This is the code

function toDo(day){
 // 1. check IF day is saturday OR sunday
  if (day==="saturday"||day==="sunday"){
  // 2. return the weekendChore function    
      return weekendChore();
  }
  else{
  // 3. otherwise return the weekdayChore function.
      return weekdayChore();
  }
}
      // These are the functions we will return:
function weekendChore(){
  alert("Weekend: walk 9am, feed at 4pm, walk at 10pm");
  return 1;
}

function weekdayChore(){
  alert("Weekday: feed at 12pm, walk at 1pm");
  return 0;
}

I am new to Javascript and trying to learn. Ive searched and didnt find a proper explanation for the role of return 1 and return 0 in the code above mentioned. Can you explain this? Also, can you replay with someother examples? Thanks

This is the code

function toDo(day){
 // 1. check IF day is saturday OR sunday
  if (day==="saturday"||day==="sunday"){
  // 2. return the weekendChore function    
      return weekendChore();
  }
  else{
  // 3. otherwise return the weekdayChore function.
      return weekdayChore();
  }
}
      // These are the functions we will return:
function weekendChore(){
  alert("Weekend: walk 9am, feed at 4pm, walk at 10pm");
  return 1;
}

function weekdayChore(){
  alert("Weekday: feed at 12pm, walk at 1pm");
  return 0;
}

I am new to Javascript and trying to learn. Ive searched and didnt find a proper explanation for the role of return 1 and return 0 in the code above mentioned. Can you explain this? Also, can you replay with someother examples? Thanks

• javascript

Share Improve this question Follow asked Nov 8, 2013 at 18:26 user2963757user2963757 10711 gold badge11 silver badge1212 bronze badges 3

• 1 "// 2. return the weekendChore function", actually this returns the result returned by weekendChore(), not the function itself. The same stands for item 3. To answer the question, we need to see the function calling toDo(). – Teemu Commented Nov 8, 2013 at 18:32
• 1 To find the answer to your question, you must look at where the toDo function is called. – Adam Jenkins Commented Nov 8, 2013 at 18:35
• ToDo just call the day. If is weekend, it execute weekendChore, else weekdayChore. But why those 2 function have a different return (o and 1). This is the question, cause i cannot understand. Thanks – user2963757 Commented Nov 8, 2013 at 18:59

Add a ment  | 

2 Answers 2

Sorted by: Reset to default 1

This is equivalent to

function toDo(day){
 // 1. check IF day is saturday OR sunday
  if (day==="saturday"||day==="sunday"){
  // 2. return the weekendChore function    
      weekendChore();
      return 1;
  }
  else{
  // 3. otherwise return the weekdayChore function.
      weekdayChore();
      return 0;
  }
}
      // These are the functions we will return:
function weekendChore(){
  alert("Weekend: walk 9am, feed at 4pm, walk at 10pm");
}

function weekdayChore(){
  alert("Weekday: feed at 12pm, walk at 1pm");
}

The real use of those 0 and 1 is hard to guess. They're probably used by the code calling toDo.

Sometimes it's nice to be able to return ASAP (specially if you use a function a lot). I can't explain the certain situation here though, as they're only called once each.

Here's an example of why it's useful if you call it multiple times:

var lastError;

function doStuff(username) {
    if (users.create(username)) {
        if (users[username].setActive(true)) {
            return true;
        } else {
            return setError('Could not set user to active');
        }
    } else {
        return setError('Could not create user');
    }
}

function setError(error) {
    lastError = error;
    return false;
}

if (registerUser('MyUser')) {
    alert('Yay!');
} else {
    alert('An error happened: ' + lastError);
}

..pared to this:

function doStuff(username) {
    if (users.create(username)) {
        if (users[username].setActive(true)) {
            return true;
        } else {
            lastError = 'Could not set user to active';
            return false;
        }
    } else {
        lastError = 'Could not create user';
        return false;
    }
}

Which just means that every single time we need to set an error we have to return false (even though we do it every time). It's really just shorter.