Shortest way of creating a "new function" alias in javascript - javascript

What's the shortest way (characters) of creating a "new function" alias.
Basically this is for code golf and minifying code beyond reason.
So when you usually would write:
a=function(a,b,c){return a+b+c;}
You could write something like (also let's abstract return keyword as well with global variable R):
a=$("a,b,c","R=a+b+c")
a=$(a,b,c){R=a+b+c}
(Not sure if the second one is possible.)
For the first example the best I've come up with is:
$=function(a,b){return new Function(a,"R=0;"+b+";return R")}
Both the sizes (usage, declaration) matter but usage size is more important.

I don't think new Function() is of viable use for most functions even without performance concerns because unlike function() {} no closure is created. The compiled function will only have access to its own local scope and the global object. Think about that for a second. Javascript without closures is like Java without classes or C without pointers. Clearly everything would break.
Anyways, if you only intend to use this alias for short lambada like expressions that don't need clousers, one obvious way to make things even more terse is to leave off the parameters deceleration. Simply assume that a = arguments[0]; b = arguments[1]; etc...
$=function(b){return new Function('a,b,c,d,e,f,g,h,i,j', b);};
Another way would be to automatically return the value of the last expression, instead of needing it to be explicitly declared
$=function(body) {
return function(a,b,c,d,e,f,g,h,i,j) { return eval(body); };
};
Horrifying isn't it? This works because eval()...well it returns the value of the last evaluated expression. No return needed. Of course this method is an even bigger hit to performance, as the code in body is reevaluated each time the function is called, while with new Function the code is (or should be) only compiled once.
Anyways performance be dammed, with the previous method your function declaration is down to this
var myeyes = $('a+b+c');
alert(myeyes(1,2,3)); //6
Purdy huh? Still, I think it would look better like this
'a+b+c'
Looks like a string yes? Well...it is a sting, but in the hands of the right function, it could be evaluated as if it were a full on function literal
//Lets just assume that IE does not exist mmkay?
var funcs = ['map', 'filter', 'every', 'some'];
for (var i=0; i<funcs.length; i++) {
(function() {
//Store original function
var name = funcs[i]
var _super = Array.prototype[name];
Array.prototype[name] = function() {
//$ !== jQuery
if (typeof arguments[0] == 'string') arguments[0] = $(arguments[0]);
return _super.apply(this, arguments);
};
}());
}
Now you can write
[1,2,3,4,5].map('a*a');
instead of
[1,2,3,4,5].map(function(a){return a*a;});
which is even better than Firefox's Expression Closure
[1,2,3,4,5].map(function(a) a*a);
Try it out here: http://jsbin.com/iyogu3/edit
If only we could actually write function expressions like this without calling upon the eval monster. Really, one of my main gripes with Javascript syntax is the requirement to spam function(){} throughout your code. Some kind of shorthand function literal syntax (not the aforementioned half-assed expression closure) that was interpreted the same as a regular verbose function literal would go a long way to making my code look a little less ridiculous. And it might help minifying a tiny bit as well.

For simple expressions, you could use:
function L(a,x){return new Function(a,'return '+x)}
Usage:
n=L('a,b,c','a+b+c');

You might get milage out of something silly like:
eval("t=Fa+b};t(1,2)".replace("F", "function(a,b){return "))

Here's a variant that has a larger overhead but saves one character per function definition.
"#" will be replaced with "return ".
$=function(a,b){return new Function(a,b.replace(/#/g,"return "))}
a=$("a,b,c","#a+b+c")

Your code:
a=function(a,b,c){return a+b+c;}
Shortened code:
a=(a,b,c)=>a+b+c
The shortest function declaration possible in js is 4 characters
Example: _=>1

Related

running code in another function's scope (JavaScript)

