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Why can functions be called using `` operator in JavaScript? [duplicate]

I'm not sure how to explain this, but when I run
console.log`1`
In google chrome, I get output like
console.log`1`
VM12380:2 ["1", raw: Array[1]]
Why is the backtick calling the log function, and why is it making a index of raw: Array[1]?
Question brought up in the JS room by Catgocat, but no answers made sense besides something about templating strings that didn't really fit why this is happening.

It is called Tagged Template in ES-6 more could be read about them Here, funny I found the link in the starred section of the very chat.
But the relevant part of the code is below (you can basically create a filtered sort).
function tag(strings, ...values) {
assert(strings[0] === 'a');
assert(strings[1] === 'b');
assert(values[0] === 42);
return 'whatever';
}
tag `a${ 42 }b` // "whatever"
Basically, its merely tagging the "1" with console.log function, as it would do with any other function. The tagging functions accept parsed values of template strings and the values separately upon which further tasks can be performed.
Babel transpiles the above code to
var _taggedTemplateLiteralLoose = function (strings, raw) { strings.raw = raw; return strings; };
console.log(_taggedTemplateLiteralLoose(["1"], ["1"]));
As you can see it in the example above, after being transpiled by babel, the tagging function (console.log) is being passed the return value of the following es6->5 transpiled code.
_taggedTemplateLiteralLoose( ["1"], ["1"] );
The return value of this function is passed to console.log which will then print the array.

Tagged template literal:
The following syntax:
function`your template ${foo}`;
Is called the tagged template literal.
The function which is called as a tagged template literal receives the its arguments in the following manner:
function taggedTemplate(strings, arg1, arg2, arg3, arg4) {
console.log(strings);
console.log(arg1, arg2, arg3, arg4);
}
taggedTemplate`a${1}b${2}c${3}`;
The first argument is an array of all the individual string characters
The remaining argument correspond with the values of the variables which we receive via string interpolation. Notice in the example that there is no value for arg4 (because there are only 3 times string interpolation) and thus undefined is logged when we try to log arg4
Using the rest parameter syntax:
If we don't know beforehand how many times string interpolation will take place in the template string it is often useful to use the rest parameter syntax. This syntax stores the remaining arguments which the function receives into an array. For example:
function taggedTemplate(strings, ...rest) {
console.log(rest);
}
taggedTemplate `a${1}b${2}c${3}`;
taggedTemplate `a${1}b${2}c${3}d${4}`;

Late to the party but, TBH, none of the answers give an explanation to 50% of the original question ("why the raw: Array[1]")
1. Why is it possible to call the function without parenthesis, using backticks?
console.log`1`
As others have pointed out, this is called Tagged Template (more details also here).
Using this syntax, the function will receive the following arguments:
First argument: an array containing the different parts of the string that are not expressions.
Rest of arguments: each of the values that are being interpolated (ie. those which are expressions).
Basically, the following are 'almost' equivalent:
// Tagged Template
fn`My uncle ${uncleName} is ${uncleAge} years old!`
// function call
fn(["My uncle ", " is ", " years old!"], uncleName, uncleAge);
(see point 2. to understand why they're not exactly the same)
2. Why the ["1", raw: Array[1]] ???
The array being passed as the first argument contains a property raw, wich allows accessing the raw strings as they were entered (without processing escape sequences).
Example use case:
let fileName = "asdf";
fn`In the folder C:\Documents\Foo, create a new file ${fileName}`
function fn(a, ...rest) {
console.log(a); //In the folder C:DocumentsFoo, create a new file
console.log(a.raw); //In the folder C:\Documents\Foo, create a new file
}
What, an array with a property ??? ???
Yes, since JavaScript arrays are actually objects, they can store properties.
Example:
const arr = [1, 2, 3];
arr.property = "value";
console.log(arr); //[1, 2, 3, property: "value"]

functionName`string` - what does the syntax work? [duplicate]

I'm not sure how to explain this, but when I run
console.log`1`
In google chrome, I get output like
console.log`1`
VM12380:2 ["1", raw: Array[1]]
Why is the backtick calling the log function, and why is it making a index of raw: Array[1]?
Question brought up in the JS room by Catgocat, but no answers made sense besides something about templating strings that didn't really fit why this is happening.

