A mostly reasonable approach to JavaScript. Based on airbnb guide
- Types
- Objects
- Arrays
- Strings
- Functions
- Properties
- Variables
- Conditional Expressions & Equality
- Blocks
- Comments
- Whitespace
- Commas
- Semicolons
- Type Casting & Coercion
- Naming Conventions
- Modules
- HTML/CSS Interaction
- Testing
- Performance
- Resources
- License
-
Primitives: When you access a primitive type you work directly on its value
string
number
boolean
null
undefined
var foo = 1, bar = foo; bar = 9; console.log(foo, bar); // => 1, 9
-
Complex: When you access a complex type you work on a reference to its value
object
array
function
var foo = [1, 2], bar = foo; bar[0] = 9; console.log(foo[0], bar[0]); // => 9, 9
-
Use the literal syntax for object creation.
// bad var item = new Object(); // good var item = {};
-
Don't use reserved words as keys. It won't work in IE8. More info
// bad var superman = { default: { clark: 'kent' }, private: true }; // good var superman = { defaults: { clark: 'kent' }, hidden: true };
-
Use readable synonyms in place of reserved words.
// bad var superman = { class: 'alien' }; // bad var superman = { klass: 'alien' }; // good var superman = { type: 'alien' };
-
Use the literal syntax for array creation
// bad var items = new Array(); // good var items = [];
-
If you don't know array length use Array#push.
var someStack = []; // bad someStack[someStack.length] = 'abracadabra'; // good someStack.push('abracadabra');
-
When you need to copy an array use Array#slice. jsPerf
var len = items.length, itemsCopy = [], i; // bad for (i = 0; i < len; i++) { itemsCopy[i] = items[i]; } // good itemsCopy = items.slice();
-
To convert an array-like object to an array, use Array#slice.
function trigger() { var args = Array.prototype.slice.call(arguments); ... }
-
Use single quotes
''
for strings// bad var name = "Bob Parr"; // good var name = 'Bob Parr'; // bad var fullName = "Bob " + this.lastName; // good var fullName = 'Bob ' + this.lastName;
-
Strings longer than 80 characters should be written across multiple lines using string concatenation.
-
Note: If overused, long strings with concatenation could impact performance. jsPerf & Discussion
// bad var errorMessage = 'This is a super long error that was thrown because of Batman. When you stop to think about how Batman had anything to do with this, you would get nowhere fast.'; // bad var errorMessage = 'This is a super long error that \ was thrown because of Batman. \ When you stop to think about \ how Batman had anything to do \ with this, you would get nowhere \ fast.'; // good var errorMessage = 'This is a super long error that ' + 'was thrown because of Batman.' + 'When you stop to think about ' + 'how Batman had anything to do ' + 'with this, you would get nowhere ' + 'fast.';
-
When programatically building up a string, use Array#join instead of string concatenation. Mostly for IE: jsPerf.
var items, messages, length, i; messages = [{ state: 'success', message: 'This one worked.' },{ state: 'success', message: 'This one worked as well.' },{ state: 'error', message: 'This one did not work.' }]; length = messages.length; // bad function inbox(messages) { items = '<ul>'; for (i = 0; i < length; i++) { items += '<li>' + messages[i].message + '</li>'; } return items + '</ul>'; } // good function inbox(messages) { items = []; for (i = 0; i < length; i++) { items[i] = messages[i].message; } return '<ul><li>' + items.join('</li><li>') + '</li></ul>'; }
-
Function expressions:
// anonymous function expression var anonymous = function() { return true; }; // named function expression var named = function named() { return true; }; // immediately-invoked function expression (IIFE) (function() { console.log('Welcome to the Internet. Please follow me.'); })();
-
Never declare a function in a non-function block (if, while, etc). Assign the function to a variable instead. Browsers will allow you to do it, but they all interpret it differently, which is bad news bears.
-
Note: ECMA-262 defines a
block
as a list of statements. A function declaration is not a statement. Read ECMA-262's note on this issue.// bad if (currentUser) { function test() { console.log('Nope.'); } } // good if (currentUser) { var test = function test() { console.log('Yup.'); }; }
-
Never name a parameter
arguments
, this will take precedence over thearguments
object that is given to every function scope.// bad function nope(name, options, arguments) { // ...stuff... } // good function yup(name, options, args) { // ...stuff... }
-
Use dot notation when accessing properties.
