AJAX output w/o using echo

[eluser]flackend[/eluser]
Is there a way to return data to your view (using AJAX) from the controller without using echo?

Code:

function getsomething() {

    $this->load->model('data');

    // Is there a way to return data
    // without using echo?
    echo $this->data->querySomething($this->input->post('something'));
}

Code:

$.ajax({
    type: 'POST',
    data: {
        'something': something
    },
    url: base_url +'/controller/getsomething',
    success: function(data) {

        // Also, why does '0' evaluate
        // to TRUE without the
        // parseInt()?
        if(parseInt(data))
            conosole.log(data);
    }
});