "2022-03-08T04:17:07Z")

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I’m new to programming and I don’t understand how and why return is used. Could you explain it to me? preferably with an example, I’m a bit dumb 🙂

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![steve.mills](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/user_avatar/forum.kirupa.com/steve.mills/32/14961_2.png) [@steve.mills](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/steve.mills)\
**Post date:** [March 8, 2022, 10:59am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/what-is-the-function-of-the-word-return/651042/2 "2022-03-08T10:59:36Z")

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Hey Dude,

Functions don’t need to `return` anything unless you are chaining functions together.

This means that `function A` relies on the value of `function B` running and `"returning"` a value …

This is usually so that you don’t have to write 1 big massive function for your entire program and also:

- Code readabilty
- Testing
- Re-use
- Control flow
- understandable logic
- So your head doesn’t explode…

Basically when you are chaining functions you’re:

- Running a function and saving it to a variable (temporary or permanent variable)
- Running another function with the result of the first function (saved in the variable)
- Repeat until you do something with the result

If you don’t `return` a `"value"` from **any** function in the “chain” what will happen is:

- the variable storing the function result will be `undefined`
- the next function in the chain will try to run with `undefined`as its main argument
- that function will probably throw an error
- you wont be able to continue with the chain and get a result

This chaining is also called piping.

Here’s a basic example of it with some simple addition.  
(this will run in the browser console)

Try to wrap your head around the function `stepper` at the start

```auto

let object = {
  value1: undefined,
}

let add1 = function(x){
  return x + 1;
}

let add2 = function(x){
  return x + 2;
}

let add3 = function(x){
  return x + 3
}

// does nothing returns x
let returnX = function(x){
  return x
}

let noReturn = function(x){
   object.value1 = x
}

// pipes a number through an array of functions
let pipe = function(number, array){
  let accumulator = number;
  for(let fn of array){
    accumulator = fn(accumulator);
  }
  console.log(accumulator)
  return accumulator
}
// does the same as pipe but its hard coded without an array of functions
let stepper = function(x){
  let a = add1(x);
  let b = add2(a);
  let c = add3(b);
  console.log(c)
  return c 
}

pipe(5, [add1,add2,add3]) // returns 11
pipe(5,[add1,add2, add3,returnX]) // returns 11 
pipe(5, [add1,add2,add3,noReturn]) // returns undefined 
stepper(5)// returns 11

```