# require-returns-description
* [Options](#user-content-require-returns-description-options)
* [`contexts`](#user-content-require-returns-description-options-contexts)
* [Context and settings](#user-content-require-returns-description-context-and-settings)
* [Failing examples](#user-content-require-returns-description-failing-examples)
* [Passing examples](#user-content-require-returns-description-passing-examples)
Requires that the `@returns` tag has a `description` value. The error
will not be reported if the return value is `void` or `undefined`
or if it is `Promise` or `Promise`.
## Options
A single options object has the following properties.
### contexts
Set this to an array of strings representing the AST context (or an object with
optional `context` and `comment` properties) where you wish the rule to be applied.
`context` defaults to `any` and `comment` defaults to no specific comment context.
Overrides the default contexts (`ArrowFunctionExpression`, `FunctionDeclaration`,
`FunctionExpression`). Set to `"any"` if you want
the rule to apply to any JSDoc block throughout your files (as is necessary
for finding function blocks not attached to a function declaration or
expression, i.e., `@callback` or `@function` (or its aliases `@func` or
`@method`) (including those associated with an `@interface`).
See the ["AST and Selectors"](#user-content-eslint-plugin-jsdoc-advanced-ast-and-selectors)
section of our Advanced docs for more on the expected format.
## Context and settings
|||
|---|---|
|Context|`ArrowFunctionExpression`, `FunctionDeclaration`, `FunctionExpression`; others when `contexts` option enabled|
|Tags|`returns`|
|Aliases|`return`|
|Recommended|true|
|Options|`contexts`|
## Failing examples
The following patterns are considered problems:
````ts
/**
* @returns
*/
function quux (foo) {
}
// Message: Missing JSDoc @returns description.
/**
* @returns {string}
*/
function quux (foo) {
}
// Message: Missing JSDoc @returns description.
/**
* @returns {string}
*/
function quux (foo) {
}
// "jsdoc/require-returns-description": ["error"|"warn", {"contexts":["any"]}]
// Message: Missing JSDoc @returns description.
/**
* @function
* @returns {string}
*/
// "jsdoc/require-returns-description": ["error"|"warn", {"contexts":["any"]}]
// Message: Missing JSDoc @returns description.
/**
* @callback
* @returns {string}
*/
// "jsdoc/require-returns-description": ["error"|"warn", {"contexts":["any"]}]
// Message: Missing JSDoc @returns description.
/**
* @return
*/
function quux (foo) {
}
// Settings: {"jsdoc":{"tagNamePreference":{"returns":"return"}}}
// Message: Missing JSDoc @return description.
/**
* @returns
*/
function quux () {
}
// Settings: {"jsdoc":{"tagNamePreference":{"returns":false}}}
// Message: Unexpected tag `@returns`
````
## Passing examples
The following patterns are not considered problems:
````ts
/**
*
*/
function quux () {
}
/**
* @returns Foo.
*/
function quux () {
}
/**
* @returns Foo.
*/
function quux () {
}
// "jsdoc/require-returns-description": ["error"|"warn", {"contexts":["any"]}]
/**
* @returns {undefined}
*/
function quux () {
}
/**
* @returns {void}
*/
function quux () {
}
/**
* @returns {Promise}
*/
function quux () {
}
/**
* @returns {Promise}
*/
function quux () {
}
/**
* @function
* @returns
*/
/**
* @callback
* @returns
*/
````