Advanced JavaScript Functions

Enhance your coding skills and take your projects to the next level with our expert guidance. Master the art of JavaScript functions and improve your codebase.

Java Script
Laravel Schema 1 year ago · 7 min read
Advanced JavaScript Functions

We all work hard to create high-quality, effective, maintainable, and readable code as web developers. The capacity to create complex functions is one of a JavaScript developer's most effective weapons. We'll explore some advanced JavaScript functions in this article to help you write more effective, high-quality code.

Greater-Order Operations
Functions that return another function as a result or accept additional functions as parameters are referred to as higher-order functions. They are effective instruments for writing composable and reusable programming. They give us the ability to create functions that can be altered at runtime to carry out various tasks. Filtering, sorting, and mapping arrays are just a few examples of the many operations that may be performed with higher-order functions.

Example :

const numbers = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6];
const filteredNumbers = numbers.filter((number) => number % 2 === 0);
console.log(filteredNumbers); // [2, 4, 6]

The filter function, which accepts a callback function as a parameter, is used in this situation. Every element in the array is put through a test by the callback function, which determines whether it belongs in the filtered array or not and returns true or false accordingly.


Closures
When an outside function returns, a closure continues to have access to variables in its outer lexical scope. The creation of private variables, functions, and factory functions that produce other functions can all be accomplished via closures.
As an illustration, suppose you wish to develop a function that adds a certain number to a value while keeping the value private. You may end with something like this:

function addNumberFactory(initialValue) {
  let value = initialValue;
  
  return function addNumber(number) {
    value += number;
    return value;
  }
}

const addFive = addNumberFactory(5);
console.log(addFive(2)); // 7
console.log(addFive(3)); // 10

Here, we construct an addNumberFactory function that accepts a starting value and produces a brand-new function that multiplies the starting value by a specified number. Even after the addNumberFactory method has returned, the returning function still has access to the value variable.

Currying
Currying is a method for breaking down a function that takes several arguments into a series of functions that only take one argument each. Currying can be used to make functions more composable and modular.
Consider a function that adds two numbers, for instance:

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

console.log(add(2, 3)); // 5

You could carry this function like this:

function add(a) {
  return function(b) {
    return a + b;
  }
}

const addTwo = add(2);
console.log(addTwo(3)); // 5

As web developers, we all strive to write high-quality code that is efficient, maintainable, and easy to read. One of the most powerful tools in a JavaScript developer's arsenal is the ability to write advanced functions. In this article, we'll dive into some advanced JavaScript functions that can help improve your code quality and make your code more efficient.

  1. Higher-Order Functions Higher-order functions are functions that take other functions as arguments or return a function as a result. They are powerful tools for creating reusable and composable code. They enable us to write functions that can be customized at runtime to perform different tasks. Higher-order functions can be used for a variety of tasks, including filtering, sorting, and mapping arrays.

For example, let's say you have an array of numbers and you want to filter out all the even numbers. You could use a higher-order function like this:

const numbers = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]; const filteredNumbers = numbers.filter((number) => number % 2 === 0); console.log(filteredNumbers); // [2, 4, 6] 

Here, we use the filter function, which takes a callback function as an argument. The callback function tests each element in the array and returns true or false depending on whether the element should be included in the filtered array.

  1. Closures A closure is a function that has access to variables in its outer lexical scope, even after the outer function has returned. Closures are useful for creating private variables and functions, and for creating factory functions that generate other functions.

For example, let's say you want to create a function that adds a given number to a value, but you want to keep the value private. You could use a closure like this:

function addNumberFactory(initialValue) { let value = initialValue; return function addNumber(number) { value += number; return value; } } const addFive = addNumberFactory(5); console.log(addFive(2)); // 7 console.log(addFive(3)); // 10 

Here, we define a addNumberFactory a function that takes an initial value and returns a new function that adds a given number to the initial value. The returned function has access to the value variable in the addNumberFactory function, even after the addNumberFactory the function has returned.

  1. Currying is a technique where a function with multiple arguments is transformed into a sequence of functions that each take a single argument. Currying can be used to create functions that are more modular and composable.

For example, let's say you have a function that adds two numbers:

function add(a, b) { return a + b; } console.log(add(2, 3)); // 5 

You could carry this function like this:

function add(a) { return function(b) { return a + b; } } const addTwo = add(2); console.log(addTwo(3)); // 5 

Here, we define a add the function that takes a single argument a and returns a new function that takes a single argument b and returns the sum of a and b. We then create a new function addTwo bypassing 2 as the argument to the add function. The addTwo the function takes a single argument b and returns the sum of 2 and b.

  1. Memoization is a technique where the results of a function are cached based 

    on its inputs so that the function doesn't have to be reevaluated every time it is called with the same inputs. Memoization can be used to optimize functions that are computationally expensive or that perform complex calculations.

    For example, let's say you have a function that calculates the factorial of a given number: 

function factorial(n) {
  if (n === 0 || n === 1) {
    return 1;
  }
  
  return n * factorial(n - 1);
}

console.log(factorial(5)); // 120

This function works, but it has to recompute the factorials of smaller numbers every time it is called with a larger number. We can use memoization to optimize this function like this:

function memoize(fn) {
  const cache = {};
  
  return function(...args) {
    if (args in cache) {
      return cache[args];
    }
    
    const result = fn.apply(this, args);
    cache[args] = result;
    return result;
  }
}

const memoizedFactorial = memoize(factorial);
console.log(memoizedFactorial(5)); // 120

function double(x) {
  return x * 2;
}

function square(x) {
  return x * x;
}

You can compose these functions to create a new function that doubles a number and then squares it:

function compose(...fns) {
  return function(x) {
    return fns.reduceRight((acc, fn) => fn(acc), x);
  }
}

const doubleAndSquare = compose(square, double);
console.log(doubleAndSquare(5)); // 100

Here, we define a compose the function that takes one or more functions as arguments and returns a new function that is the composition of those functions. The new function applies the functions from right to left, passing the result of each function as the argument to the next function.