Parse error for whitespace (newline) following return statement

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Description:
When returning an anonymous object from a function, a parse error results if the opening brace is not on the same line as the return statement; this is sensitivity to whitespace unecmascriptlike.

In the two functions below functionA() is fine, but functionB() results in "Uncaught SyntaxError: Unexpected token ':'"

It is written in the specification that a line terminator is not allowed after a return, but this strangely enforces a particular brace style for return statements that does not match what is allowed elsewhere, for example assignments.

// OK
functionA()
{
    return {
        propertyA: true,
        propertyB: true
    };
}

// Not OK
function functionB()
{
    return
    {
        propertyA: true,
        propertyB: true
    };
}

// OK
var myobject =
{
    propertyA: true,
    propertyB: true
};

[Kevin Gibbons]

That's just how the language works, I'm afraid.

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Thank you for your prompt reply. I did find this stated in the specification, but it is a dynamic document so I thought I'd mention this as stylistically anomalous.

Allowing line-termination after return statements could (likely) be implemented while maintaining backward compatibility with the existing behavior.

[Kevin Gibbons]

There is no chance whatsoever that this behavior could be changed without breaking existing programs. Trivially, consider the many programs of the form

function f() {
  doWork()
  return

  function doWork() {/*...*/
}

[Ross Kirsling]

Note that the reason you're seeing a syntax error instead of ASI behavior is because the following is itself an error.

{
    propertyA: true,
    propertyB: true
};

In this context, the object literal would need to be wrapped in parens.

[•]

There is no chance whatsoever that this behavior could be changed without breaking existing programs. Trivially, consider the many programs of the form

function f() {
  doWork()
  return

  function doWork() {/*...*/
}

Maybe I'm misunderstanding this scenario, but assuming the code below is of the form you have in mind, what problem would be caused by a line-terminator after the return?

function functionC()
{
    console.log('C');

    functionD();

    return {
        propertyA: true,
        propertyB: true
    };

    function functionD()
    {
        console.log('D');
    }
}

functionC();

In this context, the object literal would need to be wrapped in parens.

It did not need to be wrapped in parens in the assignment below. Why should a line-terminator be accepted after an assignment and not accepted after return? Are these not analogous scenarios?

var myObject =
{
  key1: 'A',
  key2: 'B'
};
console.log(myObject);

[Kevin Gibbons]

I appreciate your interest here, but this issue tracker isn't the right place to get support for this kind of thing. Try StackOverflow or the discourse forum.

[•]

Thank you. I will have a look at the forum.