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return (keyword)

Syntax

return expression

Description

Keyword; returns the value of expression and exits from the handler. The expression argument

can be any Lingo value.

When calling a handler that serves as a user-defined function and has a return value, you must use

parentheses around the argument lists, even if there are no arguments, as in the

diceRoll function

handler discussed under the entry for the

result function.

The function of the

return keyword is similar to that of the exit command, except that return also

returns a value to whatever called the handler. The

return command in a handler immediately

exits from that handler, but it can return a value to the Lingo that called it.

The use of

return in object-oriented scripting can be difficult to understand. It’s easier to start by

using

return to create functions and exit handlers. Later, you will see that the return me line in an

on new handler gives you a way to pass back a reference to an object that was created so it can be

assigned to a variable name.

The

return keyword isn’t the same as the character constant RETURN, which indicates a carriage

return. The function depends on the context.

To retrieve a returned value, use parentheses after the handler name in the calling statement to

indicate that the named handler is a function.

To see an example of

return (keyword) used in a completed movie, see the Parent Scripts movie in

the Learning/Lingo Examples folder inside the Director application folder.

Example

This handler returns a random multiple of 5 between 5 and 100:

on getRandomScore

theScore = 5 * random(20)

return theScore

end getRandomScore

Call this handler with a statement similar to the following:

set thisScore to GetRandomScore()

In this example, the variable thisScore is assigned the return value from the function

GetRandomScore. A parent script performs the same function: by returning the object reference, the

variable name in the calling code provides a handle for subsequent references to that object.