Difference between linux exit 1 vs false command

Question

IN RPM installation i am using false command (in pre section) in case the rpm is already install. Despite executing false command , the rpm installation continues. But when i use "exit 1" , RPM installation fails.

Just want to know why "false" command is unable to stop execution.

Answer 1

false command just sets an exit code of 1 like this

$ false
$ echo $?
1
$

The script has to decide on what to do with this exit code, eg to stop execution with an exit $? . (Be careful $? always contains the exit code of the last executed command. After echo $? it contains the exit code of the echo command...)

Most time I use false only as a place holder while writing scripts or testing/debugging branches in scripts