JavaScript Programming

Mendel Rosenblum

CS142 Lecture Notes - JavaScript Programming 1

How do you program in JavaScript?
From Wikipedia:

... supporting object-oriented, imperative, and functional programming

...

● Originally programming conventions (i.e. patterns) rather than language

features
○ ECMAScript adding language features (e.g. class, => , etc.)

CS142 Lecture Notes - JavaScript Programming 2

Object-oriented programming: methods
● A property of an object can be a function
var obj = {count: 0};
obj.increment = function (amount) {
this.count += amount;
return this.count;
}
● Method invocation:
obj.increment(1); // returns 1
obj.increment(3); // returns 4

CS142 Lecture Notes - JavaScript Programming 3

this
● In methods this will be bound to the object

var o = {oldProp: 'this is an old property'};

o.aMethod = function() {
this.newProp = "this is a new property";
return Object.keys(this); // will contain 'newProp'
}
o.aMethod(); // will return ['oldProp','aMethod','newProp']

● In non-method functions:
○ this will be the global object
○ Or if "use strict"; this will be undefined
CS142 Lecture Notes - JavaScript Programming 4
functions can have properties too
function plus1(value) {
if (plus1.invocations == undefined) {
plus1.invocations = 0;
}
plus1.invocations++;
return value + 1;
}

● plus1.invocations will be the number times function is called

● Acts like static/class properties in object-oriented languages

CS142 Lecture Notes - JavaScript Programming 5

Object-oriented programming: classes
Functions are classes in JavaScript: Name the function after the class
function Rectangle(width, height) {
this.width = width; Not correct way of adding methods
this.height = height;
this.area = function() { return this.width*this.height; }
}
var r = new Rectangle(26, 14); // {width: 26, height: 14}

Functions used in this way are called constructors:

r.constructor.name == 'Rectangle'
console.log(r): Rectangle { width: 26, height: 14, area: [Function] }
CS142 Lecture Notes - JavaScript Programming 6
Object-oriented programming: inheritance
● Javascript has the notion of a prototype object for each object instance
○ Prototype objects can have prototype objects forming a prototype chain

● On an object property read access JavaScript will search the up the prototype
chain until the property is found
● Effectively the properties of an object are its own property in addition to all the properties up
the prototype chain. This is called prototype-based inheritance.

● Property updates are different: always create property in object if not found

CS142 Lecture Notes - JavaScript Programming 7

Using prototypes
function Rectangle(width, height) {
this.width = width;
this.height = height;
}
Rectangle.prototype.area = function() {
return this.width*this.height;
}
var r = new Rectangle(26, 14); // {width: 26, height: 14}
var v = r.area(); // v == 26*14
Object.keys(r) == [ 'width', 'height' ] // own properties
Note: Dynamic - changing prototype will cause all instances to change
CS142 Lecture Notes - JavaScript Programming 8
Prototype versus object instances
var r = new Rectangle(26, 14);

Understand the difference between:

r.newMethod = function() { console.log('New Method called'); }
And:
Rectangle.prototype.newMethod =
function() { console.log('New Method called'); }

CS142 Lecture Notes - JavaScript Programming 9

Inheritance
Rectangle.prototype = new Shape(...);

● If desired property not in Rectangle.prototype then JavaScript will look in

Shape.prototype and so on.
○ Can view prototype objects as forming a chain. Lookups go up the prototype chain.

● Prototype-based inheritance
○ Single inheritance support
○ Can be dynamically created and modified

CS142 Lecture Notes - JavaScript Programming 10

ECMAScript version 6 extensions
class Rectangle extends Shape { // Definition and Inheritance
constructor(height, width) {
super(height, width);
this.height = height;
this.width = width;
}
area() { // Method definition
return this.width * this.height;
}
static countRects() { // Static method
...
}
}
var r = new Rectangle(10,20);

CS142 Lecture Notes - JavaScript Programming 11

React.js example class
class HelloWorld extends React.Component {
constructor(props) {
super(props);
...
}
render() {
return (
<div>Hello World</div>
);
}
}

CS142 Lecture Notes - JavaScript Programming 12

Functional Programming
● Imperative:
for (var i = 0; i < anArr.length; i++) {
newArr[i] = anArr[i]*i;
}
● Functional:
newArr = anArr.map(function (val, ind) {
return val*ind;
});
● Can write entire program as functions with no side-effects
anArr.filter(filterFunc).map(mapFunc).reduce(reduceFunc);

