/code> statements, in most situations it is preferable to funnel through a single <code class="language-c++ highlighter-rouge"><span class="k">return</span></code> statement at the end of the function. 
An early <code class="language-c++ highlighter-rouge"><span class="k">return</span></code> can be a clean option for a recursive base case or error handled at the beginning of a function. <code class="language-c++ highlighter-rouge"><span class="k">return</span></code> can also serve as a loop exit.  However