How to save a return value from function

I am trying to use the return value from a function, but I don't know how to save it inside a variable.

I tried this

$j = return array_slice($rows, 0, $items);
but it didn't work


Right at the end of the code is return array_slice($rows, 0, $items);
Is this value being saved inside a variable in the code provided? if not, how can I save it?

The code is
defined('_JEXEC') or die('Restricted access');



require_once (JPATH_SITE . '/components/com_content/helpers/route.php');



class modYOOcarouselHelper

{

function renderItem(&$item, &$params, &$access)

{

global $mainframe;



$user =& JFactory::getUser();



$item->text = $item->introtext;

$item->groups = '';

$item->readmore = (trim($item->fulltext) != '');

$item->metadesc = '';

$item->metakey = '';

$item->access = '';

$item->created = '';

$item->modified = '';



if ($params->get('readmore'))

{

// Check to see if the user has access to view the full article

if ($item->access <= $user->get('aid', 0)) {

$linkOn = JRoute::_(ContentHelperRoute::getArticleRoute($item->slug, $item->catslug, $item->sectionid));

} else {

$linkOn = JRoute::_('index.php?option=com_user&task=register');

}

$item->linkOn = $linkOn;

}



require(JModuleHelper::getLayoutPath('mod_yoo_carousel', '_item'));

}



function getList(&$params, &$access)

{

global $mainframe;



$db =& JFactory::getDBO();

$user =& JFactory::getUser();

$aid = $user->get('aid', 0);



$catid = (int) $params->get('catid', 0);

$items = (int) $params->get('items', 0);

$order = $params->get('order', 'o_asc');



$contentConfig = &JComponentHelper::getParams( 'com_content' );

$noauth = !$contentConfig->get('shownoauth');



$nullDate = $db->getNullDate();

jimport('joomla.utilities.date');

$date = new JDate();

$now = $date->toMySQL();



// Ordering

switch ($order) {

case 'm_dsc':

$ordering = 'a.modified DESC, a.created DESC';

break;

case 'h_dsc':

$ordering = 'a.hits DESC, a.created DESC';

break;

case 'c_dsc':

$ordering = 'a.created DESC';

break;

case 'o_asc':

default:

$ordering = 'a.ordering';

break;

}



// Query to determine article count

$query = 'SELECT a.*,' .

' CASE WHEN CHAR_LENGTH(a.alias) THEN CONCAT_WS(":", a.id, a.alias) ELSE a.id END as slug,'.

' CASE WHEN CHAR_LENGTH(cc.name) THEN CONCAT_WS(":", cc.id, cc.name) ELSE cc.id END as catslug'.

' FROM #__content AS a' .

' INNER JOIN #__categories AS cc ON cc.id = a.catid' .

' INNER JOIN #__sections AS s ON s.id = a.sectionid' .

' WHERE a.state = 1 ' .

($noauth ? ' AND a.access <= ' .(int) $aid. ' AND cc.access <= ' .(int) $aid. ' AND s.access <= ' .(int) $aid : '').

' AND (a.publish_up = "'.$nullDate.'" OR a.publish_up <= "'.$now.'" ) ' .

' AND (a.publish_down = "'.$nullDate.'" OR a.publish_down >= "'.$now.'" )' .

' AND cc.id = '. $catid .

' AND cc.section = s.id' .

' AND cc.published = 1' .

' AND s.published = 1' .

' ORDER BY ' . $ordering;

$db->setQuery($query);

$rows = $db->loadObjectList();

if ($order == 'rnd') shuffle($rows);



return array_slice($rows, 0, $items);

}

}

You need to create an instance of the class "modYOOcarouselHelper" then call the class->get_list function

You need to create an instance of the class "modYOOcarouselHelper" then call the class->get_list function

so something on the lines of:

$j = modYOOcarouselHelper::getList($params, $access);

and should i replace getList function with the array_slice function?