# Function return not work
**URL:** https://discourse.nodered.org/t/function-return-not-work/65267
**Category:** General
**Created:** [18 July 2022 13:32 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/function-return-not-work/65267 "2022-07-18T13:32:25Z")
**Posts on this page:** 8
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@denissanga](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/denissanga)
#### Post date: [18 July 2022 13:32 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/function-return-not-work/65267/1 "2022-07-18T13:32:25Z")
Hi all, I'm writing a function in func-exec node
```auto
msg.topic = ""
var array = [];
var exec = child_process.exec('pgrep firefox', (error, stdout, stderr) => {
if (error) {
console.info("false")
msg.payload = false
msg.topic = "error connection ui"
return msg;
}
if (stdout != ""){
var splitString = stdout.split(" ")
for (var i = 0; i < splitString.length; i++){
array.push(parseInt(splitString[i]))
}
console.info(array)
msg.payload = array
}
});
console.info(msg.payload)
return msg;
```
unfortunately the msg.payload is always undefined while array is corrected not empty as I can see on the console.
can some help me to understand where I wrong?
many thanks
---
### Author:  [@E1cid](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/E1cid)
#### Post date: [18 July 2022 13:42 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/function-return-not-work/65267/2 "2022-07-18T13:42:10Z")
does the second if () require a return?
---
### Author:  [@knolleary](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/knolleary)
#### Post date: [18 July 2022 13:44 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/function-return-not-work/65267/3 "2022-07-18T13:44:12Z")
Hi @denissanga
You cannot use `return` to send a message from inside a callback function - you can only use `return` at the top level of the code.
To send a message from inside a callback, you need to use `node.send(msg)` - [Writing Functions : Node-RED](https://nodered.org/docs/user-guide/writing-functions#sending-messages-asynchronously)
---
### Author:  [@denissanga](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/denissanga)
#### Post date: [18 July 2022 13:50 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/function-return-not-work/65267/4 "2022-07-18T13:50:27Z")
many thanks
I try with this
```auto
msg.topic = ""
var array = [];
var exec = child_process.exec('pgrep firefox', msg, (error, stdout, stderr) => {
if (error) {
console.info("false")
msg.payload = false
msg.topic = "error connection ui"
node.send(msg)
}
if (stdout != ""){
var splitString = stdout.split(" ")
for (var i = 0; i < splitString.length; i++){
array.push(parseInt(splitString[i]))
}
console.info("out1 " + array)
msg.payload = array
node.send(msg)
}
});
console.info("out2 " + msg.payload)
return msg;
```
but I obtain
out1 123345
out2 true
---
### Author:  [@knolleary](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/knolleary)
#### Post date: [18 July 2022 13:51 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/function-return-not-work/65267/5 "2022-07-18T13:51:55Z")
> [@denissanga](#):
>
> but I obtain
> out1 123345
> out2 true
What do you expect to get?
If you only want it to send a message once the `exec` has finished, then delete the `return msg` line at the end.
---
### Author:  [@denissanga](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/denissanga)
#### Post date: [18 July 2022 13:59 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/function-return-not-work/65267/6 "2022-07-18T13:59:46Z")
I would obtain 123345...there is no way with this approach?
---
### Author:  [@knolleary](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/knolleary)
#### Post date: [18 July 2022 14:05 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/function-return-not-work/65267/7 "2022-07-18T14:05:50Z")
> [@denissanga](#):
>
> .there is no way with this approach?
I do not understand what you mean.
You have said you are getting:
```auto
out1 12324123
```
That tells us the `console.info` you have inside the callback is being called... so we can assume the next two lines are also being called which will cause a message to be sent:
```auto
msg.payload = array
node.send(msg)
```
Have you connected a Debug node to the output of the Function to see what message it is sending?
---
### Author:  [@system](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/system)
#### Post date: [16 September 2022 14:06 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/function-return-not-work/65267/8 "2022-09-16T14:06:06Z")
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