In this post, I would like to discuss JavaScript functions. If you are going to program in JavaScript, you will write a ton of these. Functions allow re-use of code, modularization and the following of object oriented principles. We can encapsulate all of our logic for a specific task within one function and then call it from virtually anywhere. To create a function in JavaScript, we simply use the keyword, ‘function’. Here is an example…
[code lang=”js”]
// Create a function that does a simple alert
function testFunction() {
var testAlert = "My function works!"; alert(testAlert);
}
[/code]
A couple of things to point out…I typically see new developers/programmers get into trouble with syntax…they forget a curly brace or parentheses in the spots where they are needed. All of your function’s logic needs to be housed within the curly braces. There also needs to be parentheses following the name of your function.
Now that you have a function (albeit a simplistic one), in order to run it, you simply have to call it…
[code lang=”js”]
// Call the test function
testFunction();
[/code]
If you run the aforementioned code, you get this result in your browser…
Note: In other programming languages (and in some JavaScript circles) functions are referred to as methods.
Happy Coding!
Clay Hess
