Function return Statements

In our exploration of functions so far, we have waved off the syntax such as void and int that we've been putting before our names:

1void TakeDamage() {}
2int main() {}

In this lesson, we will see what exactly these are for.

You may have recognized int as a data type that we've seen in other contexts. Indeed, these parts of our function syntax are data types.

We've seen that a function can run any code we need. But, functions can also return information to the code that called it.

With C++ being a strongly typed language, we need to specify what type of data our functions will be returning. That is what the int and void in the function headers refer to.

The main function returns an int, so we have an int in the heading of the function. The void keyword is how we specify that a function doesn't return anything. So, in our TakeDamage() function, we specified the return type as void.

In the below example, we are initializing a variable called Level but, this time, we are initializing that variable to the result of calling a function:

1int Level { CalculateLevel() };

For this to work, the act of calling our CalculateLevel() function must result in an integer value.

We can make this happen in two steps - first, we place the int keyword before our function name, to declare that this function is going to return an integer:

1int CalculateLevel() {
2  // Code here
3}

Secondly, we update the body of our function to ensure it returns an integer, by using the return keyword:

1int CalculateLevel() {
2  return 5;
3}

With that, our initial line of code will now work, and we're able to access what our function call returned at the point we called it.

For example, we could use this return value to initialize a variable:

1#include <iostream>
2using namespace std;
3
4int CalculateLevel(){ return 5; };
5
6int main(){
7  int Level{CalculateLevel()};
8  cout << "Level: " << Level;
9}

1Level: 5

Or we could directly log out the result of a function call, or use it with any other operator:

1#include <iostream>
2using namespace std;
3
4int CalculateLevel(){ return 5; }
5
6int main(){
7  cout << "Level: " << CalculateLevel();
8  cout << "\nHealth: " << CalculateLevel() * 5;
9}

1Level: 5
2Health: 25

1float GetHealth() {
2  return 100.0;
3}
4float Health { GetHealth() };

1bool GetIsDead() {
2  return false;
3}
4bool isDead { GetIsDead() };

We've seen from our TakeDamage() function in previous lessons that not all functions need to return something.

In those cases, we have set the return type to be void:

1void TakeDamage() {
2  Health -= 50;
3}

However, let's update this function to return something too. For example, it could return the amount of damage that was inflicted:

1int TakeDamage() {
2  Health -= 50;
3  return 50;
4}

Now, not only does our function have an effect (ie, reducing Health) - it also returns something, which might be useful in the locations where our TakeDamage() function is called:

1int Score { 0 };
2int main() {
3  int DamageInflicted { TakeDamage() };
4
5  // We can now use the returned value
6  // For example, we could update a scoreboard:
7  Score += DamageInflicted;
8}

We could also have implemented the above example in a single statement:

1int Score { 0 };
2int main() {
3  Score += TakeDamage();
4}

Note, just because a function returns something, that does not obligate the caller to make use of what is being returned.

If our main function had no use for the return value, but just wanted to call the function because of its other effects, it can just continue to call the function as it did before:

1int main() {
2  TakeDamage();
3}

1int Health { 100 };
2void TakeDamage() {
3  Health -= 50;
4}
5TakeDamage();

1int Health { 100 };
2void TakeDamage() {
3  Health -= 50;
4}
5int NewHealth { Health };

1int Health { 100 };
2int TakeDamage() {
3  return Health - 50;
4}
5TakeDamage();

1int Health { 100 };
2int TakeDamage() {
3  Health -= 50;
4  return 50;
5}
6Health -= TakeDamage();

When using conditional logic, we may need to have multiple return statements in our code. For example:

1bool isDead { true };
2int TakeDamage() {
3  if (isDead) {
4    return 0;
5  } else {
6    Health -= 50;
7    return 50;
8  }
9}

If our function has a return type, we should make sure that every possible branch through our function results in something of that type being returned.

It's crucial to understand that when a function encounters a return statement, it immediately stops executing and passes control back to the calling function.

Were we to write our TakeDamage() function like in the following example, Health would never be reduced, because the function will always have hit the return statement before hitting line 3:

1int TakeDamage() {
2  return 50;
3  Health -= 50;  // Unreachable code
4}

Line 3 is what is sometimes referred to as "unreachable code". Whilst our code can still work, this often indicates we made a mistake. Most IDEs can also detect unreachable code in simple cases like this, and warn us that we could have a problem.