So I'm working on a sort of JavaScript framework, just some utility things for myself to use in future projects, and I want to make a data binding system.
The first method I used was objects, and the code would just loop through the specified html element and look for occurences of {{key}} in the markup and then look for that key in the object and replace it that way in the HTML.
For example, if you had <div>{{name}} is a cool guy</div> in the HTML and had {name:"joseph"} in the JS then the final product would be displayed on screen as 'joseph is a cool guy'.
However, I decided later to change my method and instead the framework would except a function. So instead of {name:"joseph"} you would give it function(){ var name = "joseph" }.
This obviously looks better and gives a lot better functionality.
I changed the processing function so instead of looking for the key/value pair to replace the {{key}}, it just uses eval on the variable to gets its value.
My problem lies here: How do I run my search/replace code INSIDE the scope of the function the user passes.
If the user defines variables within that function, their values will not be available anywhere else due to scope issues.
I've tried using Function.toString() to actually modify the source code of the function, but nothing's working and it's all very complicated.
(The issues are not due to the actual solution, I think that Function.toString() might work, but due to my implementation. I keep getting errors)
So... What is the best way to run arbitrary code in the scope of another function?
Critera:
Obviously, I can't modify the function because the user is passing it in. (you can't just tell me to add the search/replace code to the bottom of the function)
The variables must stay in the local scope of the function. (no cheating by using window.name = "joseph" or anything)
I am also aware of how terrible eval is so any suggestions as to get it to work are greatly appreciated. Thanks!
Code:
function process(html) {
var vars = html.match( /({{)[^{}]*(}})/g )
// vars = ['{{variable}}', '{{anotherVariable}}']
var names = vars.map( function(x){ return x.replace("{{", "").replace("}}", "") } )
// names = ['variable', 'anotherVariable]
obj = {}
for (var i = 0; i < names.length; i++) {
obj[names[i]] = eval(names[i])
}
for (var p in obj) {
html = html.replace(new RegExp('{{'+p+'}}','g'), obj[p]);
}
return html
}
You should go back to your first method with the object, it's much better. You can still pass a function, but the function should return an object:
function () {
return { name: 'joseph' }
}

Consequences of missing a comma when declaring multiple variables in javascript?

I'm new to javascript and have picked up an application developed by another team recently.
In this program in one place where they declare several variables at once there is a missing comma like:
var me = this,
missing = this.missingComma
grid = something.Something;
What if any are the consequences of there not being a comma after the second entry. The relevant bit appears to work when just running it. The code has no tests and since it's javascript I cant compile it, also I dont really know what its supposed to do so unfortunately 'not falling over' is currently my best guess at 'does what its supposed to do'!
Why does it work? Isn't this a syntax error?
In JavaScript the semi-colons aren't required to indicate the end of a line. A linebreak is sufficient to indicate that the next line is a separate statement rather than a continuation of the previous line of code (as is the case when you use the comma to indicate multiple variables).
Your code is essentially the same as this:
var me = this, missing = this.missingComma;
grid = something.Something;
Since that declares the grid variable without the var keyword, you'd end up with grid being created in the global, rather than the current, scope. That's generally something you want to avoid but it's not going to be the end of the world if it does happen - in this case it may even be intended (though I'd guess not).
Javascript is ubiguitous with a a lot of freedom ;)
Maybe it helps you to understand some peculiarity of JS if you read some additional info about semicolons, commas and newlines in Javascript:
http://www.codecademy.com/blog/78-your-guide-to-semicolons-in-javascript
For the sake of readability, I would suggest you to use the classic approach, anyway.
var me = this;
var you = that;
or at least
var me = this, you = that;
For the rest, I think that Anthony Grist has brought it to the point.
Well even though in javascript the semicolon is not required it is a must now a days, because if you want your JavaScript to get minimized, it must have all semicolons. Minimization puts your complete JavaScript in one line... replacing long variable names with short ones, etc.
On the other hand... back to you question.
If you declare your var inside a JavaScript "namespace" (actually an object) then all the variables are "private" and you could choose to make the ones "public" by using the reveal pattern.
This is a good practice, else all you variables are declared on the windows scope... which actually can then be overwritten by any other part of your page that uses the same variable name, even if you thought it was completely independent.
So you could actually do something like this :
var MyNamespace || {}
// this delcares an object MyNamespace only if it doesn't exists yet
MyNamespace.Logic = function(){
var self = this,
myPrivateVariable = "Hello",
self.myPublicVariable = "World",
self.printHello = function(){
alert(myPrivateVariable +' ' +self.myPublicVariable );
};//this semicolon closes the var statement
};
Now you can use somehwer on you page folowing logic
var newInstanceOnMyLogic = new MyNamespace.Logic()
This is equivalent of writing
var newInstanceOnMyLogic = new window.MyNamespace.Logic();
But your variables myPrivateVariable and myPublicVariable are no longer on the windows context and can't be overwritten
Now if you write something like
alert(newInstanceOnMyLogic.myPublicVariable);
you'll get a "World"
But
alert(newInstanceOnMyLogic.myPrivateVariable );
you'll get an undefined
and
newInstanceOnMyLogic.printHello();
will get an alert of "Hello World"

Obfuscate javascript properties?

