Bash Script - return value in bash functions

These are my findings while exploring various ways of return values in Bash functions

1. return value is stored in $?. So we have to first call the function and extract return value from the exit status

function func1() {

  echo "return value is stored in '$?'"

  myvar1=dev1

#  return myvar1 - this is not allowed. Only a numerical return value is allowed

  myvar1=22

  return $myvar1

}

func1

val1=$?

echo "result1: $val1"

# result1: 22

2. modify a global variable to serve as 'return value'

function func2() {

  echo "modify global variable to serve as return value"

  myvar2=dev2

}

func2

val2=$myvar2

echo "result2: $val2"

# result2: dev2

3. write to stdout and capture the value in a variable. this works only if you have one echo in the function. otherwise all the echo statements are concatenated as function output.

function func3() {

  echo "write to stdout and capture value in var"

  local myvar3=dev3

  echo "$myvar3"

}

val3="$(func3)"

echo "result3: $val3"

# result3: write to stdout and capture value in var dev3