Javascript – When should I use arrow functions in ECMAScript 6

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With () => {} and function () {} we are getting two very similar ways to write functions in ES6. In other languages lambda functions often distinguish themselves by being anonymous, but in ECMAScript any function can be anonymous. Each of the two types have unique usage domains (namely when this needs to either be bound explicitly or explicitly not be bound). Between those domains there are a vast number of cases where either notation will do.

Arrow functions in ES6 have at least two limitations:

  • Don't work with new and cannot be used when creating prototype
  • Fixed this bound to scope at initialisation

These two limitations aside, arrow functions could theoretically replace regular functions almost anywhere. What is the right approach using them in practice? Should arrow functions be used e.g.:

  • "everywhere they work", i.e. everywhere a function does not have to be agnostic about the this variable and we are not creating an object.
  • only "everywhere they are needed", i.e. event listeners, timeouts, that need to be bound to a certain scope
  • with 'short' functions, but not with 'long' functions
  • only with functions that do not contain another arrow function

I am looking for a guideline to selecting the appropriate function notation in the future version of ECMAScript. The guideline will need to be clear, so that it can be taught to developers in a team, and to be consistent so that it does not require constant refactoring back and forth from one function notation to another.

The question is directed at people who have thought about code style in the context of the upcoming ECMAScript 6 (Harmony) and who have already worked with the language.

Best Answer

A while ago our team migrated all its code (a mid-sized AngularJS app) to JavaScript compiled using Traceur Babel. I'm now using the following rule of thumb for functions in ES6 and beyond:

  • Use function in the global scope and for Object.prototype properties.
  • Use class for object constructors.
  • Use => everywhere else.

Why use arrow functions almost everywhere?

  1. Scope safety: When arrow functions are used consistently, everything is guaranteed to use the same thisObject as the root. If even a single standard function callback is mixed in with a bunch of arrow functions there's a chance the scope will become messed up.
  2. Compactness: Arrow functions are easier to read and write. (This may seem opinionated so I will give a few examples further on.)
  3. Clarity: When almost everything is an arrow function, any regular function immediately sticks out for defining the scope. A developer can always look up the next-higher function statement to see what the thisObject is.

Why always use regular functions on the global scope or module scope?

  1. To indicate a function that should not access the thisObject.
  2. The window object (global scope) is best addressed explicitly.
  3. Many Object.prototype definitions live in the global scope (think String.prototype.truncate, etc.) and those generally have to be of type function anyway. Consistently using function on the global scope helps avoid errors.
  4. Many functions in the global scope are object constructors for old-style class definitions.
  5. Functions can be named1. This has two benefits: (1) It is less awkward to writefunction foo(){} than const foo = () => {} — in particular outside other function calls. (2) The function name shows in stack traces. While it would be tedious to name every internal callback, naming all the public functions is probably a good idea.
  6. Function declarations are hoisted, (meaning they can be accessed before they are declared), which is a useful attribute in a static utility function.

Object constructors

Attempting to instantiate an arrow function throws an exception:

var x = () => {};
new x(); // TypeError: x is not a constructor

One key advantage of functions over arrow functions is therefore that functions double as object constructors:

function Person(name) {
    this.name = name;
}

However, the functionally identical2 ECMAScript Harmony draft class definition is almost as compact:

class Person {
    constructor(name) {
        this.name = name;
    }
}

I expect that use of the former notation will eventually be discouraged. The object constructor notation may still be used by some for simple anonymous object factories where objects are programmatically generated, but not for much else.

Where an object constructor is needed one should consider converting the function to a class as shown above. The syntax works with anonymous functions/classes as well.

Readability of arrow functions

The probably best argument for sticking to regular functions - scope safety be damned - would be that arrow functions are less readable than regular functions. If your code is not functional in the first place, then arrow functions may not seem necessary, and when arrow functions are not used consistently they look ugly.

ECMAScript has changed quite a bit since ECMAScript 5.1 gave us the functional Array.forEach, Array.map and all of these functional programming features that have us use functions where for loops would have been used before. Asynchronous JavaScript has taken off quite a bit. ES6 will also ship a Promise object, which means even more anonymous functions. There is no going back for functional programming. In functional JavaScript, arrow functions are preferable over regular functions.

Take for instance this (particularly confusing) piece of code3:

function CommentController(articles) {
    this.comments = [];

    articles.getList()
        .then(articles => Promise.all(articles.map(article => article.comments.getList())))
        .then(commentLists => commentLists.reduce((a, b) => a.concat(b)));
        .then(comments => {
            this.comments = comments;
        })
}

The same piece of code with regular functions:

function CommentController(articles) {
    this.comments = [];

    articles.getList()
        .then(function (articles) {
            return Promise.all(articles.map(function (article) {
                return article.comments.getList();
            }));
        })
        .then(function (commentLists) {
            return commentLists.reduce(function (a, b) {
                return a.concat(b);
            });
        })
        .then(function (comments) {
            this.comments = comments;
        }.bind(this));
}

While any one of the arrow functions can be replaced by a standard function, there would be very little to gain from doing so. Which version is more readable? I would say the first one.

I think the question whether to use arrow functions or regular functions will become less relevant over time. Most functions will either become class methods, which make away with the function keyword, or they will become classes. Functions will remain in use for patching classes through the Object.prototype. In the mean time I suggest reserving the function keyword for anything that should really be a class method or a class.

Notes

  1. Named arrow functions have been deferred in the ES6 specification. They might still be added a future version.
  2. According to the draft specification, "Class declarations/expressions create a constructor function/prototype pair exactly as for function declarations" as long as a class does not use the extend keyword. A minor difference is that class declarations are constants, whereas function declarations are not.
  3. Note on blocks in single statement arrow functions: I like to use a block wherever an arrow function is called for the side effect alone (e.g., assignment). That way it is clear that the return value can be discarded.
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