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Can a string be returned from a Bash function without using echoes or globals?

I go back to a lot of Bash scripting in my work and I'm rusty.

Is there a way to return a local value string from a function without making it global or using echo? I want the function to be able to interact with the user through the screen, but also pass the return value to a variable without something like export return_value="return string"

. The printf command seems to respond in exactly the same way as echo.

For example:

function myfunc() {
    [somecommand] "This appears only on the screen"
    echo "Return string"
}

# return_value=$(myfunc)
This appears only on the screen

# echo $return_value
Return string
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2 answers


Not. Bash returns nothing but the numeric exit status of the function. Your choice:



  • Set a non-local variable inside the function.
  • Use echo

    , printf

    or similar for output. This output can then be assigned outside of the function using command substitution.
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To make it only appear on screen, you can redirect the echo to stderr:

echo "This is only displayed on screen"> & 2



Obviously stderr shouldn't be redirected.

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