I've recently tested UglifyJS and YUI Compressor and noticed something odd.
Both minifiers don't seem to change the names of object properties, only the names of variables and functions.
for instance if I have the following code:
var objName = {first:2, second:4};
alert(objName.first + " " + objName.second);
the names first and second remain unchanged in the minified version.
Why is that?
Since in javascript a new scope is created in a function, you can scope your code in an immediately invoked function.
// scoped
(function() {
var objName = {first:2, second:4};
alert(objName.first + " " + objName.second);
})();
Then using Google's Closure Compiler, if you turn on the "Advanced" optimization it will see that the properties are only used locally, and will obfuscate them.
// result
var a={a:2,b:4};alert(a.a+" "+a.b);
It's because it doesn't know where the object is going to be used. It could be used externally by other code and you wouldn't want your other code to have to change whenever you obfuscate it.
Edit So basically, it's like that to prevent obfuscation from breaking external/internal references to properties that may not be possible to figure out while obfuscating.
Since there are no well defined scoping rules around objects in JavaScript it's impossible to obfuscate the names in a way that is guaranteed to be correct.
For example, if you had the following function:
function f() {
return { first: 'foo', second: 'bar' };
}
In order to obfuscate the property names you would have to nail down all the places that f is called from. Since functions are first-class in JavaScript they can be assigned and passed around in arbitrary ways making it impossible to pin down where f is referenced without actually running the program.
Additionally, JavaScript doesn't have any way for you to specify intent around what's public API and what isn't. Even if the minimizer could reliably determine where the function is called from in the code you give it, there would be no way for it to make the same changes to code that it hasn't seen.
I guess that's because the minifiers would break the object properties. Consider this:
function getProp(ob,name) {
return ob[name];
}
var objName = {first: 2, second: 4};
var prop = getProp(objName, "second");
There's no way for the minifier to know the string literal "second" being an object property. The minified code could look like this then:
function a(b,c){return b[c]}var d={p1:2,p2:4};var e=a(d,"second")
Broken now.
The latest release of uglify (today) has object property mangling, see v2.4.19. It also supports reserved files for excluding both object properties and variables that you don't want mangled. Check it out.
The only public tool so far to obfuscate property and function names (afaik) is the Closure Compiler's Advanced mode. There are a lot of limitations and restrictions, but the end result is generally worth it.
As a passing note: the Dojo Toolkit is compatible (with some minor modifications) with the Closure Compiler in Advanced mode -- arguably the only large-scale public JavaScript library that can be fully obfuscated. So if you are looking at obfuscation to protect your IP, you should look into using Dojo for the task.
http://dojo-toolkit.33424.n3.nabble.com/file/n2636749/Using_the_Dojo_Toolkit_with_the_Closure_Compiler.pdf?by-user=t
Stephen
What about doing something like:
// scoped
(function() {
var objName = {first:2, second:4};
var vA = 'first';
var vB = 'second';
alert(objName[vA] + " " + objName[vB]);
})();
Once objName.first and/or objName.second are referenced enough times, this technique will start to save characters. I can't think of any reason that wouldn't work, but I can't find any minifiers that do it.

How to fix jslint error 'Don't make functions within a loop.'?

