INFO: Understanding the RETURN Command

ID: Q119900

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft Visual FoxPro for Windows, versions 3.0, 5.0, 6.0
Microsoft FoxPro for MS-DOS, versions 2.0, 2.5x, 2.6, 2.6a
Microsoft FoxPro for Windows, versions 2.5x, 2.6, 2.6a
Microsoft FoxPro for Macintosh, version 2.5x
Microsoft FoxPro for UNIX, version 2.6

SUMMARY

The RETURN command provides a great deal of flexibility over program control. RETURN terminates execution of a program, procedure, or function. Depending on how RETURN is used, control is returned to the calling program, the highest-level calling program, another program, or the Command window. The sample code below illustrates the power of the RETURN command.

MORE INFORMATION

Enter the following code in a program call RETTEST.PRG:


   PARAMETER x  &amp;&amp; line 1


   ON ERROR DO myErr
   DO A
   WAIT WINDOW 'In master'   &amp;&amp; line 5


   ON ERROR


   PROCEDURE A
   DO B
   WAIT WINDOW 'In A'   &amp;&amp; line 11


   PROCEDURE B
   x=testing
   WAIT WINDOW 'In B'  &amp;&amp; line 15


   PROCEDURE myErr
   DO CASE

CASE x = 'master' RETURN TO MASTER CASE EMPTY(x) RETURN OTHERWISE RETURN TO &x


   ENDCASE

To demonstrate the capabilities of the RETURN command, try the following three invocations of the above program from the Command window.

The following command returns to line 5 without executing lines 11 or 15: DO rettest WITH "master"

The following command returns to line 11 without executing line 15: DO rettest WITH "A"

The following command returns to line 15, the line of code immediately following the line that generated the error: DO rettest WITH ""

The program is so short that it may be helpful to use the Trace window and step through the code. For additional information about using the Trace window, see the "Debugging" chapter of the "Developer's Guide" and the "Program Menu" chapter of the "User's Guide."

REFERENCES

FoxPro "Language Reference"

Additional query words: VFoxWin FoxUnix FoxMac FoxDos FoxWin 2.50 2.50a 2.50b 2.50c

Keywords : kbcode FxtoolDebug
Version : MACINTOSH:2.5x; MS-DOS:2.0,2.5x,2.6,2.6a; UNIX:2.6; WINDOWS:2.5x,2.6,2.6a,3.0,5.0,6.0
Platform : MACINTOSH MS-DOS UNIX WINDOWS
Issue type : kbinfo