prefer_immediate_return

v0.8.0 Warning Fix Code Quality

This rule flags a local variable that is declared and then returned on the very next line, with no other use.

Why use this rule

The variable adds a name but no information — the return statement already says what the value is for. It also adds a line that has to be kept in sync: rename the variable and two places change instead of none.

Don’t

Future<User> loadUser(String id) async {
  final user = await repository.fetchUser(id);
  return user;
}

Do

Future<User> loadUser(String id) async {
  return repository.fetchUser(id);
}

Known limitations

The rule reports only when the variable is provably throwaway:

• It is the second-to-last statement, directly followed by return name;.
• The declaration declares exactly one variable — var a = 1, b = 2; is skipped.
• It has an initializer and is not late.
• The returned identifier resolves to that declaration, not a field or outer variable with the same name.
• The variable is referenced exactly once in the whole function body — the return itself.

A variable kept deliberately as documentation (final isEligible = ...; return isEligible;) will be reported. If the name earns its place, suppress the diagnostic on that line.

Configuration

This rule is in the opinionated preset, so it is on with preset: opinionated, or by name:

many_lints.yaml

rules:
  prefer_immediate_return: true

To turn it off again:

many_lints.yaml

rules:
  prefer_immediate_return: false

To keep the rule on but skip certain paths, use per-rule exclude.

Related rules

• prefer_early_return — Replace a body-wrapping if with an early-return guard.
• avoid_collapsible_if — Merge nested if statements with &&.
• avoid_redundant_else — Drop the else when the if branch always exits.
• avoid_accessing_other_classes_private_members — Make the underscore mean what everyone reads it as.