How to exit from the query using RETURN

Problem: How to exit from a query without executing the rest of the code.

Solution: RETURN, Starting SQL Server 2008 or higher.

Exits unconditionally from a query or procedure. RETURN is immediate and complete and can be used at any point to exit from a procedure, batch, or statement block. Statements that follow RETURN are not executed.

Example:

In this article I am going to show you how return can be used and a few examples. 

Let’s see how we can change the below code to exit using a return command.

Declare @counter int    =4

                SELECT @Counter 

    IF @Counter = 4 GOTO Branch_One --Jumps to the first branch. 

    IF @Counter = 5 GOTO Branch_Two  --Jumps to the Second Branch.

Branch_One: 

    SELECT 'Jumping To Branch One.'; 

Branch_Two: 

    SELECT 'Jumping To Branch Two.' ;

Branch_Three: 

    SELECT 'Jumping To Branch Three.'; 

After adding return to the code and see how it can help to break after the first return.

Declare @counter int    =4

                SELECT @Counter 

                IF @counter NOT IN (4,5) RETURN;

    IF @Counter = 4 GOTO Branch_One --Jumps to the first branch. 

    IF @Counter = 5 GOTO Branch_Two --Jumps to the Second Branch. 

Branch_One: 

    SELECT 'Jumping To Branch One.'; 

                RETURN

Branch_Two: 

    SELECT 'Jumping To Branch Two.' ;

                RETURN

Branch_Three: 

    SELECT 'Jumping To Branch Three.'; 

                RETURN

OUTPUT: