VBScript variable loses its content?

I have the following code. What it does is that it reads all key , vlaues from a properties开发者_C百科 file.

Function readProperties(fileName)
    Dim oFS : Set oFS = CreateObject( "Scripting.FileSystemObject" )
    Dim dicProps : Set dicProps = CreateObject( "Scripting.Dictionary" )
    Dim oTS : Set oTS = oFS.OpenTextFile( fileName )
        Do Until oTS.AtEndOfStream
            Dim sLine : sLine = Trim( oTS.ReadLine )
            'Wscript.Echo sLine
            If ""  sLine Then
                If not "#" = Left( sLine, 1 ) Then

                    Dim aParts : aParts = Split( sLine, "=" )
                    If 1  UBound( aParts ) Then
                        WScript.Echo oTS.Line, "bad property line", sLine
                    Else
                    'Wscript.Echo "Adding: " & aParts( 0 ) &" => " & aParts( 1 )
                        dicProps( Trim( aParts( 0 ) ) )  = Trim( aParts( 1 ) ) 
                    'WScript.Echo oTS.Line, "good property line",  sLine
                    End If

                End If
            End If
        Loop
    oTS.Close

    'readProperties = dicProps

    Dim sKey
    For Each sKey In dicProps.Keys
        WScript.Echo sKey, "=>", dicProps( sKey )
    Next
End Function

The weird thing is that if I assign the value of dicProps to readProperties, the code does not work anymore.

Am I missing something in this?

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Use

Set readProperties = dicProps

You alway have to use Set when working with objects.

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(Not enough points to comment, so posting as an answer instead)

Let me try to summarize the correct but a bit messy answers from above:

• When working with objects, the preferred syntax is Set objVar2 = objVar1, whereas scalars are assigned with Var2 = Var1. BASIC dialects dropped the once required Let (Let Var2 = Var1) for variable value assignment.

• When returning a value from a method (Function), the syntax is FunctionName = Result, following the rules of variable type assignment, i.e.

  Function MyObject() ' Assign an object as the return value Set MyObject = Result End Function

  Function MyScalar() ' Assign a scalar as the return value MyScalar = Result End Function