In computer programming, the return type (or result type) defines and constrains the data type of the value returned from a subroutine or method. In many programming languages (especially statically-typed programming languages such as C, C++, Java) the return type must be explicitly specified when declaring a function.
In the Java example:
public int someMethodthe return type is int. The program can therefore rely on the method returning a value of type int. Various mechanisms are used for the case where a subroutine does not return any value, e.g., a return type of void is used in some programming languages:
public void returnNothingFamous quotes containing the words return and/or type:
“I hate that word. It’s return—a return to the millions of people who’ve never forgiven me for deserting the screen.”
—Billy Wilder (b. 1906)
“They had supposed their formula was fixed.
They had obeyed instructions to devise
A type of cold, a type of hooded gaze.
But when the Negroes came they were perplexed.
These Negroes looked like men....”
—Gwendolyn Brooks (b. 1917)