It is called Tagged Template in ES-6 more could be read about them Here, funny I found the link in the starred section of the very chat.
But the relevant part of the code is below (you can basically create a filtered sort).
function tag(strings, ...values) {
assert(strings[0] === 'a');
assert(strings[1] === 'b');
assert(values[0] === 42);
return 'whatever';
}
tag `a${ 42 }b` // "whatever"
Basically, its merely tagging the "1" with console.log function, as it would do with any other function. The tagging functions accept parsed values of template strings and the values separately upon which further tasks can be performed.
Babel transpiles the above code to
var _taggedTemplateLiteralLoose = function (strings, raw) { strings.raw = raw; return strings; };
console.log(_taggedTemplateLiteralLoose(["1"], ["1"]));
As you can see it in the example above, after being transpiled by babel, the tagging function (console.log) is being passed the return value of the following es6->5 transpiled code.
_taggedTemplateLiteralLoose( ["1"], ["1"] );
The return value of this function is passed to console.log which will then print the array.

Tagged template literal:
The following syntax:
function`your template ${foo}`;
Is called the tagged template literal.
The function which is called as a tagged template literal receives the its arguments in the following manner:
function taggedTemplate(strings, arg1, arg2, arg3, arg4) {
console.log(strings);
console.log(arg1, arg2, arg3, arg4);
}
taggedTemplate`a${1}b${2}c${3}`;
The first argument is an array of all the individual string characters
The remaining argument correspond with the values of the variables which we receive via string interpolation. Notice in the example that there is no value for arg4 (because there are only 3 times string interpolation) and thus undefined is logged when we try to log arg4
Using the rest parameter syntax:
If we don't know beforehand how many times string interpolation will take place in the template string it is often useful to use the rest parameter syntax. This syntax stores the remaining arguments which the function receives into an array. For example:
function taggedTemplate(strings, ...rest) {
console.log(rest);
}
taggedTemplate `a${1}b${2}c${3}`;
taggedTemplate `a${1}b${2}c${3}d${4}`;

Late to the party but, TBH, none of the answers give an explanation to 50% of the original question ("why the raw: Array[1]")
1. Why is it possible to call the function without parenthesis, using backticks?
console.log`1`
As others have pointed out, this is called Tagged Template (more details also here).
Using this syntax, the function will receive the following arguments:
First argument: an array containing the different parts of the string that are not expressions.
Rest of arguments: each of the values that are being interpolated (ie. those which are expressions).
Basically, the following are 'almost' equivalent:
// Tagged Template
fn`My uncle ${uncleName} is ${uncleAge} years old!`
// function call
fn(["My uncle ", " is ", " years old!"], uncleName, uncleAge);
(see point 2. to understand why they're not exactly the same)
2. Why the ["1", raw: Array[1]] ???
The array being passed as the first argument contains a property raw, wich allows accessing the raw strings as they were entered (without processing escape sequences).
Example use case:
let fileName = "asdf";
fn`In the folder C:\Documents\Foo, create a new file ${fileName}`
function fn(a, ...rest) {
console.log(a); //In the folder C:DocumentsFoo, create a new file
console.log(a.raw); //In the folder C:\Documents\Foo, create a new file
}
What, an array with a property ??? ???
Yes, since JavaScript arrays are actually objects, they can store properties.
Example:
const arr = [1, 2, 3];
arr.property = "value";
console.log(arr); //[1, 2, 3, property: "value"]

String.raw with a string only works without parenthesis

I know you can use template literals to supply the first parameter of a method, for instance:
const f = x => "hello ," + x;
f`world` // returns 'hello, world'
So I can somehow understand why this code works:
String.raw`bla bla`
However, I can't seem to understand why the same method call with parenthesis throws an error:
String.raw(`bla bla`)
throws: Uncaught TypeError: Cannot convert undefined or null to object
My questions are:
Why exactly the first snippet works? why can I replace parenthesis with template literals in a method call?
Why String.raw only works when it's being called this way?

