True or False: The RETURN statement can have the custom function return multiple values.

The RETURN statement in SAS functions is designed to return a single value and is fundamentally limited in that respect. When a function is called, it executes code and computes a result; the RETURN statement conveys that result back to the caller. Unlike some programming languages that allow returning multiple values, SAS maintains a one-value-return policy with its RETURN statement.

In practice, if there is a need to return multiple pieces of data from a function, they would typically be returned as part of a data structure—such as an observation in a dataset, using a macro variable, or through global variables—rather than through a RETURN statement. This is a key aspect of effective coding in SAS, as it encourages proper structuring of data into datasets or using arrays when multiple values need to be managed together.

Considering the context, some might mistakenly think it can return multiple values either due to misunderstanding how RETURN works or because they may confuse it with features available in other programming languages. However, in SAS, the premise holds that a function defined with a RETURN statement can only yield a single value upon execution.