CS142 Lecture Notes - JavaScript Programming 13

Functional Programming - ECMAScript 6
● Imperative:
for (var i = 0; i < anArr.length; i++) {
newArr[i] = anArr[i]*i;
}
● Functional:
newArr = anArr.map((val, ind) => val*ind); // Arrow function
● Can write entire program as functions with no side-effects
anArr.filter(filterFunc).map(mapFunc).reduce(reduceFunc);

Arrow functions don't redefine this

CS142 Lecture Notes - JavaScript Programming 14
Can mostly but not totally avoid functional style
● Asynchronous events done with callback functions

Browser:
function callbackFunc() { console.log("timeout"); }
setTimeout(callbackFunc, 3*1000);
Server:
function callbackFunc(err, data) { console.log(String(data)); }
fs.readFile('/etc/passwd', callbackFunc);

● Node.js programming: Write function for HTTP request processing

● React's JSX prefers functional style: map(), filter(), ?:
CS142 Lecture Notes - JavaScript Programming 15
Closures
An advanced programing language concept you need to know about

var globalVar = 1;
function localFunc(argVar) {
var localVar = 0;
function embedFunc() {return ++localVar + argVar + globalVar;}
return embedFunc;
}
var myFunc = localFunc(10); // What happens if a call myFunc()? Again?
● myFunc closure contains argVar, localVar and globalVar

CS142 Lecture Notes - JavaScript Programming 16

Using Scopes and Closures
● Consider effect on the scopes of:
(function () {
var i = 1; var i = 1;
. . . . . .
Versus
function f() { function f() {
i++; i++;
return i; return i;
} }
return f;
})();

CS142 Lecture Notes - JavaScript Programming 17

Using closures for private object properties
var myObj = (function() {
var privateProp1 = 1; var privateProp2 = "test";
var setPrivate1 = function(val1) { privateProp1 = val1; }
var compute = function() {return privateProp1 + privateProp2;}
return {compute: compute, setPrivate1: setPrivate1};
})();
typeof myObj; // 'object'
Object.keys(myObj); // [ 'compute', 'setPrivate1' ]
What does myObj.compute() return?

CS142 Lecture Notes - JavaScript Programming 18

Beware of this and nested functions
'use strict';
function readFileMethod() {
fs.readFile(this.fileName, function (err, data) {
if (!err) {
console.log(this.fileName, 'has length', data.length);
}
});
}
var obj = {fileName: "aFile"; readFile: readFileMethod};
obj.readFile();
● Generates error on the console.log state since this is undefined
CS142 Lecture Notes - JavaScript Programming 19
Beware of this and nested functions - work around
'use strict';
function readFileMethod() {
fs.readFile(this.fileName, (err, data) => {
if (!err) {
console.log(this.fileName, 'has length', data.length);
}
});
}
var obj = {fileName: "aFile"; readFile: readFileMethod};
obj.readFile();
● Works since an arrow function doesn't smash this
CS142 Lecture Notes - JavaScript Programming 20
Closures can be tricky with imperative code
// Read files './file0' and './file1' and return their length
for (var fileNo = 0; fileNo < 2; fileNo++) {
fs.readFile('./file' + fileNo, function (err, data) {
if (!err) {
console.log('file', fileNo, 'has length', data.length);
}
});
}
● Ends up printing two files to console both starting with:
file 2 has length
Why?
CS142 Lecture Notes - JavaScript Programming 21
Stepping through the execution
for (var fileNo = 0; fileNo < 2; fileNo++) { Execution starts here: fileNo= 0

fs.readFile('./file' + fileNo, function (err, data) {

if (!err) {
console.log('file', fileNo, 'has length', data.length);
}
});
}

CS142 Lecture Notes - JavaScript Programming

Stepping through the execution
for (var fileNo = 0; fileNo < 2; fileNo++) {
fs.readFile('./file' + fileNo, function (err, data) {
if (!err) {
console.log('file', fileNo, 'has length', data.length);
}
}); Call the function fs.readFile, before we can we
must evaluate the arguments: the first argument results
} from the string concatenation operation forming
"./file0", the second argument is a function which is
passed as a function and its closure containing the
variables accessed by the function. In this case only
fileNo is accessed by the function so the closure
contains fileNo (which is currently 0).

