Functions

Mohammed Ali - Sep 5 - - Dev Community

Intro to Fns:

Fundamental building blocks of the language.
Most essential concepts.
Fn - piece of code which can be used again and again.
{Invoking, Running, Calling} a Fn all mean the same.
Fn - can take data as arguments, return data as result after computation.
Fn call is replaced by the result returned from it after execution.
Fns are perfect for implementing DRY principle
Arguments are passed, parameters are placeholder which receives values passed to fn.

Fn declaration vs expression:

Fn declaration begins with fn keyword.
Fn expression are anonymous fn, stored inside a variable. Then that variable which stores the fn act as a fn.
The anonymous fn defn is an expression, and the expression produces a value. Fn are just values.
Fn are not a String, Number type. Its a value, hence can be stored in a variable.
Fn declaration can be called even before they are defined in the code i.e they are hoised. This doesn't work with Fn expression.
Fn expression forces the user to define fns first, then use them later. Everything is stored inside variables.
Both have their place in JS, hence needs to be mastered properly.
Fn expression = essentially a fn value stored in a variable

Arrow Fn came with ES6

Implicit return for one-liner, for multiple lines explicit return is needed.
Arrow fns don't get 'this' keyword of their own
Learning is not an a linear process, knowledge builds up in an incremental way gradually. You cannot learn everything about a thing in one go.

## Default parameters
const bookings = [];

const createBooking = function(flightNum, numPassengers=1, price= 100 * numPassengers){
  // It will work for parameters defined before in the list like numPassengers is defined before its used in expression of next argument else it won't work.
  // Arguments cannot be skipped also with this method. If you want to skip an argument, then manually pass undefined value for it which is equivalent to skipping an argument
  /* Setting default values pre-ES6 days.
  numPassengers = numPassengers || 1;
  price = price || 199;*/

// Using enhanced object literal, where if same property name & value is there, just write them once as shown below.
  const booking = {
    flightNum,
    numPassengers,
    price,
  };

  console.log(booking);
  bookings.push(booking);
}

createBooking('AI123');
/*
{
  flightNum: 'AI123',
  numPassengers: 1,
  price: 100
}
*/ 

createBooking('IN523',7);
/*
{
  flightNum: 'IN523',
  numPassengers: 7,
  price: 700
}
*/ 

createBooking('SJ523',5);
/*
{
  flightNum: 'SJ523',
  numPassengers: 5,
  price: 500
} 
*/ 

createBooking('AA523',undefined, 100000);
/*
{
  flightNum: 'AA523',
  numPassengers: 1,
  price: 100000
}
*/ 
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Calling one fn from inside another fn:

Very common technique to suport DRY principle.
Supports maintainability
return immediately exits the fn
return = to output a value from the fn, terminate the execution
Three ways of writing fn, but all work in a similar way i.e Input, Computation, Output
Parameters = placeholders to receive i/p values, Like local variables of a fn.

How passing arguments works i.e Value vs Reference Types

Primitives are passed by value to fn. Original value remains intact.
Objects are passed by reference to fn. Original value is changed.
JS doesn not have pass value by reference.

Interaction of different fns with same object can create trouble sometimes

Fns are first-class in JS, hence we can write HO fns.

Fns are treated as values, just another 'type' of object.
Since objects are values, fns are values too. Hence, can also be stored in variables, attached as object properties etc.
Also, fns can be passed to other fns also. Ex. event listeners-handlers.
Return from fns.
Fns are objects, and objects have their own methods-properties in JS. Hence, fn can have methods as well as properties which can be called on them. Ex call, apply, bind etc.

Higher Order Fn : Fn that receives another fn as an argument, that returns a new fn or both. Only possible because fns are first class in JS
Fn that is passed in callback fn, which will be called by HOF.

Fns that return another fn, i.e in Closures.

First class fns and HOF are different concepts.

Callback Fns Adv:
Allow us to create abstractions. Makes easier to look at larger problem.
Modularize the code into more smaller chunks to be resused.

// Example for CB & HOF:
// CB1
const oneWord = function(str){
  return str.replace(/ /g,'').toLowerCase();
};

// CB2
const upperFirstWord = function(str){
    const [first, ...others] = str.split(' ');
    return [first.toUpperCase(), ...others].join(' ');
};

// HOF
const transformer = function(str, fn){
  console.log(`Original string: ${str}`);
  console.log(`Transformed string: ${fn(str)}`);
  console.log(`Transformed by: ${fn.name}`);
};
transformer('JS is best', upperFirstWord);
transformer('JS is best', oneWord);

// JS uses callbacks all the time.
const hi5 = function(){
  console.log("Hi");
};
document.body.addEventListener('click', hi5);

// forEach will be exectued for each value in the array.
['Alpha','Beta','Gamma','Delta','Eeta'].forEach(hi5);
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Fns returning another fn.

// A fn returning another fn.
const greet = function(greeting){
  return function(name){
    console.log(`${greeting} ${name}`);
  }
}

const userGreet = greet('Hey');
userGreet("Alice");
userGreet("Lola");

// Another way to call
greet('Hello')("Lynda");

// Closures are widely used in Fnal programming paradigm.

// Same work using Arrow Fns. Below is one arrow fn returning another arrow fn.
const greetArr = greeting => name => console.log(`${greeting} ${name}`);

greetArr('Hola')('Roger');
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"You will only progress once you understand a certain topic thoroughly"

call(), apply(), bind():

Used to set 'this' keyword by explicitly setting its value.
call - takes a list of arguments after the value of 'this' keyword.
apply - takes an array of arguments after the value of 'this' keyword. It will take elements from that array, and pass it into functions.

bind(): This method creates a new function with the this keyword bound to the specified object. The new function retains the this context set by .bind() no matter how the function is invoked.

call() and apply(): These methods call a function with a specified this value and arguments. The difference between them is that .call() takes arguments as a list, while .apply() takes arguments as an array.

const lufthansa = {
  airline: 'Lufthansa',
  iataCode: 'LH',
  bookings: [],
  book(flightNum, name){
    console.log(`${name} booked a seat on ${this.airline} flight ${this.iataCode} ${flightNum}`);
    this.bookings.push({flight: `${this.iataCode} ${flightNum}`, name});
  },
};

lufthansa.book(4324,'James Bond');
lufthansa.book(5342,'Julie Bond');
lufthansa;


const eurowings = {
  airline: 'Eurowings',
  iataCode: 'EW',
  bookings: [],
};

// Now for the second flight eurowings, we want to use book method, but we shouldn't repeat the code written inside lufthansa object.

// "this" depends on how fn is actually called.
// In a regular fn call, this keyword points to undefined.
// book stores the copy of book method defuned inside the lufthansa object.
const book = lufthansa.book;

// Doesn't work
// book(23, 'Sara Williams');

// first argument is whatever we want 'this' object to point to.
// We invoked the .call() which inturn invoked the book method with 'this' set to eurowings 
// after the first argument, all following arguments are for fn.
book.call(eurowings, 23, 'Sara Williams');
eurowings;

book.call(lufthansa, 735, 'Peter Parker');
lufthansa;

const swiss = {
  airline: 'Swiss Airlines',
  iataCode: 'LX',
  bookings: []
}

// call()
book.call(swiss, 252, 'Joney James');

// apply()
const flightData = [652, 'Mona Lisa'];
book.apply(swiss, flightData);

// Below call() syntax is equivalent to above .apply() syntax. It spreads out the arguments from the array.
book.call(swiss, ...flightData);


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