Difference between return vs return await #JavaScript

In JavaScript, when using async functions and await to handle asynchronous operations, there's a difference between return and return await.

1. Return: When you use return in an async function, you are returning a Promise. This means the function will always return a Promise, even if you return a non-Promise value. JavaScript automatically wraps the non-Promise value in a resolved Promise.

async function example() { return 42; }        

The above code is equivalent to:

async function example() { return Promise.resolve(42); }        

2. Return await: When you use return await, you are explicitly awaiting the resolution of a Promise before returning the result. This can be useful when you want to wait for an asynchronous operation to complete before returning its result.

async function example() {
    return await someAsyncOperation();
}        

in this case, example will return the resolved value of someAsyncOperation() once it completes.

Summary

In most cases, using return directly is preferred because it's more concise and still handles asynchronous behavior correctly. However, there are scenarios where using return await might be necessary, such as when you need to perform error handling or conditional logic after awaiting an asynchronous operation.