var luke = { jedi: true, age: 28 }; // bad var isJedi = luke['jedi']; // good var isJedi = luke.jedi;
-
Use subscript notation
[]
when accessing properties with a variable.var luke = { jedi: true, age: 28 }; function getProp(prop) { return luke[prop]; } var isJedi = getProp('jedi');
-
Always use
var
to declare variables. Not doing so will result in global variables. We want to avoid polluting the global namespace. Captain Planet warned us of that.// bad superPower = new SuperPower(); // good var superPower = new SuperPower();
-
Use one
var
declaration for multiple variables and declare each variable on a newline.// bad var items = getItems(); var goSportsTeam = true; var dragonball = 'z'; // good var items = getItems(), goSportsTeam = true, dragonball = 'z';
-
Declare unassigned variables last. This is helpful when later on you might need to assign a variable depending on one of the previous assigned variables.
// bad var i, len, dragonball, items = getItems(), goSportsTeam = true; // bad var i, items = getItems(), dragonball, goSportsTeam = true, len; // good var items = getItems(), goSportsTeam = true, dragonball, length, i;
-
Assign variables at the top of their scope. This helps avoid issues with variable declaration and assignment hoisting related issues.
// bad function() { test(); console.log('doing stuff..'); //..other stuff.. var name = getName(); if (name === 'test') { return false; } return name; } // good function() { var name = getName(); test(); console.log('doing stuff..'); //..other stuff.. if (name === 'test') { return false; } return name; } // bad function() { var name = getName(); if (!arguments.length) { return false; } return true; } // good function() { if (!arguments.length) { return false; } var name = getName(); return true; }
-
Use
===
and!==
over==
and!=
. -
Conditional expressions are evaluated using coercion with the
ToBoolean
method and always follow these simple rules:- Objects evaluate to true
- Undefined evaluates to false
- Null evaluates to false
- Booleans evaluate to the value of the boolean
- Numbers evalute to false if +0, -0, or NaN, otherwise true
- Strings evaluate to false if an empty string
''
, otherwise true
if ([0]) { // true // An array is an object, objects evaluate to true }
-
Use shortcuts.
// bad if (name !== '') { // ...stuff... } // good if (name) { // ...stuff... } // bad if (collection.length > 0) { // ...stuff... } // good if (collection.length) { // ...stuff... }
-
For more information see Truth Equality and JavaScript by Angus Croll
-
Use multi-line braces with all blocks.
// bad if (test) return false; // bad if (test) return false; // good if (test) { return false; } // bad function() { return false; } // good function() { return false; }
-
Use
/* ... */
for multiline comments rather than // wherever possible. -
Prefixing your comments with
FIXME
orTODO
helps other developers quickly understand if you're pointing out a problem that needs to be revisited, or if you're suggesting a solution to the problem that needs to be implemented. These are different than regular comments because they are actionable. The actions areFIXME -- need to figure this out
orTODO -- need to implement
. -
Use
/* FIXME: */
to annotate problemsfunction Calculator() { /* FIXME: shouldn't use a global here */ total = 0; return this; }
-
Use
/* TODO: */
to annotate solutions to problemsfunction Calculator() { /* TODO: total should be configurable by an options param */ this.total = 0; return this; }
**[[⬆]](#TOC)**
## <a name='whitespace'>Whitespace</a>
- Use soft tabs (spaces) set to 4 spaces
```javascript
// bad (tab)
function() {
var name;
}
// bad (improper number of spaces)
function() {
∙var name;
}
// good
function() {
∙∙∙∙var name;
}
```
- Place 1 space before the leading brace.
```javascript
// bad
function test(){
console.log('test');
}
// good
function test() {
console.log('test');
}
// bad
dog.set('attr',{
age: '1 year',
breed: 'Bernese Mountain Dog'
});
// good
dog.set('attr', {
age: '1 year',
breed: 'Bernese Mountain Dog'
});
```
- Place an empty newline at the end of the file.
```javascript
// bad
(function(global) {
// ...stuff...
})(this);
```
```javascript
// good
(function(global) {
// ...stuff...
})(this);
```
**[[⬆]](#TOC)**
## <a name='commas'>Commas</a>
- Leading commas: **Nope.**
```javascript
// bad
var once
, upon
, aTime;
// good
var once,
upon,
aTime;
// bad
var hero = {
firstName: 'Bob'
, lastName: 'Parr'
, heroName: 'Mr. Incredible'
, superPower: 'strength'
};
// good
var hero = {
firstName: 'Bob',
lastName: 'Parr',
heroName: 'Mr. Incredible',
superPower: 'strength'
};
```
- Additional trailing comma: **Nope.** This can cause problems with IE6/7 and IE9 if it's in quirksmode. Also, in some implementations of ES3 would add length to an array if it had an additional trailing comma. This was clarified in ES5 ([source](http://es5.github.io/#D)):
> Edition 5 clarifies the fact that a trailing comma at the end of an ArrayInitialiser does not add to the length of the array. This is not a semantic change from Edition 3 but some implementations may have previously misinterpreted this.
