Difference between `return await promise` and `return promise`
Most of the time, there is no observable difference between return and return await. Both versions of delay1Second have the exact same observable behavior (but depending on the implementation, the return await version might use slightly more memory because an intermediate Promise object might be created).
However, as @PitaJ pointed out, there is one case where there is a difference: if the return or return await is nested in a try-catch block. Consider this example
async function rejectionWithReturnAwait () { try { return await Promise.reject(new Error()) } catch (e) { return 'Saved!' }}async function rejectionWithReturn () { try { return Promise.reject(new Error()) } catch (e) { return 'Saved!' }}In the first version, the async function awaits the rejected promise before returning its result, which causes the rejection to be turned into an exception and the catch clause to be reached; the function will thus return a promise resolving to the string "Saved!".
The second version of the function, however, does return the rejected promise directly without awaiting it within the async function, which means that the catch case is not called and the caller gets the rejection instead.
As other answers mentioned, there is likely a slight performance benefit when letting the promise bubble up by returning it directly — simply because you don’t have to await the result first and then wrap it with another promise again. However, no one has talked about tail call optimization yet.
Tail call optimization, or “proper tail calls”, is a technique that the interpreter uses to optimize the call stack. Currently, not many runtimes support it yet — even though it’s technically part of the ES6 Standard — but it’s possible support might be added in the future, so you can prepare for that by writing good code in the present.
In a nutshell, TCO (or PTC) optimizes the call stack by not opening a new frame for a function that is directly returned by another function. Instead, it reuses the same frame.
async function delay1Second() { return delay(1000);}Since delay() is directly returned by delay1Second(), runtimes supporting PTC will first open a frame for delay1Second() (the outer function), but then instead of opening another frame for delay() (the inner function), it will just reuse the same frame that was opened for the outer function. This optimizes the stack because it can prevent a stack overflow (hehe) with very large recursive functions, e.g., fibonacci(5e+25). Essentially it becomes a loop, which is much faster.
PTC is only enabled when the inner function is directly returned. It’s not used when the result of the function is altered before it is returned, for example, if you had return (delay(1000) || null), or return await delay(1000).
But like I said, most runtimes and browsers don’t support PTC yet, so it probably doesn’t make a huge difference now, but it couldn’t hurt to future-proof your code.
Read more in this question: Node.js: Are there optimizations for tail calls in async functions?
Noticeable difference: Promise rejection gets handled at different places
return somePromisewill pass somePromise to the call site, andawaitsomePromise to settle at call site (if there is any). Therefore, if somePromise is rejected, it will not be handled by the local catch block, but the call site's catch block.
async function foo () { try { return Promise.reject(); } catch (e) { console.log('IN'); }}(async function main () { try { let a = await foo(); } catch (e) { console.log('OUT'); }})();// 'OUT'return await somePromisewill first await somePromise to settle locally. Therefore, the value or Exception will first be handled locally. => Local catch block will be executed ifsomePromiseis rejected.
async function foo () { try { return await Promise.reject(); } catch (e) { console.log('IN'); }}(async function main () { try { let a = await foo(); } catch (e) { console.log('OUT'); }})();// 'IN'Reason: return await Promise awaits both locally and outside, return Promise awaits only outside
Detailed Steps:
return Promise
async function delay1Second() { return delay(1000);}- call
delay1Second();
const result = await delay1Second();- Inside
delay1Second(), functiondelay(1000)returns a promise immediately with[[PromiseStatus]]: 'pending. Let's call itdelayPromise.
async function delay1Second() { return delayPromise;// delayPromise.[[PromiseStatus]]: 'pending'// delayPromise.[[PromiseValue]]: undefined}- Async functions will wrap their return value inside
Promise.resolve()(Source). Becausedelay1Secondis an async function, we have:
const result = await Promise.resolve(delayPromise); // delayPromise.[[PromiseStatus]]: 'pending'// delayPromise.[[PromiseValue]]: undefinedPromise.resolve(delayPromise)returnsdelayPromisewithout doing anything because the input is already a promise (see MDN Promise.resolve):
const result = await delayPromise; // delayPromise.[[PromiseStatus]]: 'pending'// delayPromise.[[PromiseValue]]: undefinedawaitwaits until thedelayPromiseis settled.
- IF
delayPromiseis fulfilled with PromiseValue=1:
const result = 1; - ELSE is
delayPromiseis rejected:
// jump to catch block if there is anyreturn await Promise
async function delay1Second() { return await delay(1000);}- call
delay1Second();
const result = await delay1Second();- Inside
delay1Second(), functiondelay(1000)returns a promise immediately with[[PromiseStatus]]: 'pending. Let's call itdelayPromise.
async function delay1Second() { return await delayPromise;// delayPromise.[[PromiseStatus]]: 'pending'// delayPromise.[[PromiseValue]]: undefined}- Local await will wait until
delayPromisegets settled.
- Case 1:
delayPromiseis fulfilled with PromiseValue=1:
async function delay1Second() { return 1;}const result = await Promise.resolve(1); // let's call it "newPromise"const result = await newPromise; // newPromise.[[PromiseStatus]]: 'resolved'// newPromise.[[PromiseValue]]: 1const result = 1; - Case 2:
delayPromiseis rejected:
// jump to catch block inside `delay1Second` if there is any// let's say a value -1 is returned in the endconst result = await Promise.resolve(-1); // call it newPromiseconst result = await newPromise;// newPromise.[[PromiseStatus]]: 'resolved'// newPromise.[[PromiseValue]]: -1const result = -1;Glossary:
- Settle:
Promise.[[PromiseStatus]]changes frompendingtoresolvedorrejected