Functions

Quite often we need to perform a similar action in many places of the script.

For example, we need to show a nice-looking message when a visitor logs in, logs out and
maybe somewhere else.

Functions are the main “building blocks” of the program. They allow the code to be called
many times without repetition.

We’ve already seen examples of built-in functions, like alert(message), prompt(message,

default) and confirm(question). But we can create functions of our own as well.

Function Declaration
To create a function we can use a function declaration.

It looks like this:

function showMessage() {
alert( 'Hello everyone!' );
}
The function keyword goes first, then goes the name of the function, then a list
of parameters between the parentheses (comma-separated, empty in the example above) and
finally the code of the function, also named “the function body”, between curly braces.

function name(parameters) {
...body...
}
Our new function can be called by its name: showMessage().

For instance:

function showMessage() {
alert( 'Hello everyone!' );
}
showMessage();
showMessage();
The call showMessage() executes the code of the function. Here we will see the message two
times.

This example clearly demonstrates one of the main purposes of functions: to avoid code
duplication.

If we ever need to change the message or the way it is shown, it’s enough to modify the code
in one place: the function which outputs it.

Local variables
A variable declared inside a function is only visible inside that function.

For example:

function showMessage() {
let message = "Hello, I'm JavaScript!"; // local variable

alert( message );
}

showMessage(); // Hello, I'm JavaScript!

alert( message ); // <-- Error! The variable is local to the function

Outer variables
A function can access an outer variable as well, for example:

let userName = 'John';

function showMessage() {
let message = 'Hello, ' + userName;
alert(message);
}

showMessage(); // Hello, John

The function has full access to the outer variable. It can modify it as well.

For instance:
 let userName = 'John';

function showMessage() {
userName = "Bob"; // (1) changed the outer variable

let message = 'Hello, ' + userName;

alert(message);
}

alert( userName ); // John before the function call

showMessage();

alert( userName ); // Bob, the value was modified by the function

The outer variable is only used if there’s no local one.

If a same-named variable is declared inside the function then it shadows the outer one. For
instance, in the code below the function uses the local userName. The outer one is ignored:
let userName = 'John';

function showMessage() {
let userName = "Bob"; // declare a local variable

let message = 'Hello, ' + userName; // Bob

alert(message);
}

// the function will create and use its own userName

showMessage();

alert( userName ); // John, unchanged, the function did not access the outer
variable
Global variables
Variables declared outside of any function, such as the outer userName in the code above, are
called global.

Global variables are visible from any function (unless shadowed by locals).

It’s a good practice to minimize the use of global variables. Modern code has few or no globals.
Most variables reside in their functions. Sometimes though, they can be useful to store project-
level data.

Parameters
We can pass arbitrary data to functions using parameters (also called function arguments) .

In the example below, the function has two parameters: from and text.

function showMessage(from, text) { // arguments:

from, text
alert(from + ': ' + text);
}

showMessage('Ann', 'Hello!'); // Ann: Hello! (*)

showMessage('Ann', "What's up?"); // Ann: What's up? (**)
When the function is called in lines (*) and (**), the given values are copied to local
variables from and text. Then the function uses them.

Here’s one more example: we have a variable from and pass it to the function. Please note: the
function changes from, but the change is not seen outside, because a function always gets a
copy of the value:

function showMessage(from, text) {

 from = '*' + from + '*'; // make "from" look nicer

alert( from + ': ' + text );

}

let from = "Ann";

showMessage(from, "Hello"); // *Ann*: Hello

// the value of "from" is the same, the function modified a local copy
alert( from ); // Ann

Default values
If a parameter is not provided, then its value becomes undefined.

For instance, the aforementioned function showMessage(from, text) can be called with a
single argument:

showMessage("Ann");
That’s not an error. Such a call would output "Ann: undefined". There’s no text, so it’s
assumed that text === undefined.

If we want to use a “default” text in this case, then we can specify it after =:

function showMessage(from,
text = "no text given") {
alert( from + ": " + text );
}

showMessage("Ann"); // Ann: no text given

Now if the text parameter is not passed, it will get the value "no text given"

Here "no text given" is a string, but it can be a more complex expression, which is only
evaluated and assigned if the parameter is missing. So, this is also possible:

function showMessage(from, text = anotherFunction()) {

// anotherFunction() only executed if no text given
// its result becomes the value of text
}
Evaluation of default parameters
In JavaScript, a default parameter is evaluated every time the function is called without the
respective parameter.

