24.81. Function: a JavaScript function ECMAScript v1: Object  Function 24.81.1. Synopsis function functionname(argument_name_list) // Function definition statement { body} function (argument_name_list) {body} // Unnamed function literal functionname(argument_value_list) // Function invocation
24.81.2. Constructor new Function(argument_names..., body) 24.81.2.1. Arguments
argument_names... Any number of string arguments, each naming one or more arguments of the Function object being created.
body A string that specifies the body of the function. It may contain any number of JavaScript statements, separated with semicolons, and may refer to any of the argument names specified by previous arguments to the constructor. 24.81.2.2. Returns A newly created Function object. Invoking the function executes the JavaScript code specified by body. 24.81.2.3. Throws
SyntaxError Indicates that there was a JavaScript syntax error in the body argument or in one of the argument_names arguments. 24.81.3. Properties
arguments[] An array of arguments that were passed to the function. Deprecated.
caller A reference to the Function object that invoked this one, or null if the function was invoked from top-level code. Deprecated.
length The number of named arguments specified when the function was declared.
prototype An object which, for a constructor function, defines properties and methods shared by all objects created with that constructor function. 24.81.4. Methods
apply( ) Invokes a function as a method of a specified object, passing a specified array of arguments.
call( ) Invokes a function as a method of a specified object, passing the specified arguments.
toString( ) Returns a string representation of the function. 24.81.5. Description A function is a fundamental datatype in JavaScript. Chapter 8 explains how to define and use functions, and Chapter 9 covers the related topics of methods, constructors, and the prototype property of functions. See those chapters for complete details. Note that although function objects may be created with the Function( ) constructor described here, this is not efficient, and the preferred way to define functions, in most cases, is with a function definition statement or a function literal. In JavaScript 1.1 and later, the body of a function is automatically given a local variable, named arguments, that refers to an Arguments object. This object is an array of the values passed as arguments to the function. Don't confuse this with the deprecated arguments[] property listed earlier. See the Arguments reference page for details. 24.81.6. See Also Arguments; Chapter 8, Chapter 9 |