```javascript
// bad
var hero = {
firstName: 'Kevin',
lastName: 'Flynn',
};
var heroes = [
'Batman',
'Superman',
];
// good
var hero = {
firstName: 'Kevin',
lastName: 'Flynn'
};
var heroes = [
'Batman',
'Superman'
];
```
**[[⬆]](#TOC)**
## <a name='semicolons'>Semicolons</a>
- **Yup.**
```javascript
// bad
(function() {
var name = 'foo'
return name
})()
// good
(function() {
var name = 'foo';
return name;
})();
// good
;(function() {
var name = 'foo';
return name;
})();
```
**[[⬆]](#TOC)**
## <a name='type-coercion'>Type Casting & Coercion</a>
- Perform type coercion at the beginning of the statement.
- Strings:
```javascript
// => this.reviewScore = 9;
// bad
var totalScore = this.reviewScore + '';
// good
var totalScore = '' + this.reviewScore;
// bad
var totalScore = '' + this.reviewScore + ' total score';
// good
var totalScore = this.reviewScore + ' total score';
```
- Use `parseInt` for Numbers and always with a radix for type casting.
```javascript
var inputValue = '4';
// bad
var val = new Number(inputValue);
// bad
var val = +inputValue;
// bad
var val = inputValue >> 0;
// bad
var val = parseInt(inputValue);
// good
var val = parseInt(inputValue, 10);
```
- Booleans:
```javascript
var age = 0;
// bad
var hasAge = new Boolean(age);
// good
var hasAge = !!age;
```
**[[⬆]](#TOC)**
## <a name='naming-conventions'>Naming Conventions</a>
- Avoid single letter names. Be descriptive with your naming.
```javascript
// bad
function q() {
// ...stuff...
}
// good
function query() {
// ..stuff..
}
```
- Use camelCase when naming objects, functions, and instances
```javascript
// bad
var OBJEcttsssss = {};
var this_is_my_object = {};
var this-is-my-object = {};
function c() {};
var u = new user({
name: 'Bob Parr'
});
// good
var thisIsMyObject = {};
function thisIsMyFunction() {};
var user = new User({
name: 'Bob Parr'
});
```
- When saving a reference to `this` use `_this`.
```javascript
// bad
function() {
var self = this;
return function() {
console.log(self);
};
}
// bad
function() {
var that = this;
return function() {
console.log(that);
};
}
// good
function() {
var _this = this;
return function() {
console.log(_this);
};
}
```
- Name your functions. This is helpful for stack traces.
```javascript
// bad
var log = function(msg) {
console.log(msg);
};
// good
var log = function log(msg) {
console.log(msg);
};
```
**[[⬆]](#TOC)**
## <a name='modules'>Modules</a>
- Avoid writing inline javascript in HTML or Dust pages whenever possible. Inline javascript is impossible to unit test, is more difficult to debug, and is not our best practice. Instead...
- All scripts should be defined as requirejs modules (http://requirejs.org/docs/api.html#define)
- Here is an example module with a dependency on jQuery
```javascript
// foo.js
define(['jquery'], function($) {
return {
logFooElements: function() {
console.log($('.foo'));
}
};
});
```
This module can then be used as follows
```javascript
// usingFoo.js
require(['foo'], function(foo) {
foo.logFooElements();
});
```
**[[⬆]](#TOC)**
## <a name='htmlcss'>HTML/CSS Interaction</a>
- Use a 'js-' prefix for classes in DOM elements for javascript hooks. This helps us separate javascript classes from CSS classes, thereby helping us avoid breaking javascript when making CSS changes (and vice-versa)
```html
<!-- bad -->
<a class="toggle-widget">Click me!</a>
<!-- If you're using the 'toggle-widget' class for javascript and CSS,
removing this for styling changes will also break javascript -->
<!-- good -->
<a class="js-toggle-widget toggle-widget">Click me!</a>
<!-- Use 'js-toggle-widget' for any javascript code required for this link.
