return

Return from the current section. Inside a section or document called via execute, control returns to the caller and the value is accessible as return_value in the caller’s context. A document run with execute starts at its own main, so a return there also hands its value back to the caller.

In the top-level main, meaning the document handling the inbound message or a document reached through transfer, there is no caller: return stops execution entirely and its value is discarded.

To return without a value, use return: null.

Properties

anyRequired

The value to return. Accepts any type. Use null to return no value.

Variables

When called from a section or document invoked via execute, return provides the variable below to the caller’s context once execution resumes. When called from the top-level main, return stops execution immediately and no variable is set anywhere.

return_value

any

The value supplied to return. Available in the caller’s context after the execute step that invoked this section or document completes. String values are expanded for %{...} placeholders before storage; objects and arrays are stored as-is.

Examples

Return a string from a subroutine

version: 1.0.0
sections:
  main:
    - execute:
        dest: greet
    - reply:
        body: "%{return_value}"
  greet:
    - return: "Hello there!"

Return with no value (set `return_value` to null)

An explicit return: null from a section or document called with execute sets the caller’s return_value to null, overwriting any earlier value. In the top-level main, there is no caller, so no variable is set.

version: 1.0.0
sections:
  main:
    - execute:
        dest: maybe_reply
    - reply:
        body: "Done."
  maybe_reply:
    - switch:
        variable: message.body
        transform: lowercase_trim
        case:
          stop:
            - reply:
                body: "You've been unsubscribed."
            - return: null
        default:
          - return: null

Return from `main` to stop execution

version: 1.0.0
sections:
  main:
    - reply:
        body: "Got it."
    - return: null