In the example above, anotherFunction() is called every time showMessage() is called without
the text parameter.
Alternative default parameters

Sometimes it makes sense to set default values for parameters not in the function declaration,
but at a later stage, during its execution.

To check for an omitted parameter, we can compare it with undefined:

function showMessage(text) {
if (text === undefined) {
text = 'empty message';
}

alert(text);
}

showMessage(); // empty message

…Or we could use the || operator:

// if text parameter is omitted or "" is passed, set it to 'empty'

function showMessage(text) {
text = text || 'empty';
...
}
Modern JavaScript engines support the nullish coalescing operator ??, it’s better when falsy
values, such as 0, are considered regular:

// if there's no "count" parameter, show "unknown"

function showCount(count) {
alert(count ?? "unknown");
}

showCount(0); // 0
showCount(null); // unknown
showCount(); // unknown

Returning a value
A function can return a value back into the calling code as the result.
The simplest example would be a function that sums two values:

function sum(a, b) {
return a + b;
}

let result = sum(1, 2);

alert( result ); // 3
The directive return can be in any place of the function. When the execution reaches it, the
function stops, and the value is returned to the calling code (assigned to result above).

There may be many occurrences of return in a single function. For instance:

function checkAge(age) {
if (age >= 18) {
return true;
} else {
return confirm('Do you have permission from your parents?');
}
}

let age = prompt('How old are you?', 18);

if ( checkAge(age) ) {
alert( 'Access granted' );
} else {
alert( 'Access denied' );
}
It is possible to use return without a value. That causes the function to exit immediately.
For example:

function showMovie(age) {
if ( !checkAge(age) ) {
return;
}

alert( "Showing you the movie" ); // (*)

// ...
}
In the code above, if checkAge(age) returns false, then showMovie won’t proceed to
the alert.

A function with an empty return or without it returns undefined

If a function does not return a value, it is the same as if it returns undefined:

function doNothing() { /* empty */ }

alert( doNothing() === undefined ); // true

An empty return is also the same as return undefined:

function doNothing() {
return;
}

alert( doNothing() === undefined ); // true

Never add a newline between return and the value
For a long expression in return, it might be tempting to put it on a separate line, like this:

return
(some + long + expression + or + whatever * f(a) + f(b))
That doesn’t work, because JavaScript assumes a semicolon after return. That’ll work the same
as:

return;
(some + long + expression + or + whatever * f(a) + f(b))
So, it effectively becomes an empty return.

If we want the returned expression to wrap across multiple lines, we should start it at the same
line as return. Or at least put the opening parentheses there as follows:

return (
 some + long + expression
+ or +
whatever * f(a) + f(b)
)
And it will work just as we expect it to.

Naming a function
Functions are actions. So their name is usually a verb. It should be brief, as accurate as possible
and describe what the function does, so that someone reading the code gets an indication of
what the function does.

It is a widespread practice to start a function with a verbal prefix which vaguely describes the
action. There must be an agreement within the team on the meaning of the prefixes.

For instance, functions that start with "show" usually show something.

Function starting with…

 "get…" – return a value,

 "calc…" – calculate something,
 "create…" – create something,
 "check…" – check something and return a boolean, etc.

Examples of such names:

showMessage(..) // shows a message

getAge(..) // returns the age (gets it somehow)
calcSum(..) // calculates a sum and returns the result
createForm(..) // creates a form (and usually returns it)
checkPermission(..) // checks a permission, returns true/false
With prefixes in place, a glance at a function name gives an understanding what kind of work it
does and what kind of value it returns.

One function – one action

A function should do exactly what is suggested by its name, no more.

Two independent actions usually deserve two functions, even if they are usually called together
(in that case we can make a 3rd function that calls those two).

A few examples of breaking this rule:

 getAge – would be bad if it shows an alert with the age (should only get).
 createForm – would be bad if it modifies the document, adding a form to it (should only
create it and return).
 checkPermission – would be bad if it displays the access granted/denied message
(should only perform the check and return the result).
These examples assume common meanings of prefixes. You and your team are free to agree on
other meanings, but usually they’re not much different. In any case, you should have a firm
understanding of what a prefix means, what a prefixed function can and cannot do. All same-
prefixed functions should obey the rules. And the team should share the knowledge.
Ultrashort function names
Functions that are used very often sometimes have ultrashort names.

