Understanding Why a Node.js Function Returns undefined Instead of an Array

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The Problem

Let's start by breaking down the issue. You have a function, userTabCreation_stringList, designed to prompt the user for input and build an array of user names. However, when you attempt to assign the result of the function to a variable, it returns undefined if more than one item is added to the array. This can be quite perplexing if you believe the function should be returning the created array.

Here's what your function looks like:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

Understanding the Recursive Call

The heart of the problem lies in how you handle the recursive call within your function. When you call userTabCreation_stringList(inUserList) again to add more users, you are not returning its result. The outer function is effectively ignoring the value returned from the recursive call, which leads to the entire function returning undefined when it should be returning an array.

The Solution

To fix this issue, you need to ensure that every time you call the function recursively, you return the result. Here’s how you can modify your code:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

Key Takeaways

Always Return Values: In recursive functions, it's crucial to return the value from recursive calls. Failing to do so can result in undefined being returned, which is what happened in your original function.

Conclusion

By making a simple adjustment to your recursive function, you can resolve the issue of returning undefined. It's important to pay attention to return statements in recursive scenarios, as they can greatly impact the final output of your functions. Happy coding, and may your arrays always return the expected values!