# Why does node.send(msg) work, but cannot return msg as normal?
**URL:** https://discourse.nodered.org/t/why-does-node-send-msg-work-but-cannot-return-msg-as-normal/80587
**Category:** General
**Created:** [15 August 2023 19:40 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/why-does-node-send-msg-work-but-cannot-return-msg-as-normal/80587 "2023-08-15T19:40:55Z")
**Posts on this page:** 3
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@hazymat](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/hazymat)
#### Post date: [15 August 2023 19:40 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/why-does-node-send-msg-work-but-cannot-return-msg-as-normal/80587/1 "2023-08-15T19:40:55Z")
Bit of a strange one here. I have this block of code below:
```auto
if (msg.payload.event == "single") {
var touchpanelIDclicked = msg.topic.split("/")[2]
var screenIDclicked = msg.payload.screen
var tileIDclicked = msg.payload.tile
var touchpanel_zone_mappings = global.get("home.light.config.touchpanel_zone_mappings")
var zoneID = ""
Object.keys(touchpanel_zone_mappings).forEach(key => {
if (touchpanel_zone_mappings[key].touchpanelID == touchpanelIDclicked &&
parseInt(touchpanel_zone_mappings[key].screenID) == screenIDclicked) {
zoneID = touchpanel_zone_mappings[key].zoneID
msg.topic = "home/light/" + zoneID + "/scene"
msg.payload = tileIDclicked - 1
node.warn(msg)
return msg
}
})
}
```
It never returns a message, but if I use `node.send(msg)` instead of `return msg;`, it does return a message, as it should.
I have included `node.warn(msg)` to verify the topic/payload of the message, and sure enough it only returns once.
Is there some special reason that `return msg;` cannot run within a forEach code block?
---
### Author:  [@Steve-Mcl](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Steve-Mcl)
#### Post date: [15 August 2023 19:55 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/why-does-node-send-msg-work-but-cannot-return-msg-as-normal/80587/2 "2023-08-15T19:55:34Z")
Because the return inside forEach returns to the forEach like a callback.
Use a regular `for` loop if you want to return early.
---
### Author:  [@system](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/system)
#### Post date: [29 August 2023 19:56 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/why-does-node-send-msg-work-but-cannot-return-msg-as-normal/80587/3 "2023-08-29T19:56:04Z")
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