For example, the jQuery framework defines a function with $. The Lodash library has its core
function named _.

These are exceptions. Generally functions names should be concise and descriptive.

Functions == Comments
Functions should be short and do exactly one thing. If that thing is big, maybe it’s worth it to
split the function into a few smaller functions. Sometimes following this rule may not be that
easy, but it’s definitely a good thing.

A separate function is not only easier to test and debug – its very existence is a great comment!

For instance, compare the two functions showPrimes(n) below. Each one outputs prime
numbers up to n.

The first variant uses a label:

function showPrimes(n) {
nextPrime: for (let i = 2; i < n; i++) {

for (let j = 2; j < i; j++) {

if (i % j == 0) continue nextPrime;
}

alert( i ); // a prime
}
}
The second variant uses an additional function isPrime(n) to test for primality:

function showPrimes(n) {

for (let i = 2; i < n; i++) {

if (!isPrime(i)) continue;
 alert(i); // a prime
}
}

function isPrime(n) {
for (let i = 2; i < n; i++) {
if ( n % i == 0) return false;
}
return true;
}
The second variant is easier to understand, isn’t it? Instead of the code piece we see a name of
the action (isPrime). Sometimes people refer to such code as self-describing.

So, functions can be created even if we don’t intend to reuse them. They structure the code
and make it readable.

Summary
A function declaration looks like this:

function name(parameters, delimited, by, comma) {

/* code */
}
 Values passed to a function as parameters are copied to its local variables.
 A function may access outer variables. But it works only from inside out. The code outside of
the function doesn’t see its local variables.
 A function can return a value. If it doesn’t, then its result is undefined.

To make the code clean and easy to understand, it’s recommended to use mainly local
variables and parameters in the function, not outer variables.

It is always easier to understand a function which gets parameters, works with them and returns
a result than a function which gets no parameters, but modifies outer variables as a side-effect.

Function naming:

 A name should clearly describe what the function does. When we see a function call in the
code, a good name instantly gives us an understanding what it does and returns.
 A function is an action, so function names are usually verbal.
 There exist many well-known function prefixes like create…, show…, get…, check… and so on.
Use them to hint what a function does.

Functions are the main building blocks of scripts. Now we’ve covered the basics, so we actually
can start creating and using them. But that’s only the beginning of the path. We are going to
return to them many times, going more deeply into their advanced features.
Tasks
Is "else" required?
importance: 4
The following function returns true if the parameter age is greater than 18.

Otherwise it asks for a confirmation and returns its result:

function checkAge(age) {
if (age > 18) {
return true;
} else {
// ...
return confirm('Did parents allow you?');
}
}

Will the function work differently if else is removed?

function checkAge(age) {
if (age > 18) {
 return true;
}
// ...
return confirm('Did parents allow you?');
}

Is there any difference in the behavior of these two variants?

Solution
No difference.
Rewrite the function using '?' or '||'
importance: 4
The following function returns true if the parameter age is greater than 18.

Otherwise it asks for a confirmation and returns its result.

function checkAge(age) {
if (age > 18) {
return true;
} else {
return confirm('Did parents allow you?');
}
}

Rewrite it, to perform the same, but without if, in a single line.

Make two variants of checkAge:

1. Using a question mark operator ?

2. Using OR ||
Solution
Function min(a, b)
importance: 1
Write a function min(a,b) which returns the least of two numbers a and b.

For instance:

min(2, 5) == 2
min(3, -1) == -1
min(1, 1) == 1
solution
Function pow(x,n)
importance: 4
Write a function pow(x,n) that returns x in power n. Or, in other words, multiplies x by
itself n times and returns the result.

pow(3, 2) = 3 * 3 = 9
pow(3, 3) = 3 * 3 * 3 = 27
pow(1, 100) = 1 * 1 * ...* 1 = 1

Create a web-page that prompts for x and n, and then shows the result of pow(x,n).

Run the demo

P.S. In this task the function should support only natural values of n: integers up from 1.

solution
function pow(x, n) {
let result = x;
 for (let i = 1; i < n; i++) {
result *= x;
}

return result;
}

let x = prompt("x?", '');

let n = prompt("n?", '');

if (n < 1) {
alert(`Power ${n} is not supported, use a positive integer`);
} else {
alert( pow(x, n) );
}