141 lines
4.6 KiB
Markdown
141 lines
4.6 KiB
Markdown
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# The "new Function" syntax
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There's one more way to create a function. It's rarely used, but sometimes there's no alternative.
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[cut]
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## The syntax
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The syntax for creating a function:
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```js
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let func = new Function ([arg1[, arg2[, ...argN]],] functionBody)
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```
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In other words, function parameters (or, more precise, names for them) go first, and the body is the last. All arguments are strings.
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That's easy to understand by example.
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For instance, here's a function with two arguments:
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```js run
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let sum = new Function('a', 'b', 'return a + b');
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alert( sum(1, 2) ); // 3
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```
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If there are no arguments, then there's only one single argument, function body:
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```js run
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let sayHi = new Function('alert("Hello")');
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sayHi(); // Hello
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```
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The major difference from other ways we've seen -- the function is created literally from a string, that is passed at run time.
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All previous declarations required us, programmers, to write the function code in the script.
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But `new Function` allows to turn any string into a function, for example we can receive a new function from the server and then execute it:
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```js
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let str = ... receive the code from the server dynamically ...
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let func = new Function(str);
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func();
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```
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It is used in very specific cases, like when we receive the code from the server, or to dynamically compile a function from a template. The need for that usually arises at advanced stages of development.
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## The closure
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Usually, a function remembers where it was born in the special property `[[Environment]]`. It references the Lexical Environment from where it's created.
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But when a function is created using `new Function`, its `[[Environment]]` references not the current Lexical Environment, but instead the global one.
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```js run
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function getFunc() {
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let value = "test";
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*!*
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let func = new Function('alert(value)');
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*/!*
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return func;
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}
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getFunc()(); // error: value is not defined
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```
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Compare it with the regular behavior:
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```js run
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function getFunc() {
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let value = "test";
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*!*
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let func = function() { alert(value); };
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*/!*
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return func;
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}
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getFunc()(); // *!*"test"*/!*, from the Lexical Environment of getFunc
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```
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This special feature of `new Function` looks strange, but appears very useful in practice.
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Imagine that we really have to create a function from the string. The code of that function is not known at the time of writing the script (that's why we don't use regular functions), but will be known in the process of execution. We may receive it from the server or from another source.
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Our new function needs to interact with the main script.
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Maybe we want it to be able to access outer local variables?
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But the problem is that before JavaScript is published to production, it's compressed using a *minifier* -- a special program that shrinks code by removing extra comments, spaces and -- what's important, renames local variables into shorter ones.
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For instance, if a function has `let userName`, minifier replaces it `let a` (or another letter if this one is occupied), and does it everywhere. That's usually a safe thing to do, because the variable is local, nothing outside the function can access it. And inside the function minifier replaces every mention of it. Minifiers are smart, they analyze the code structure, not just find-and-replace, so that's ok.
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...But if `new Function` could access outer variables, then it would be unable to find `userName`.
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**Even if we could access outer lexical environment in `new Function`, we would have problems with minifiers.**
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The "special feature" of `new Function` saves us from mistakes.
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And it enforces better code. If we need to pass something to a function, created by `new Function`, we should pass it explicitly as arguments.
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The "sum" function actually does that right:
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```js run
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*!*
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let sum = new Function('a', 'b', ' return a + b; ');
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*/!*
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let a = 1, b = 2;
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*!*
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// outer values are passed as arguments
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alert( sum(a, b) ); // 3
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*/!*
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```
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## Summary
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The syntax:
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```js
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let func = new Function(arg1, arg2, ..., body);
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```
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For historical reasons, arguments can also be given as a comma-separated list.
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These three mean the same:
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```js
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new Function('a', 'b', ' return a + b; '); // basic syntax
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new Function('a,b', ' return a + b; '); // comma-separated
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new Function('a , b', ' return a + b; '); // comma-separated with spaces
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```
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Functions created with `new Function`, have `[[Environment]]` referencing the global Lexical Environment, not the outer one. Hence, they can not use outer variables. But that's actually good, because it saves us from errors. Explicit parameters passing is a much better thing architecturally and has no problems with minifiers.
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