C++ keyword: return

 

C++

Compiler support

Freestanding and hosted

Language

Standard library

Standard library headers

Named requirements

Feature test macros (C++20)

Language support library

Concepts library (C++20)

Diagnostics library

Memory management library

Metaprogramming library (C++11)

General utilities library

Containers library

Iterators library

Ranges library (C++20)

Algorithms library

Strings library

Text processing library

Numerics library

Date and time library

Input/output library

Filesystem library (C++17)

Concurrency support library (C++11)

Execution control library (C++26)

Technical specifications

Symbols index

External libraries

 

C++ language

General topics
Preprocessor Comments	Keywords Escape sequences
Flow control
Conditional execution statements
if	switch
Iteration statements (loops)
for range-for (C++11)	while do-while
Jump statements
continue - break	goto - return
Functions
Function declaration
Lambda function expression
inline specifier
Dynamic exception specifications (until C++17*)
noexcept specifier (C++11)
Exceptions
throw-expression try block	catch handler
Namespaces
Namespace declaration	Namespace aliases
Types
Fundamental types Enumeration types Function types	Class/struct types Union types
Specifiers
const/volatile decltype (C++11) auto (C++11)	constexpr (C++11) consteval (C++20) constinit (C++20)
Storage duration specifiers
Initialization
Default-initialization Value-initialization Zero-initialization Copy-initialization Direct-initialization	Aggregate initialization List-initialization (C++11)   Constant initialization Reference initialization

Expressions
Value categories Order of evaluation	Operators Operator precedence
Alternative representations
Literals
Boolean - Integer - Floating-point
Character - String - nullptr (C++11)
User-defined (C++11)
Utilities
Attributes (C++11)
Types
typedef declaration
Type alias declaration (C++11)
Casts
Implicit conversions static_cast const_cast	Explicit conversions dynamic_cast reinterpret_cast
Memory allocation
new expression	delete expression
Classes
Class declaration Constructors this pointer	Access specifiers friend specifier
Class-specific function properties
Virtual function override specifier (C++11)   final specifier (C++11)	explicit (C++11) static
Special member functions
Default constructor Copy constructor Move constructor (C++11)	Copy assignment Move assignment (C++11) Destructor
Templates
Class template Function template	Template specialization Parameter packs (C++11)
Miscellaneous
Inline assembly	History of C++

 

Keywords

alignas (C++11) alignof (C++11) and and_eq asm auto (*) bitand bitor bool break case catch char char8_t (C++20) char16_t (C++11) char32_t (C++11) class compl concept (C++20) const consteval (C++20) constexpr (C++11) constinit (C++20) const_cast continue contract_assert (C++26)   co_await (C++20) co_return (C++20) co_yield (C++20) decltype (C++11) default	delete do double dynamic_cast else enum explicit export extern false float for friend goto if inline int long mutable namespace new noexcept (C++11)   not not_eq nullptr (C++11) operator or or_eq private protected public	register reinterpret_cast requires (C++20) return short signed sizeof (*) static static_assert (C++11) static_cast struct switch template this thread_local (C++11) throw true try typedef typeid typename union unsigned using virtual void volatile wchar_t while xor xor_eq
Identifiers with special meaning
final (C++11) import (C++20) module (C++20)	override (C++11) post (C++26) pre (C++26)	replaceable_if_eligible (C++26) trivially_relocatable_if_eligible (C++26)

 

Usage

• return statement: as the declaration of the statement

Example

Run this code

#include <cstdlib>
#include <iostream>

[[nodiscard]] constexpr auto clamp(int value, int min, int max) noexcept
{
    if (value <= min)
        return min;
    else if (max <= value)
        return max;

    return value;
    // won't be executed past 'return' statement

    std::exit(value);
}

int main() noexcept
{
    std::cout << clamp(1, 2, 4);
    std::cout << clamp(3, 2, 4);
    std::cout << clamp(5, 2, 4);
    
    return 0; // the value '0' that in main() indicates a success
}

See More

Output:

234

See also

• if statement: if, else

constexpr if statement: constexpr (constexpr if statement)	(since C++17)
consteval if statement: consteval (consteval if statement)	(since C++23)

• switch statement: switch, case
• default (as case label declaration) etc: default
• goto statement: goto
• continue statement: continue
• break statement: break

co_return statement (return from a coroutine): co_return

(since C++20)

• do-while loop and while loop: do, while
• for loop and range-based for loop: for