javascript - Traverse a json object recursively Results in "uncaught syntaxError: Illegal return statement" -

i'm trying navigate through json object first time recursively, , code when running through debugger appears work until tries return object when have found groupid looking for. error getting:

uncaught syntaxerror: illegal return statement     @ object.injectedscript._evaluateon (<anonymous>:895:55)     @ object.injectedscript._evaluateandwrap (<anonymous>:828:34)     @ object.injectedscript.evaluateoncallframe (<anonymous>:954:21)     @ findgroupid (http://s.codepen.io/boomerang/5978872e6c1baaa184d2e8ced60239201437139491273/index.html?editors=001:503:21)     @ findgroupid (http://s.codepen.io/boomerang/5978872e6c1baaa184d2e8ced60239201437139491273/index.html?editors=001:491:32)     @ findgroupid (http://s.codepen.io/boomerang/5978872e6c1baaa184d2e8ced60239201437139491273/index.html?editors=001:491:32)     @ findgroupid (http://s.codepen.io/boomerang/5978872e6c1baaa184d2e8ced60239201437139491273/index.html?editors=001:491:32)     @ findgroupid (http://s.codepen.io/boomerang/5978872e6c1baaa184d2e8ced60239201437139491273/index.html?editors=001:491:32)     @ findgroupid (http://s.codepen.io/boomerang/5978872e6c1baaa184d2e8ced60239201437139491273/index.html?editors=001:491:32)     @ findgroupid (http://s.codepen.io/boomerang/5978872e6c1baaa184d2e8ced60239201437139491273/index.html?editors=001:491:32) 

feel free critique part of first time trying this. :)

my sample code following:

'use strict';  var findgroupid = function (obj, id) {     var checkforid = function (key, obj) {         if (key == id) {             return true;         }          return false;     };      if (typeof obj === 'object') {         (var in obj) {             if (typeof obj[i] === 'object') {                 findgroupid(obj[i], id);             } else if (array.isarray(obj[i])) {                 (var x = 0 ; x <= obj[i].length ; x++) {                     findgroupid(obj[i], id);                 }             } else {                 var result = checkforid(obj[i], obj);                 if (result) {                     debugger;                     return obj;                 }             }         }     }  }; var result = findgroupid(obj, "37078;1"); console.log(result); 

here executable example: http://codepen.io/eaglejs/pen/voazgd

here fixed solution pablo: http://codepen.io/eaglejs/pen/qbbkgk

the issue here arent returning anything, have return function calls in code.

the easiest fix store result , return if not undefined.

function checkforid(key, obj, id) {     if (key == id) {         return true;     }     return false; } var findgroupid = function (obj, id) {     if (typeof obj === 'object') {         (var in obj) {             if (typeof obj[i] === 'object') {                 var myresult = findgroupid(obj[i], id);                 if (myresult)                     return myresult;             } else if (array.isarray(obj[i])) {                 (var x = 0; x <= obj[i].length; x++) {                     var myresult = findgroupid(obj[i], id);                     if (myresult)                         return myresult;                 }             } else {                 var result = checkforid(obj[i], obj, id);                 if (result) {                     return obj;                 }             }         }     } }; 

modified codepen works

note improved little findgroupid removing checkforid , putting outside of "loop" because otherwise redefine on , on again.

http://codepen.io/anon/pen/aojwyw?editors=001