Return from higher function, how - if possible?

Question

I have a somewhat difficult time figuring out how - if possible - to return from a higher function, let me show you a POSIX code tidbit:

sudoedit_err ()
{
 printf >&2 'Error in sudoedit_run():\n'
 printf >&2 '%b\n' "$@"
}
sudoedit_run ()
{
 # `sudoedit` is part of `sudo`'s edit feature
 if ! command -v sudo > /dev/null 2>&1; then
 sudoedit_err "'sudo' is required by this script."
 return 1
 fi
 # primary non-empty arguments check
 if ! { [ $# -ge 3 ] && [ -n "1ドル" ] && [ -n "2ドル" ] && [ -n "3ドル" ]; } then
 sudoedit_err "Low number of arguments.\\nExpected: \1ドル = editor type; \2ドル = editor name; \3,ドル (\4ドル), ... = file(s).\\nPassed $#: $*"
 return 1
 fi
...

---

Important notes first:

• These functions are sourced to my shell directly from the .bash_aliases file = which is sourced by my .bashrc in effect.

• What I would like: The sudoedit_err be able to return directly, which I am not able to do, I am quite sure I just missed a class of POSIX scripting. 😠️

• In spite, my default shell is Bash, the solution must be POSIX-compliant.

What I found out:

• One can't use exit 1 instead of return 1 = it would exit the terminal.

• Andy Dalton: I think your best bet there is to (1) make this a script instead of a set of functions in your environment, then (2) use exit 1.
• Andy Dalton: I should have prefixed my previous comment with "I don't think what you want is doable."

Answer 1

A couple of people have suggested a subshell, which I think is a good idea. Using that, you can introduce a wrapper function that invokes a second function in a subshell. With that, any function that that second function calls can invoke exit to terminate the subshell.

Here's an example based on your original post:

sudoedit_err() {
 printf >&2 'Error in sudoedit_run():\n'
 printf >&2 '%b\n' "$@"
 exit 1
}
_sudoedit_run() {
 # `sudoedit` is part of `sudo`'s edit feature
 if ! command -v sudo > /dev/null 2>&1; then
 sudoedit_err "'sudo' is required by this script."
 fi
 # primary non-empty arguments check
 if ! { [ $# -ge 3 ] && [ -n "1ドル" ] && [ -n "2ドル" ] && [ -n "3ドル" ]; } then
 sudoedit_err "Low number of arguments.\\nExpected: \1ドル = editor type; \2ドル = editor name; \3,ドル (\4ドル), ... = file(s).\\nPassed $#: $*"
 fi
}
sudoedit_run()
{
 (_sudoedit_run "$@")
}

You wouldn't want to call the wrapped function directly since that'd terminate your shell.