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JavaScript JavaScript Basics (Retired) Creating Reusable Code with Functions Returning a Value from a Function

Tobias Jackson
Tobias Jackson
9,758 Points
Posted by Tobias Jackson
Tobias Jackson
9,758 Points

return what ?

This creates a new variable and stores the current year in it. Now, add a statement that returns this variable from the function.

script.js 
function getYear(){
var year = new Date().getFullYear();
}
index.html 
<!DOCTYPE HTML>
<html>
<head>
  <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8">
  <title>JavaScript Basics</title>
</head>
<body>
<script src="script.js"></script>
</body>
</html>
sebastianlagerblad
sebastianlagerblad
5,083 Points

function getYear (){ var year = new Date().getFullYear(); return year; }

4 Answers

William Barnes
seal-mask
.a{fill-rule:evenodd;}techdegree
William Barnes
Front End Web Development Techdegree Student 6,597 Points
William Barnes
.a{fill-rule:evenodd;}techdegree
William Barnes
Front End Web Development Techdegree Student 6,597 Points

A return statement just returns a certain variable from the function, so if you add a " return year; " to the function it will return the value of year.

function getYear(){
var year = new Date().getFullYear();
return year;
}

So then if you were to create a new var called currentYear and call your getYear() function it would return the value "year".

var currentYear = getYear();
Jacob Mishkin
Jacob Mishkin
23,118 Points
Jacob Mishkin
Jacob Mishkin
23,118 Points

you need to return the value of the variable.

James Anwyl
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.a{fill-rule:evenodd;}techdegree seal-36
James Anwyl
Full Stack JavaScript Techdegree Graduate 49,960 Points
James Anwyl
.a{fill-rule:evenodd;}techdegree seal-36
James Anwyl
Full Stack JavaScript Techdegree Graduate 49,960 Points

This line, creates a new variable (called year) and stores the current year in it:

var year = new Date().getFullYear();

We want to return the variable (year) from the function.

Hope this helps :)

Carlos José
PLUS
Carlos José
Courses Plus Student 12,431 Points
Carlos José
Carlos José
Courses Plus Student 12,431 Points

You can actually just use the Date class.

var actualDate = new Date();

console.log(actualDate);

console.log(actualDate.getFullYear());

As requested in the challenge

function getYear(){

var year = new Date().getFullYear();

return year;

}

You can assign a Returned value to variables like this : var assign = Function*(arguments, arguments)*;