“Syntax error: Illegal return statement” outside a function in JavaScript

If you want to return some value then wrap your statement in function

function my_function(){ 

 return my_thing; 
}

Problem is with the statement on the 1st line if you are trying to use PHP

var ask = confirm ('".$message."'); 

IF you are trying to use PHP you should use

 var ask = confirm (<?php echo "'".$message."'" ?>); //now message with be the javascript string!!

in javascript return statement only used inside function block. if you try to use return statement inside independent if else block it trigger syntax error : Illegal return statement in JavaScript

Here is my example code to avoid such error :

<script type = 'text/javascript'>
(function(){
    var ss= 'no';
    if(getStatus(ss)){
        alert('Status return true');   
    }else{
        alert('Status return false'); 
    }

    function getStatus(ask){
        if(ask=='yes')
        {
        return true;     
        }
        else
        {
        return false;
        }
    }
})();
</script>

Please check Jsfiddle example

In my experience, most often this error message means that you have put an accidental closing brace somewhere, leaving the rest of your statements outside the function.

Example:

function a() {
    if (global_block) //syntax error is actually here - missing opening brace
       return;
    } //this unintentionally ends the function

    if (global_somethingelse) {
       //Chrome will show the error occurring here, 
       //but actually the error is in the previous statement
       return; 
    }

    //do something
}

where are you trying to return the value? to console in dev tools is better for debugging

<script type = 'text/javascript'>
var ask = confirm('".$message."');
function answer(){
  if(ask==false){
    return false;     
  } else {
    return true;
  }
}
console.log("ask : ", ask);
console.log("answer : ", answer());
</script>

For Node.js users:

I discovered that it's possible to use a return statement to exit the current JS script, but only for older-style CommonJS scripts that use the require(x) syntax.

Once you switch to the newer import x from y module syntax, using the return statement produces SyntaxError: Illegal return statement. Node will be expecting the newer syntax if your file extension ends in .mjs or if your package.json file contains "type": "module".

There's three potential workarounds if you want to be able to exit a module script early under certain conditions:

1. Wrap your script in a function (perhaps a self-executing function) and use the return statement.

2. Throw an error – although this will likely display an ugly stack trace, unless you also catch it

3. (There's also process.exit(), but it's not recommended.)

just i forgot to declare the word 'function' before the function. es

myFunc(num)
{
   if(num > 0)
      return;
}

this produce 'illegal return statement' error, becouse miss 'function' before myFunc(num)

correct form:

function myFunc(num)
{
    if(num > 0)
       return;
}

This can happen in ES6 if you use the incorrect (older) syntax for static methods:

export default class MyClass
{
    constructor()
    {
       ...
    }

    myMethod()
    {
       ...
    }
}

MyClass.someEnum = {Red: 0, Green: 1, Blue: 2}; //works

MyClass.anotherMethod() //or
MyClass.anotherMethod = function()
{
   return something; //doesn't work
}

Whereas the correct syntax is:

export default class MyClass
{
    constructor()
    {
       ...
    }

    myMethod()
    {
       ...
    }

    static anotherMethod()
    {
       return something; //works
    }
}

MyClass.someEnum = {Red: 0, Green: 1, Blue: 2}; //works