... I can't seem to understand why the same method call with parenthesis throws an error
It's not the same method call.
This:
String.raw`bla blah`
...calls raw passing in the template.
But this:
String.raw(`bla blah`)
...processes the template, creating a string, and then calls raw with that string. Exactly as though you'd written:
const str = `bla blah`;
String.raw(str);
...but without the constant.
That's not the same thing at all.
Why exactly the first snippet works?
Because that's how tagged template literals work. They're their own thing.
Why String.raw only works when it's being called this way?
Because it's designed to be run as a tag function, but you're calling it like a non-tag function and not passing it the information a tag function receives when called as a tag function.
It might help if you see what a tag function receives:
function foo(strings, ...tokenValues) {
console.log("strings: ", JSON.stringify(strings));
console.log("strings.raw: ", JSON.stringify(strings.raw));
console.log("Token values (" + tokenValues.length + "):");
tokenValues.forEach((val, index) => {
console.log(`${index}: ${typeof val}: ${JSON.stringify(val)}`);
});
}
const token = "tokenValue";
const obj = {
foo: "bar",
num: Math.random()
};
foo`bla \nbla ${token} bla ${obj} done`;
Note how the function receives an array with the non-token parts of the template (the "strings"), followed by arguments with the values of each token. Also note that those values are the actual values, not strings of the values.
More about template literals and tag functions:
MDN
Exploring ES6: Template literals

Or if you want to call String.raw as a function you need to call it like this
String.raw({raw: `xyx`})
As mentioned in https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/JavaScript/Reference/Global_Objects/String/raw documentation
Two ways of calling String.raw
String.raw(callSite, ...substitutions)
String.raw`templateString`

Named array element used in function definition

Recently I discovered that this syntax works in JavaScript (Chrome 53):
function foo([param1]) { // Function argument is declared as array and param1 is used as variable? What is the name of this syntax?
console.log(param1);
}
foo(['TestParameter1']); // Case 1 - works. Output: TestParameter1
foo('TestParameter1'); // Case 2 - works??? Why? Output: TestParameter1
foo(123); // Case 3 - does not work - VM860:1 Uncaught TypeError: undefined is not a function(…)
Result => TestParameter1 // this is the result
I see that param1 can be used as variable that references item with index 0 in the first argument (declared as array).
My questions are:
1) How is this syntax named (the [param1] part that lets you use param1 as variable)?
2) Why does "Case 2" work? Is there any automatic conversion?

As #Xufox pointed out, this works because of destructuring (array destructuring, to be more specific). Your second example works because a string is an array-like object, so you get T, which is param1[0]. Numbers are not arrays (or even array-like), so the the engine fails to destructure the argument.
If you coerce your number to a string it will work:
foo((123).toString());

This seems to be destructuring as #Xufox correctly pointed out.
Function parameters can in fact have destructuring:
go to https://developer.mozilla.org/en/docs/Web/JavaScript/Reference/Operators/Destructuring_assignment
Search for this text: Pulling fields from objects passed as function parameter
Now the above shows an example of another kind of destructuring, example given below:
function userId({id}) {
return id;
}
var user = {
id: 42,
displayName: "jdoe"
};
console.log("userId: " + userId(user)); // "userId: 42"
however, I assume it applies to this as well:
function foo([param1]) {
console.log(param1);
}
Difference between integers and strings in this behaviour:
console.log('123'); //works, outputs 1, '123' = ['1', '2', '3'] of chars
console.log(['123']); //works, outputs 123
console.log([123]); //works, outputs 123
console.log(123); //error
In the above example, since strings are nothing but an array of chars, its perfectly fine that it works actually.