Early Returns with Conditionals

The fact that functions stop executing as soon as a return call is found is something we can use to our advantage when structuring our code.

As we saw in previous examples, a return statement can be inside conditional blocks such as an if statement.

By combining conditional logic with the property that functions stop once they return, we can make our code a lot more concise. For example, we could reduce this function we saw earlier:

1bool isDead { true };
2int TakeDamage() {
3  if (isDead) {
4    return 0;
5  } else {
6    Health -= 50;
7    return 50;
8  }
9}

To something that does the same thing with less syntax:

1bool isDead { true };
2int TakeDamage() {
3  if (isDead) return 0;
4  Health -= 50;
5  return 50;
6}

In the above example, the else block has been removed. This is because, if isDead is true, our function will return before any code in the else block would have been reached anyway.

Therefore, having that code within an else statement is redundant.

1bool isDead { true };
2
3int GetHealth() {
4  return isDead ? 0 : 50;
5  return 100;
6}
7
8int Health { GetHealth() }

1bool isDead { false };
2int GetHealth() {
3  if (isDead) {
4    return 0;
5  }
6  return 100;
7}
8int Health { GetHealth() };

Early Returns with void Functions

We can also return early from functions that have a void return type. To do this, we just use the return statement without providing any value:

1void SomeFunction() {
2  return;
3  
4  // Unreachable code
5  std::cout << "This won't be executed"; 
6}

This is primarily useful for control flow, as an alternative to something like an if statement.

For example, the following function modifies the Health variable only if it is greater than zero:

1int Health { 100 };
2
3void InflictDamage() {
4  if (Health > 0) {
5    Health -= 10;
6  }
7}

We can implement the same behaviour using an early return statement:

1int Health { 100 };
2
3void InflictDamage() {
4  if (Health <= 0) return;
5  Health -= 10;
6}

When it comes to function return values, there are a couple of common mistakes worth highlighting:

return vs cout

A common misunderstanding with beginners, particularly when creating the basic functions typical of introductory courses, is the difference between logging and returning a value from a function.

The following are not equivalent:

1void MyFunction() {
2  cout << 5;
3}

1int MyFunction() {
2  return 5;
3}

If a function isn't working as you expect, particularly issues around return values, ensure you are using the return keyword to return the value - not simply logging it out to the console.

Not Calling The Function

The other common mistake beginners make when trying to use a function is not calling it when they intend to. Rather, they will correctly include the name of the function, but forget to include the () operator to invoke it. An example is below:

1int GetLevel() {
2  return 5;
3}
4int Level { GetLevel };

This will cause a rather cryptic error message. If we see any errors around our use of functions, ensure we are calling the function using ():

1int GetLevel() {
2  return 5;
3}
4int Level { GetLevel() };

Something odd about our main function might have caught your attention by this point. Our main function has a return value specified as int,

This integer returned from our main function is expected to be an exit code - a number that explains why our main function ended - and therefore, why our program quit.

Just like our function can return a value to another function that called it, our entire program can return a value to the program that executed it, such as the operating system.

You may have noticed output like this in your terminal while we've been running our code:

1The program 'MyProgram.exe' has exited with code 0.

The code 0 here indicates that your main function returned 0. Try returning a different value from main, and see how this output changes.

1int main() { return 5; }

1The program 'MyProgram.exe' has exited with code 5.

Returning 0 from the main function announces that our program exited as expected, under normal circumstances. In other words, it did not crash.

When using other software, you may have sometimes seen a program crash, and then your operating system displays a popup to give you the option to report the crash. That popup was most likely triggered by a program not returning 0 from its main function.

1bool isDead { true };
2int GetHealth() {
3  if (isDead) {
4    return 0;
5  }
6}
7int Health { GetHealth() };

In this lesson, we explored several key aspects of function return statements in C++. Here's a brief overview of what we've covered:

• Understanding Function Return Types: We learned how to specify the return type of a function, using types like int, float, and void.
• Using return Statements: The lesson highlighted the importance of the return statement in functions and how it passes values back to the calling function.
• Functions Without Return Values: We discussed functions with a void return type, which do not return any value.
• Side Effects: The lesson touched upon how functions can have side effects, such as changing the value of variables outside of their body.
• Conditional Return Statements: We examined how to use return statements within conditional blocks like if statements.
• Early return Statements: The concept of early returns in functions was explained, showing how they can make code more concise.
• Common Mistakes: To help avoid common pitfalls, the lesson covered typical mistakes beginners make regarding function return values.