What is the return value of a shell script after successful execution?

In shell scripting, the return value of a script indicates its exit status, which provides information about how the execution completed. A return value of 0 signifies that the script executed successfully without any errors. This convention is standard across many programming and scripting languages, where 0 typically represents a successful operation, while any other value indicates an error or specific exit condition.

The use of a return value of 0 allows for easy handling and automation of scripts, as other scripts or commands can check the exit status to ensure that the previous command completed successfully before proceeding with additional tasks. This makes troubleshooting and managing complex tasks much more efficient, as users can quickly identify successful executions versus failures.

Thus, the correct answer is 0, reflecting a successful execution of the shell script.