What is the best way to save multiple instances of a JavaScript function with varying parameters in an array and execute them

Question

What is the best way to save multiple instances of a JavaScript function with varying parameters in an array and execute them

I'm looking for a way to efficiently reuse a function multiple times with different ids depending on various conditions, such as select values. Instead of creating a new function for each id, I want a more dynamic approach to handle the potential multitude of ids in the future.

var getValue = function(id){

    var Element = document.getElementById(id);

    if(Element){
        if(Element.value){
            return " " + Element.value;
        }
        return "";
    }
    return "";
}

I have an array that contains several other functions:

FunctionList = [ SomeFunction, SomeFunction2 ];

Depending on certain criteria, I need to incorporate the getValue function into this array with varying parameters.

FunctionList.push(getValue(SomeId1));
FunctionList.push(getValue(SomeId2));
FunctionList.push(getValue(SomeOtherId));

In the end, I must concatenate the outputs of these functions (which are strings) into another string.

var updateCode = function(){
    var code = CodeHeader;
    for (var i=0; i<FunctionList.length; i++){
        code += FunctionList[i]();
    } 
    return code;
}

However, I am encountering challenges using it in this manner, as some elements within the array are not function names anymore. While I prefer solutions in pure JavaScript, I'm open to using jQuery or alternative frameworks if necessary.

javascript

Answer 1

Answer №1

If you want to create a custom function on the spot, you can utilize bind:

FunctionList.push(getValue.bind(null, SomeId1));

The first parameter (null here) serves as the context (this) during function execution.

This approach differs from your initial method:

FunctionList.push(getValue(SomeId1));

... because in the latter case, you are not pushing a function but the outcome of executing a function. On the other hand, bind creates a new function based on the provided one without immediately executing it.

Another Option

In the scenario where you consistently call the same function with varying arguments, you could opt for an array solely containing those arguments:

argumentList.push(SomeId1); // Not the function itself, just the argument
// ...and so forth

Subsequently, the revised version of updateCode would be:

var updateCode = function(){
    var code = CodeHeader;
    for (var i=0; i<argumentList.length; i++){
        code += getValue(argumentList[i]);
    } 
    return code;
}

... or using map for conciseness:

var updateCode = () => CodeHeader + argumentList.map(getValue).join("");

In the above one-liner, if your getValue function prepends the returned value with a space, you can skip that step and simply apply .join(" "). However, note that this adjustment may not handle empty return values in the same manner.

Answer 2

If you want to create a custom function on the spot, you can utilize bind:

FunctionList.push(getValue.bind(null, SomeId1));

The first parameter (null here) serves as the context (this) during function execution.

This approach differs from your initial method:

FunctionList.push(getValue(SomeId1));

... because in the latter case, you are not pushing a function but the outcome of executing a function. On the other hand, bind creates a new function based on the provided one without immediately executing it.

Another Option

In the scenario where you consistently call the same function with varying arguments, you could opt for an array solely containing those arguments:

argumentList.push(SomeId1); // Not the function itself, just the argument
// ...and so forth

Subsequently, the revised version of updateCode would be:

var updateCode = function(){
    var code = CodeHeader;
    for (var i=0; i<argumentList.length; i++){
        code += getValue(argumentList[i]);
    } 
    return code;
}

... or using map for conciseness:

var updateCode = () => CodeHeader + argumentList.map(getValue).join("");

In the above one-liner, if your getValue function prepends the returned value with a space, you can skip that step and simply apply .join(" "). However, note that this adjustment may not handle empty return values in the same manner.

What is the best way to save multiple instances of a JavaScript function with varying parameters in an array and execute them

Answer №1

Another Option

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