Difference between "FunctionName = value" and "Return value" in VB.NET?

Question

In VB.NET functions you can return values in two ways. For example if I have a function called "AddTwoInts" which takes two int variables as parameters, add them together and return the value I could write the function either as one of the following.

1) "Return":

Function AddTwoInts(ByVal intOne As Integer, ByVal intTwo As Integer) As Integer
    Return (intOne + intTwo)
End Function

2) "Function = value":

Function AddTwoInts(ByVal intOne As Integer, ByVal intTwo As Integer) As Integer
    AddTwoInts = (intOne + intTwo)
End Function

My question is this: is there any difference between the two or a reason to use one over the other?

Answer 1

In your example, there's no difference. However, assignment operator doesn't really exit the function:

Function AddTwoInts(ByVal intOne As Integer, ByVal intTwo As Integer) As Integer
    Return (intOne + intTwo)
    Console.WriteLine("Still alive") ' This will not be printed!
End Function


Function AddTwoInts(ByVal intOne As Integer, ByVal intTwo As Integer) As Integer
    AddTwoInts = (intOne + intTwo)
    Console.WriteLine("Still alive") ' This will  be printed!
End Function

Please don't use the second form, as it is the old language feature inherited from VB6 in order to help migration.