Reasoning behind splitting this solution into a function utilizing Javascript

Today, while working on a coderbyte problem, I managed to solve it on my own without any outside help, and it felt fantastic. However, upon completion, I realized that I solved it without creating any functions. Rather, I kept referring back to a previous variable. This made me wonder, is it crucial to employ functions when solving a problem? From a broader perspective, what are the benefits of converting a solution like mine into a function (or multiple functions)?

The problem involved breaking down a number representing minutes into hours and minutes. The process I used should be relatively straightforward to understand.

var num = 400;
var hourdivide = ( num / 60 );
var digits = hourdivide.toString().split('');
var hour = digits[0]
var almost = 60 * digits[0]
var minutes = num - almost

console.log( "you have  " + hour + " hours and " + minutes + " minutes left" )  

Answer №1

One of the main reasons for breaking down code into functions is the ability to reuse and compose it.

Let's explore how we can convert the given code into a helpful function.

function minutesToHours(num) {
  var hourdivide = ( num / 60 );
  var digits = hourdivide.toString().split('');
  var hour = digits[0]
  var almost = 60 * digits[0]
  var minutes = num - almost;

  return [hour, minutes];
}

This function now provides an array with two values that can be utilized in any project.


Sometimes we may not want to display the same message every time. By converting it into a function, we gain the ability to control that aspect separately from the actual operation (separation of concerns).

var time = minutesToHours(404);
console.log("you have", time[0], "hours and", time[1], " minutes left");

Using a function enables us to parameterize our code, allowing the same logic to handle computations for different inputs, which is advantageous especially with loops in your code.

for(var i = 0; i < 100; i++) {
  console.log(minutesToHours(i));
}

Converting code into functions also promotes composability by establishing a standard format. We can rely on receiving an array from this function with hours always at index 0 and minutes at index 1.

This consistency enables us to create other functions that anticipate this type of output.

function printTime(time, divider) {
  var hours = time[0],
      minutes = time[1];

  return [hours, divider, minutes].join('');
}

Now we can perform actions like:

var time = minutesToHours(4041);
printTime(time, ':'); // prints "67:21"

Answer №2

An advantage of converting this into a function is that you can easily use it multiple times without replicating the entire code block. Instead, you can simply call the function like this: convert(550).

For example:

function convert(minutes){
  var hourdivide = ( minutes / 60 );
  var digits = hourdivide.toString().split('');
  var hours = digits[0];
  var almost = 60 * digits[0];
  var minutes = minutes - almost;
  return "Hours: "+hours+" Minutes: "+minutes;
  }

alert(convert(550));
alert(convert(82));
alert(convert(223));

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