Client side programming

Lecture #4

slides.com/jkohlin/js4/live

This week: Chapter 3

Till next week:
Read chapter 4

you know break?

 

There's another cool utility for those

outerLoop: 
while( confirm("continue?") ) {
    var answer = prompt("your name:");
    var loops = 0;
    while(loops < 5){
        loops += 1;
        if (answer == "Joe") {
            break outerLoop;
        }
    }
}

Labels

Add them just above a loop or, actually, any code block.

Then by adding break yourLabelName; you will jump to the end of that code block

BTW

one:
{
    var rnd = Math.random();
    if (rnd > 0.5) {
        break one;
    }
    console.log("rnd is less than 0.5");
}
console.log(rnd)

Functions

reusable save-for-later-code-blocks

Encapsulated statements that won't run until you tell it to run, or until the user tells it to run via an interaction. 

 

Functions can be versatile and dynamic by using parameters. That way, one function can do different things.

 

The most important part of programming.

This script will run
once, and at once.

<body>
  <button onclick="headsOrTails()">flip</button>
</body>

Functions let you run the code later, and again

function headsOrTails() {
    coin = Math.round(Math.random())
	if (coin == 0) {
        coin = "HEADS"
    } else {
        coin = "TAILS"
    }
  	console.log(coin)
}

functions

can have preferences 

function scream(message) {
  alert( message.toUpperCase() )
}
scream("yabadabadoo!")

https://codepen.io/jkohlin/pen/MWWVqRm?editors=0011

functions

can have preferences 

function area(width, height) {
  alert( width * height )
}
area(45, 20) // 900
area(10, 5) // 50
<body>
  <button onclick="headsOrTails(0)">Heads</button>
  <button onclick="headsOrTails(1)">Tails</button>
</body>

Parameters make functions dynamic

same function, different results

function headsOrTails(bet) {
  var coin = Math.round(Math.random())
  if (coin === bet) {
    console.log("you won!")
  } else {
    console.log("you lost.")
  }
}

The first argument you pass to a function will be the value of the first parameter.

Arguments

See page 83-86

A value's journey from 

 arguments / PARAMETERS and variables

see page 90

A function is a value

var headsOrTails = function(bet) {
  var coin = Math.round(Math.random())
  if (coin === bet) {
    console.log("you won!")
  } else {
    console.log("you lost.")
  }
};

The entire function body is saved to memory

This is an alternative way to declare a function. 

kinda' how it works:

{ 
  var coin = Math.round(Math.random())
  if (coin === bet) {
    console.log("you won!")
  } else {
    console.log("you lost.")
  }
}

name: headsOrTails

Type: function

input-variable 1: bet

function body:

The statements in the function are saved to memory as a code block. The statements aren't resolved.

Memory information stored

This means

…you can pass it along

function scream(message) {
  console.log( message.toUpperCase() );
}

var yell = scream;

yell("excuse me") // EXCUSE ME

There are some complex functions stored in the JavaScript compiler like this one

uint64_t s[2];
uint64_t next(void) {
  uint64_t s1 = s[0];
  uint64_t s0 = s[1];
  uint64_t result = s0 + s1;
  s[0] = s0;
  s1 ^= s1 << 23; // a
  s[1] = s1 ^ s0 ^ (s1 >> 17) ^ (s0 >> 26); // b, c
  return result;
}
Math.random(); // A lot easier than the code below

Lucky we didn't have to write this each time. 

a better random function

https://codepen.io/jkohlin/pen/VwwXVZe?editors=0011

Functions can also return things,  
–Be an expression that resolves to a value

var c = 4;
function half(num) {
  return num/2;
}
var a = half( c * 3 ) ;

If you don't have a return 

var c = 4;
function half(num) {
  num/2;
}
var a = half( c * 3 ) ; // a= undefined

the function returns undefined 

var c = 4;
function half(num) {
  return num/2;
  alert('boo hoo, I will not popup');
}
var a = half( c * 3 ) ;

return...

also quits the function.

return works like break in a loop. It will return a value and then stop reading the rest of the code in the function

Let's just, once and for all 

get expressions

Sort out the expresions

Create a better random function

What happens when you call a function from within another function?!

😲😱

see page 98-108


var gName = "Jane";

function printer() {  
  var name = "Tarzan";
  verb = " loves "  
  console.log(name + verb + gName);
}

console.log(gName);

see page 98-108


var gName = "Jane";

function printer() {  
  var name = "Tarzan";
  verb = " loves "  
  console.log(name + verb + gName);
}

console.log(gName);

LOCAL

GLOBAL

If you forget the var keyword inside functions,

the variable will be declared in the global scope

Other resources

if you still don't understand it…

…Because you have to learn this