GOSUB

GOSUB sends the program flow to a sub procedure identified by a line number or label.

Syntax

GOSUB {lineNumber|label}

Description

• Use RETURN in a sub procedure to return to the next line of code after the original GOSUB call. END or SYSTEM can also be used to end program.
• GOSUB and GOTO can be used within SUB or FUNCTION procedures, but cannot refer to a label located outside the procedure.

QBasic

• Too many GOSUBs without a RETURN can eventually cause "Out of Stack Errors" in QBasic as each GOSUB uses memory to store the location to return to. Each RETURN frees the memory of the GOSUB it returns to.

Example(s)

Simple usage of GOSUB

PRINT "1. It goes to the subroutine."
GOSUB subroutine
PRINT "3. And it returns."
END

subroutine:
PRINT "2. It is at the subroutine."
RETURN

1. It goes to the subroutine.
2. It is at the subroutine.
3. And it returns.

What happens if two GOSUB executes then two RETURN's?

start: 
 
a = a + 1 
IF a = 1 THEN GOSUB here: PRINT "It returned to IF a = 1": END 
IF a = 2 THEN GOSUB there: PRINT "It returned to IF a = 2": RETURN

here: 
PRINT "It went here." 
GOTO start

there: 
PRINT "It went there." 
RETURN 

It went here.
It went there.
It returned to IF a = 2
It returned to IF a = 1

Explanation: When a = 1 it uses GOSUB to go to "here:", then it uses GOTO to go back to "start:". a is increased by one so when a = 2 it uses GOSUB to go to "there:", and uses RETURN to go the last GOSUB (which is on the IF a = 2 line), it then encounters another RETURN which makes it return to the first GOSUB call we used on the IF a = 1 line.

See Also

• ON...GOSUB
• ON...GOTO, GOTO
• ON ERROR, RESUME
• ON TIMER (n)
• Line number