What is the difference between return and return()?

Question

function a() { return 1; }
function b() { return(1); }

I tested the above code in Chrome\'s console, and both returned 1.

Answer 1

There is no difference, the parenthesis are optional. See MSDN:

return[(][expression][)];

The optional expression argument is the value to be returned from the function. If omitted, the function does not return a value.

You use the return statement to stop execution of a function and return the value of expression. If expression is omitted, or no return statement is executed from within the function, the expression that called the current function is assigned the value undefined.