I am working on making all of our JS code pass through jslint, sometimes with a lot of tweaking with the options to get legacy code pass for now on with the intention to fix it properly later.
There is one thing that jslint complains about that I do not have a workround for. That is when using constructs like this, we get the error 'Don't make functions within a loop.'
for (prop in newObject) {
// Check if we're overwriting an existing function
if (typeof newObject[prop] === "function" && typeof _super[prop] === "function" &&
fnTest.test(newObject[prop])) {
prototype[prop] = (function(name, func) {
return function() {
var result, old_super;
old_super = this._super;
this._super = _super[name];
result = func.apply(this, arguments);
this._super = old_super;
return result;
};
})(prop, newObject[prop]);
}
}
This loop is part of a JS implementation of classical inheritance where classes that extend existing classes retain the super property of the extended class when invoking a member of the extended class.
Just to clarify, the implementation above is inspired by this blog post by John Resig.
But we also have other instances of functions created within a loop.
The only workaround so far is to exclude these JS files from jslint, but we would like to use jslint for code validation and syntax checking as part of our continuous integration and build workflow.
Is there a better way to implement functionality like this or is there a way to tweak code like this through jslint?
Douglas Crockford has a new idiomatic way of achieving the above - his old technique was to use an inner function to bind the variables, but the new technique uses a function maker. See slide 74 in the slides to his "Function the Ultimate" talk. [This slideshare no longer exists]
For the lazy, here is the code:
function make_handler(div_id) {
return function () {
alert(div_id);
};
}
for (i ...) {
div_id = divs[i].id;
divs[i].onclick = make_handler(div_id);
}
(I just stumbled on this questions many months after it was posted...)
If you make a function in a loop, an instance of a function is created for each iteration of the loop. Unless the function that is being made is in fact different for each iteration, then use the method of putting the function generator outside the loop -- doing so isn't just Crockery, it lets others who read your code know that this was your intent.
If the function is actually the same function being assigned to different values in an iteration (or objects produced in an iteration), then instead you need to assign the function to a named variable, and use that singular instance of the function in assignment within the loop:
handler = function (div_id) {
return function() { alert(div_id); }
}
for (i ...) {
div_id = divs[i].id;
divs[i].onclick = handler(div_id);
}
Greater commentary/discussion about this was made by others smarter than me when I posed a similar question here on Stack Overflow:
JSlint error 'Don't make functions within a loop.' leads to question about Javascript itself
As for JSLint:
Yes, it is dogmatic and idiomatic. That said, it is usually "right" -- I discover that many many people who vocalize negatively about JSLint actually don't understand (the subtleties of) Javascript, which are many and obtuse.
Literally, get around the problem by doing the following:
Create a .jshintrc file
Add the following line to your .jshintrc file
{"loopfunc" : true, // tolerate functions being defined in loops }
JSLint is only a guide, you don't always have to adhere to the rules. The thing is, you're not creating functions in a loop in the sense that it's referring to. You only create your classes once in your application, not over and over again.
If you are using JQuery, you might want to do something like this in a loop:
for (var i = 0; i < 100; i++) {
$("#button").click(function() {
alert(i);
});
}
To satisfy JSLint, one way to work around this is (in JQuery 1.4.3+) to use the additional handler data argument to .click():
function new_function(e) {
var data = e.data; // from handler
alert(data); // do whatever
}
for (var i = 0; i < 100; i++) {
$("#button").click(i, new_function);
}
Just move your:
(function (name, func) {...})()
block out of the loop and assign it to a variable, like:
var makeFn = function(name, func){...};
Then in the loop have:
prototype[prop] = makeFn(...)

Where to perform argument validation in JavaScript?

Yeah, read properly. In the last time I saw different patterns of argument validation in JavaScript (functions) and wondered which of them would be best-practice. At first I'll show two example code snippets. The first shows an (in my words) "immediate" argument/condition validation and the second one a "delayed" validation. Each of them affect the appearance of following code in different ways. Up to now I always used the "immediate" validation. But slowly I am getting doubtful if it's reasonable to force the whole following code into such conditional blocks. Please tell me what you think and what might be the "best" pattern.
And what about the place where variables are declared? A few times I read, that ALL variables should be declared on to of the method, before they're actually used. Is this correct? Because I think that it is useless to declare variables before it is sure that they'll be actually used (maybe invalid arguments force the throw of an Exception), I moved the variable-declaration-part beyond the argument/condition validation part. Is this advisable?
Thanks!
First example:
if ( colorStops.constructor === Array
&& colorStops.length
&& colorStops.every(function(c) {
return c instanceof ColorStop
}))
{
var privateVar1 = "foo",
privateVar2 = "bar",
privateVar3 = "tutifrutti";
// here goes the code
}
else {
throw new TypeError("GradientCanvasFacade: cannot add Colors; " +
"invalid arguments received");
}
Second example:
if (cg instanceof ColorGradient) {
throw new TypeError("PresetManager: Cannot add preset; " +
"invalid arguments received");
}
var privateVar1 = "foo",
privateVar2 = "bar",
privateVar3 = "tutifrutti";
// here goes the code
// Here goes the code that get executed when no explicit
// return took place ==> all preconditions fulfilled
Since JavaScript variables are scoped to the declaring function and not to the block as most other languages, declaring variables at the beginning of the function makes alot of sense.
function someFunc()
{
if (1==1)
{
var x = 1;
}
else
{
var x = 2;
}
return x
}
Now imagine a function a lot more complex, to me atleast, declaring x at the beginning makes alot of sense. For variables generally bound to a block (like iterator variables or collections) I still declare them in the block though.
I would definitely go for your second example not because it fails earlier, because really it doesn't, but because it's easier to remove and add validations this way without breaking a complicated if structure.
I'd go with the second, simply because it's easier to read. Also, with the first, if your function is very long, someone looking at the bottom, will wonder what that } is for, and have to hop up to the top to see.
Also the scoping of variables is very clear, even for someone who forgets that javascript has weird scoping rules.
Also, as mentioned by Martijn, the second method makes it a lot easier to check for various errors, ie each can have their own if statement and so on.
if (some condition) {
if (some other condition based in the first) {
if (another condition based in 1st and 2nd) {
do_job();
} else?
} else?
} else?
Where to put the else block? After every if or after the last?
It seems absolutely more readable the second choise

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