stopping default action using "return false" not recommended?

[winterheat]

i think conventional usage of Javascript is to use "return false" to stop the default action, be it a form for submit, a link, or a text input field.

when nothing is returned or when true is returned, then the default action is taken.

example like on http://www.0011.com/test/test_return_false.html

however, i found that this is not so widely mentioned or documented in some books. such as in Professional Javascript by Nicholas Zakas (2005) p. 278, he recommends using

oEvent.returnValue = false; // for IE

and

oEvent.preventDefault(); // for Firefox

(i don't have a copy of Javascript Definitive Guide with me right now... so I wonder if it documents returning false and true or not).

why not just use return false or true to do that? won't that work in almost all browsers?

[Wrighty]

As far as I know return false works in all Browsers. It's standards. As for coding for IE & FF - I'm not one to do that, I prefer to code DOM and thus it should be CB instead of adding an extra line. I would continue using return false if I were you! :-/

[joebert]

If you don't have multiple event listeners, (addEventListener/attachEvent, not onEvent) some of which should not execute depending on the outcome of others, then "return false" is fine.