Exactly as said by those brilliant folks above. Here's how the computer reads it:
foo('testParamater1') = foo(['testParamater1']);
but...
foo(123) = foo([[1,2,3]);
Unfortunately for your specific use case, not the same. Sorry!

Backticks (`…`) calling a function in JavaScript

I'm not sure how to explain this, but when I run
console.log`1`
In google chrome, I get output like
console.log`1`
VM12380:2 ["1", raw: Array[1]]
Why is the backtick calling the log function, and why is it making a index of raw: Array[1]?
Question brought up in the JS room by Catgocat, but no answers made sense besides something about templating strings that didn't really fit why this is happening.

It is called Tagged Template in ES-6 more could be read about them Here, funny I found the link in the starred section of the very chat.
But the relevant part of the code is below (you can basically create a filtered sort).
function tag(strings, ...values) {
assert(strings[0] === 'a');
assert(strings[1] === 'b');
assert(values[0] === 42);
return 'whatever';
}
tag `a${ 42 }b` // "whatever"
Basically, its merely tagging the "1" with console.log function, as it would do with any other function. The tagging functions accept parsed values of template strings and the values separately upon which further tasks can be performed.
Babel transpiles the above code to
var _taggedTemplateLiteralLoose = function (strings, raw) { strings.raw = raw; return strings; };
console.log(_taggedTemplateLiteralLoose(["1"], ["1"]));
As you can see it in the example above, after being transpiled by babel, the tagging function (console.log) is being passed the return value of the following es6->5 transpiled code.
_taggedTemplateLiteralLoose( ["1"], ["1"] );
The return value of this function is passed to console.log which will then print the array.

Tagged template literal:
The following syntax:
function`your template ${foo}`;
Is called the tagged template literal.
The function which is called as a tagged template literal receives the its arguments in the following manner:
function taggedTemplate(strings, arg1, arg2, arg3, arg4) {
console.log(strings);
console.log(arg1, arg2, arg3, arg4);
}
taggedTemplate`a${1}b${2}c${3}`;
The first argument is an array of all the individual string characters
The remaining argument correspond with the values of the variables which we receive via string interpolation. Notice in the example that there is no value for arg4 (because there are only 3 times string interpolation) and thus undefined is logged when we try to log arg4
Using the rest parameter syntax:
If we don't know beforehand how many times string interpolation will take place in the template string it is often useful to use the rest parameter syntax. This syntax stores the remaining arguments which the function receives into an array. For example:
function taggedTemplate(strings, ...rest) {
console.log(rest);
}
taggedTemplate `a${1}b${2}c${3}`;
taggedTemplate `a${1}b${2}c${3}d${4}`;

Late to the party but, TBH, none of the answers give an explanation to 50% of the original question ("why the raw: Array[1]")
1. Why is it possible to call the function without parenthesis, using backticks?
console.log`1`
As others have pointed out, this is called Tagged Template (more details also here).
Using this syntax, the function will receive the following arguments:
First argument: an array containing the different parts of the string that are not expressions.
Rest of arguments: each of the values that are being interpolated (ie. those which are expressions).
Basically, the following are 'almost' equivalent:
// Tagged Template
fn`My uncle ${uncleName} is ${uncleAge} years old!`
// function call
fn(["My uncle ", " is ", " years old!"], uncleName, uncleAge);
(see point 2. to understand why they're not exactly the same)
2. Why the ["1", raw: Array[1]] ???
The array being passed as the first argument contains a property raw, wich allows accessing the raw strings as they were entered (without processing escape sequences).
Example use case:
let fileName = "asdf";
fn`In the folder C:\Documents\Foo, create a new file ${fileName}`
function fn(a, ...rest) {
console.log(a); //In the folder C:DocumentsFoo, create a new file
console.log(a.raw); //In the folder C:\Documents\Foo, create a new file
}
What, an array with a property ??? ???
Yes, since JavaScript arrays are actually objects, they can store properties.
Example:
const arr = [1, 2, 3];
arr.property = "value";
console.log(arr); //[1, 2, 3, property: "value"]