Now you can edit/remove the class 'toggle-widget' for style changes without fear -->
```
**[[⬆]](#TOC)**
## <a name='testing'>Testing</a>
**We use the following for testing**
- [mocha](http://visionmedia.github.io/mocha/) (Framework)
- [chai](http://chaijs.com/) (Assertion Library)
- [blanket](http://blanketjs.org/) (Code Coverage)
Test can be written in either BDD or TDD format, using any of the assertion styles provided by chai (Should, Expect, Assert)
**[[⬆]](#TOC)**
## <a name='performance'>Performance</a>
- [On Layout & Web Performance](http://kellegous.com/j/2013/01/26/layout-performance/)
- [String vs Array Concat](http://jsperf.com/string-vs-array-concat/2)
- [Try/Catch Cost In a Loop](http://jsperf.com/try-catch-in-loop-cost)
- [Bang Function](http://jsperf.com/bang-function)
- [jQuery Find vs Context, Selector](http://jsperf.com/jquery-find-vs-context-sel/13)
- [innerHTML vs textContent for script text](http://jsperf.com/innerhtml-vs-textcontent-for-script-text)
- [Long String Concatenation](http://jsperf.com/ya-string-concat)
**[[⬆]](#TOC)**
## <a name='resources'>Resources</a>
**Read This**
- [Annotated ECMAScript 5.1](http://es5.github.com/)
**Other Styleguides**
- [Google JavaScript Style Guide](http://google-styleguide.googlecode.com/svn/trunk/javascriptguide.xml)
- [jQuery Core Style Guidelines](http://docs.jquery.com/JQuery_Core_Style_Guidelines)
- [Principles of Writing Consistent, Idiomatic JavaScript](https://github.com/rwldrn/idiomatic.js/)
**Other Styles**
- [Naming this in nested functions](https://gist.github.com/4135065) - Christian Johansen
- [Conditional Callbacks](https://github.com/airbnb/javascript/issues/52)
**Further Reading**
- [SuperheroJS](http://superherojs.com/)
- [Front-End Bookmarks](https://github.com/dypsilon/frontend-dev-bookmarks)
- [Understanding JavaScript Closures](http://javascriptweblog.wordpress.com/2010/10/25/understanding-javascript-closures/) - Angus Croll
- [Basic JavaScript for the impatient programmer](http://www.2ality.com/2013/06/basic-javascript.html) - Dr. Axel Rauschmayer
**Books**
- [JavaScript: The Good Parts](http://www.amazon.com/JavaScript-Good-Parts-Douglas-Crockford/dp/0596517742) - Douglas Crockford
- [Eloquent Javascript](http://eloquentjavascript.net/)
- [JavaScript Patterns](http://www.amazon.com/JavaScript-Patterns-Stoyan-Stefanov/dp/0596806752) - Stoyan Stefanov
- [Maintainable JavaScript](http://www.amazon.com/Maintainable-JavaScript-Nicholas-C-Zakas/dp/1449327680) - Nicholas C. Zakas
- [Secrets of the JavaScript Ninja](http://www.amazon.com/Secrets-JavaScript-Ninja-John-Resig/dp/193398869X) - John Resig and Bear Bibeault
- [JSBooks](http://jsbooks.revolunet.com/)
**Blogs**
- [Echo JS](http://echojs.com)
- [DailyJS](http://dailyjs.com/)
- [JavaScript Weekly](http://javascriptweekly.com/)
- [JavaScript, JavaScript...](http://javascriptweblog.wordpress.com/)
- [Bocoup Weblog](http://weblog.bocoup.com/)
- [Adequately Good](http://www.adequatelygood.com/)
- [NCZOnline](http://www.nczonline.net/)
- [Perfection Kills](http://perfectionkills.com/)
- [Ben Alman](http://benalman.com/)
- [Dmitry Baranovskiy](http://dmitry.baranovskiy.com/)
- [Dustin Diaz](http://dustindiaz.com/)
- [nettuts](http://net.tutsplus.com/?s=javascript)
**[[⬆]](#TOC)**
## <a name='license'>License</a>
(The MIT License)
Copyright (c) 2012 Airbnb
Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining
a copy of this software and associated documentation files (the
'Software'), to deal in the Software without restriction, including
without limitation the rights to use, copy, modify, merge, publish,
distribute, sublicense, and/or sell copies of the Software, and to
permit persons to whom the Software is furnished to do so, subject to
the following conditions:
The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be
included in all copies or substantial portions of the Software.
THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED 'AS IS', WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND,
EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF
MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT.
IN NO EVENT SHALL THE AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY
CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT,
TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM, OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE
SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE SOFTWARE.
**[[⬆]](#TOC)**
# };