CS142 Lecture Notes - JavaScript Programming

 Stepping through the execution
for (var fileNo = 0; fileNo < 2; fileNo++) {
fs.readFile('./file' + fileNo, function (err, data) {
if (!err) {
console.log('file', fileNo, 'has length', data.length);
}
});
}
Note that fs.readFile returns after it has started
reading the file but before it has called the callback
function. The execution does the fileNo++ and calls
back to fs.readFile with an argument of "./file1"
and a new closure and function. The closure has only
fileNo (which is currently 1).
CS142 Lecture Notes - JavaScript Programming
Stepping through the closure example
for (var fileNo = 0; fileNo < 2; fileNo++) {
fs.readFile('./file' + fileNo, function (err, data) {
if (!err) {
console.log('file', fileNo, 'has length', data.length);
}
});
}
After creating two function with closures and calling fs.readFile twice the for loop finishes.
Some time later in the execution the file reads will finish and fs.readFile will call the
functions we passed. Recall that fileNo is now 2.

CS142 Lecture Notes - JavaScript Programming

Sometime later: file0 read finishes...
for (var fileNo = 0; fileNo < 2; fileNo++) {
fs.readFile('./file' + fileNo, function (err, data) {
'./file0' is read so our callback starts executing err
if (!err) { is falsy so we go to the console.log statement.
console.log('file', fileNo, 'has length', data.length);
}
});
}

CS142 Lecture Notes - JavaScript Programming

Running callbacks....
for (var fileNo = 0; fileNo < 2; fileNo++) {
fs.readFile('./file' + fileNo, function (err, data) {
if (!err) {
console.log('file', fileNo, 'has length', data.length);
}
});
} When evaluating the arguments to console.log we go
to the closure and look at the current value of fileNo.
We find it as 2. The result is we print the correct
data.length but the wrong file number. The same thing
happens for the './fileNo1' callback.

CS142 Lecture Notes - JavaScript Programming

Broken fix #1 - Add a local variable
for (var fileNo = 0; fileNo < 2; fileNo++) {
var localFileNo = fileNo;
fs.readFile('./file' + localFileNo, function (err, data) {
if (!err) {
console.log('file', localFileNo,'has length',data.length);
}
});
}
Closure for callback now contains localFileNo. Unfortunately when the callback
functions run localFileNo will be 1. Better than before since one of the printed
lines has the correct fileNo. 😀
CS142 Lecture Notes - JavaScript Programming
A fix - Make fileNo an argument
function printFileLength(fileNo) {
fs.readFile('./file' + fileNo, function (err, data) {
if (!err) {
console.log('file', fileNo, 'has length', data.length);
}
});
}
for (var fileNo = 0; fileNo < 2; fileNo++) {
printFileLength(fileNo);
}
Note: This works but sometimes it prints the file0 line first and sometimes it prints the
file1 line first.

CS142 Lecture Notes - JavaScript Programming

JavaScript Object Notation (JSON)
var obj = { ps: 'str', pn: 1, pa: [1,'two',3,4], po: { sop: 1}};

var s = JSON.stringify(obj) =
'{"ps":"str","pn":1,"pa":[1,"two",3,4],"po":{"sop":1}}'

typeof s == 'string'
JSON.parse(s) // returns object with same properties

● JSON is the standard format for sending data to and from a browser

CS142 Lecture Notes - JavaScript Programming 30

JavaScript: The Bad Parts
Declaring variables on use - Workaround: Force declarations
var myVar = 2*typeoVar + 1;
Automatic semicolon insertion - Workaround: Enforce semicolons with checkers
return
"This is a long string so I put it on its own line";
Type coercing equals: == - Workaround: Always use ===,!== instead
("" == "0") is false but (0 == "") is true, so is (0 == '0')
(false == '0') is true as is (null == undefined)

with, eval - Workaround: Don't use

CS142 Lecture Notes - JavaScript Programming 31

Some JavaScript idioms
● Assign a default value
hostname = hostname || "localhost";
port = port || 80;
● Access a possibly undefined object property
var prop = obj && obj.propname;
● Handling multiple this:
fs.readFile(this.fileName + fileNo, function (err, data) {
console.log(this.fileName, fileNo); // Wrong!
});

CS142 Lecture Notes - JavaScript Programming 32

Some JavaScript idioms
● Assign a default value
hostname = hostname || "localhost";
port = port || 80;
● Access a possible undefined object property
var prop = obj && obj.propname;
● Handling multiple this: self
var self = this;
fs.readFile(self.fileName + fileNo, function (err, data) {
console.log(self.fileName,fileNo);
});
CS142 Lecture Notes - JavaScript Programming 33
Some JavaScript idioms
● Assign a default value
hostname = hostname || "localhost";
port = port || 80;
● Access a possible undefined object property
var prop = obj && obj.propname;
● Handling multiple this:
fs.readFile(this.fileName + fileNo, (err, data) =>
console.log(this.fileName,fileNo)
);

CS142 Lecture Notes - JavaScript Programming 34