Essential JavaScript Functions

JavaScript is actually a high level interpreted scripting language that necessarily conforms to the ECMAScript specification. This scripting language is used along with HTML5 as well as CSS3 is friendly used by the web developers for the purpose of development of responsive web applications which makes the website friendly to be browsed on any devices. This is the exact reason as to why JavaScript is being used readily in the recent times by the developers for web development.

Apart from being a client-side scripting language, JavaScript provides a lot of features which is of a great help to the users for the purpose of creating robust websites without the need of writing longer lines of code. In an addition to this, JavaScript is very much capable of reducing the time required for coding by the programmers with the use of a variety of functions that are pre-built.

Being a group of reusable code, the functions of JavaScript allow the programmers in making the codebase much modular and necessarily avoid writing the same piece of code time after time. Moreover, the developers can take a very good advantage of the pre-built functions of JavaScript. A few of the essential JavaScript functions are as listed below.

JavaScript functions

1. decodeURI

The decodeURI is a function that can be used for the purpose of identifying as well as decoding the standard components of the URI. The whitespaces, spaces and other similar characters in a URI gives rise to a number of parsing problems in the programming languages which are commonly replaced with the Unicode characters that are relevant with the use of the in built decodeURI function of JavaScript.

2. debounce

The debounce function is another useful JavaScript function that allows for a call back function that can be used more than once in the stipulated frame of time. This is of a great help at the time of assigning a call back function to the events that are frequently-firing. This function can help in significantly speeding up of events and can be used with a scroll, resize, or key event.

3. poll

It is a function that helps in making things much easier. It allows the users to periodically "poll" the server and ask for fresh information. The server simply responds and sends fresh information to the client. The best is that the whole process is automatic which makes sure that the users need not gave to manually check for the updates.

4. once

This function allows the developer to run a given functionality for a single time. 'once' runs for a single time for the page without running again for that same page which is beneficial in avoiding duplicate initialization. 'once' is used for calling a function and not at the time of defining the function. Most importantly, ‘once’ can be used with any of the existing functions including those that are in the external libraries.

5. toString

Many times, the developers need to validate a value by asking users for the purpose of confirming that the input was submitted. Thus, they require to display the values as string irrespective of their types of data. The 'toString' function is used with a number of objects for displaying their values as character.

6. prompt

At the time of designing a website, developers frequently require the users for inputting a specific value prior accessing the web page. This pre-built function plays a crucial role in helping the programmers by prompting the users to ask an input value with the help of a prompt box. Now, the users require to enter the value and click ‘OK’ or ‘CANCEL’ button for accessing the web page without which it is not possible.

7. alert

It is quite a simple JavaScript function but still it is used by both beginners as well as the experienced programmers. This function is of a great help to the programmers in conveying a specific message to the users with the help of a dialogue box.

Apart from these, there are a number of other functions is JavaScript that benefits the programmers in some or the other ways.