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Mikkel Storch
1,955 PointsWhat is the exact meaning of "return" in functions?
I've watched the video "Function Return Types" a couple of times but just can't see to figure out the exact meaning of "return". Can someone explain it to me in the most educational way possible step-by-step?
2 Answers
Dennis Parussini
Treehouse Project ReviewerIt's actually pretty simple. A method or function returns a value to you so you can use the value returned to you outside of the method. In Swift it would look something like that:
func printName(name: String) -> String {
return name
}
var name = printName("Tom")
If you wouldn't return the name you couldn't use it to assign the name to the variable name. Just copy the code into a playground to see what I mean. :-)
I hope I could help you with that, for further questions, please ask. ;-)
Itai Shin
9,928 PointsThe meaning of the return keyword is to give the user output after we did all we wanted to do in our function. you can use the return keyword in two ways:
- To stop the function.
- to return something (as the name says). If you don't understand my explanation tell me and i will try explain it to you in a simpler way.
Itai
Mikkel Storch
1,955 PointsThanks a lot!
Itai Shin
9,928 PointsYou're welcome. if you need anything else, ask me and i will answer you as fast as i can.
Mikkel Storch
1,955 PointsMikkel Storch
1,955 PointsOkay, but when you write "(name: String) -> String)" doesn't that mean that you create a string called "name"? But then you create a variable called name outside of the function? Just don't quite get it...
Dennis Parussini
Treehouse Project ReviewerDennis Parussini
Treehouse Project ReviewerNo, (name: String) -> String is part of the function.
(name: String) is the parameter the function takes. If you call the function you can then type a name where now (name: String) is. -> String means that the function has to return a String, in this case "name" is a String so you can return it to use it outside of the function. I named the variable "name", but it could have been any other name, like title or something. You can call the function without assigning it to a value of course. But this way, if you type "name" after assigning it the function you see the name you provided to the function in the sidebar of your Xcode Playground.
Itai Shin
9,928 PointsItai Shin
9,928 Pointswhat the name: String in the parentheses says is that you take a string input from the user, and you use it with the name "name" (or any other name you would enter before ':'). You don't create a variable, you just ask an input of type string from the user and call it "name". After you give it a name, you can use the input as a variable with the name you gave it within the function scope. If you need any more explanation just say and i will try to explain it in a simply way.
Itai