Why use a Return Statement instead of Calling Function when running code?

Easiest way to answer this is to take the following example below. By using the return statement in the if block, will terminate the function once the alert("Hello Jake") has finished running. Once the function terminates it will move on to any of the other codes outside the function. If, however, you do not include a return statement, and just write alert("Hello Jake") without the return before it, the function would still work, BUT... It will not behave the same way. Because now, you have allowed the function to continue reading the code outside of the if block too. So, without the return statement, it will now pop up 2 alert boxes, (1) "Hello Jake", and then (2) "Please login as Jake", which doesn't make sense when you want only one part of the function to run successfully then immediately exit the function. So... This is where return comes useful.

NOW... Try using the code below in the console, and try it without the return statement too. You will immediately see the difference it makes.

function showName() {

    let askName = prompt("what is your name");
    if(askName === "Jake"){
      return  alert("Hello Jake");
    }

    alert("Please login as Jake");
}

showName();