# return

Return from a file, directory or function.

    return()

Returns from a file, directory or function. When this command is encountered in an included file (via `include()` or `find_package()`), it causes processing of the current file to stop and control is returned to the including file. If it is encountered in a file which is not included by another file, e.g. a `CMakeLists.txt`, deferred calls scheduled by `cmake_language(DEFER)` are invoked and control is returned to the parent directory if there is one. If return is called in a function, control is returned to the caller of the function.

Note that a `macro`, unlike a `function`, is expanded in place and therefore cannot handle `return()`.