(simple) return in if statement?

[notflip]

 	if(customer== ""){
		document.getElementById('customerInfo').innerHTML = "";
		return;
	}

In this code, Why is the RETURN there? It doesn't work without the return, and it doesn't matter if i put return false, or return true.. (full code underneath)

function toonKlant(klantnaam){
 	if(klantnaam == ""){
		document.getElementById('hint').innerHTML = "";
		return;
	}
	
	if(window.XMLHttpRequest){
		xmlhttp = new XMLHttpRequest();
	} else {
		xmlhttp = new ActiveXObject('Microsoft.XMLHTTP');
	}
	
	xmlhttp.onreadystatechange = function(){
		if(xmlhttp.readyState == 4 && xmlhttp.status == 200){
			document.getElementById("hint").innerHTML = xmlhttp.responseText;
		}
	}
	xmlhttp.open('GET','toonklant.php?name=', true);
	xmlhttp.send();
}

[Logic Ali]

     if(customer== ""){
        document.getElementById('customerInfo').innerHTML = "";
        return;
    }

In this code, Why is the RETURN there? It doesn't work without the return, and it doesn't matter if i put return false, or return true

It's just a cheap and unclear way of aborting the function if the required data hasn't been passed.

Having said that, this code seems to be making a request without appending the required data:

    xmlhttp.open('GET','toonklant.php?name=', true);

[notflip]

I copy pasted before the code was ready =) thanks for the response..

what would be a good way to abort the function if false? thanks!

[Logic Ali]

what would be a good way to abort the function if false? thanks!

In this case, don't allow the function to be called without a parameter.