A mostly reasonable approach to JavaScript
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Other Style Guides
- Types
- References
- Objects
- Arrays
- Destructuring
- Strings
- Functions
- Arrow Functions
- Constructors
- Modules
- Iterators and Generators
- Properties
- Variables
- Hoisting
- Comparison Operators & Equality
- Blocks
- Comments
- Whitespace
- Commas
- Semicolons
- Type Casting & Coercion
- Naming Conventions
- Accessors
- Events
- jQuery
- ECMAScript 5 Compatibility
- ECMAScript 6 Styles
- Testing
- Performance
- Resources
- In the Wild
- Translation
- The JavaScript Style Guide Guide
- Chat With Us About JavaScript
- Contributors
- License
-
1.1 Primitives: When you access a primitive type you work directly on its value.
string
number
boolean
null
undefined
const foo = 1; let bar = foo; bar = 9; console.log(foo, bar); // => 1, 9
-
1.2 Complex: When you access a complex type you work on a reference to its value.
object
array
function
const foo = [1, 2]; const bar = foo; bar[0] = 9; console.log(foo[0], bar[0]); // => 9, 9
- 2.1 Use
const
for all of your references; avoid usingvar
.
Why? This ensures that you can't reassign your references (mutation), which can lead to bugs and difficult to comprehend code.
```javascript
// bad
var a = 1;
var b = 2;
// good
const a = 1;
const b = 2;
```
- 2.2 If you must mutate references, use
let
instead ofvar
.
Why?
let
is block-scoped rather than function-scoped likevar
.
```javascript
// bad
var count = 1;
if (true) {
count += 1;
}
// good, use the let.
let count = 1;
if (true) {
count += 1;
}
```
-
2.3 Note that both
let
andconst
are block-scoped.// const and let only exist in the blocks they are defined in. { let a = 1; const b = 1; } console.log(a); // ReferenceError console.log(b); // ReferenceError
-
3.1 Use the literal syntax for object creation.
// bad const item = new Object(); // good const item = {};
-
3.2 If your code will be executed in browsers in script context, don't use reserved words as keys. It won't work in IE8. More info. It’s OK to use them in ES6 modules and server-side code.
// bad const superman = { default: { clark: 'kent' }, private: true, }; // good const superman = { defaults: { clark: 'kent' }, hidden: true, };
-
3.3 Use readable synonyms in place of reserved words.
// bad const superman = { class: 'alien', }; // bad const superman = { klass: 'alien', }; // good const superman = { type: 'alien', };
- 3.4 Use computed property names when creating objects with dynamic property names.
Why? They allow you to define all the properties of an object in one place.
```javascript
function getKey(k) {
return `a key named ${k}`;
}
// bad
const obj = {
id: 5,
name: 'San Francisco',
};
obj[getKey('enabled')] = true;
// good
const obj = {
id: 5,
name: 'San Francisco',
[getKey('enabled')]: true,
};
```
-
3.5 Use object method shorthand.
// bad const atom = { value: 1, addValue: function (value) { return atom.value + value; }, }; // good const atom = { value: 1, addValue(value) { return atom.value + value; }, };
- 3.6 Use property value shorthand.
Why? It is shorter to write and descriptive.
```javascript
const lukeSkywalker = 'Luke Skywalker';
// bad
const obj = {
lukeSkywalker: lukeSkywalker,
};
// good
const obj = {
lukeSkywalker,
};
```
- 3.7 Group your shorthand properties at the beginning of your object declaration.
Why? It's easier to tell which properties are using the shorthand.
```javascript
const anakinSkywalker = 'Anakin Skywalker';
const lukeSkywalker = 'Luke Skywalker';
// bad
const obj = {
episodeOne: 1,
twoJediWalkIntoACantina: 2,
lukeSkywalker,
episodeThree: 3,
mayTheFourth: 4,
anakinSkywalker,
};
// good
const obj = {
lukeSkywalker,
anakinSkywalker,
episodeOne: 1,
twoJediWalkIntoACantina: 2,
episodeThree: 3,
mayTheFourth: 4,
};
```
-
4.1 Use the literal syntax for array creation.
// bad const items = new Array(); // good const items = [];
-
4.2 Use Array#push instead of direct assignment to add items to an array.
const someStack = []; // bad someStack[someStack.length] = 'abracadabra'; // good someStack.push('abracadabra');
-
4.3 Use array spreads
...
to copy arrays.// bad const len = items.length; const itemsCopy = []; let i; for (i = 0; i < len; i++) { itemsCopy[i] = items[i]; } // good const itemsCopy = [...items];
-
4.4 To convert an array-like object to an array, use Array#from.
const foo = document.querySelectorAll('.foo'); const nodes = Array.from(foo);
- 5.1 Use object destructuring when accessing and using multiple properties of an object.
Why? Destructuring saves you from creating temporary references for those properties.
```javascript
// bad
function getFullName(user) {
const firstName = user.firstName;
const lastName = user.lastName;
return `${firstName} ${lastName}`;
}
// good
function getFullName(obj) {
const { firstName, lastName } = obj;
return `${firstName} ${lastName}`;
}
// best
function getFullName({ firstName, lastName }) {
return `${firstName} ${lastName}`;
}
```
-
5.2 Use array destructuring.
const arr = [1, 2, 3, 4]; // bad const first = arr[0]; const second = arr[1]; // good const [first, second] = arr;
-
5.3 Use object destructuring for multiple return values, not array destructuring.
Why? You can add new properties over time or change the order of things without breaking call sites.
```javascript
// bad
function processInput(input) {
// then a miracle occurs
return [left, right, top, bottom];
}
// the caller needs to think about the order of return data
const [left, __, top] = processInput(input);
// good
function processInput(input) {
// then a miracle occurs
return { left, right, top, bottom };
}
// the caller selects only the data they need
const { left, right } = processInput(input);
```
-
6.1 Use single quotes
''
for strings.// bad const name = "Capt. Janeway"; // good const name = 'Capt. Janeway';
-
6.2 Strings longer than 100 characters should be written across multiple lines using string concatenation.
-
6.3 Note: If overused, long strings with concatenation could impact performance. jsPerf & Discussion.
// bad const errorMessage = 'This is a super long error that was thrown because of Batman. When you stop to think about how Batman had anything to do with this, you would get nowhere fast.'; // bad const errorMessage = 'This is a super long error that was thrown because \ of Batman. When you stop to think about how Batman had anything to do \ with this, you would get nowhere \ fast.'; // good const errorMessage = 'This is a super long error that was thrown because ' + 'of Batman. When you stop to think about how Batman had anything to do ' + 'with this, you would get nowhere fast.';
- 6.4 When programmatically building up strings, use template strings instead of concatenation.
Why? Template strings give you a readable, concise syntax with proper newlines and string interpolation features.
```javascript
// bad
function sayHi(name) {
return 'How are you, ' + name + '?';
}
// bad
function sayHi(name) {
return ['How are you, ', name, '?'].join();
}
// good
function sayHi(name) {
return `How are you, ${name}?`;
}
```
- 6.5 Never use eval() on a string, it opens too many vulnerabilities.
- 7.1 Use function declarations instead of function expressions.
Why? Function declarations are named, so they're easier to identify in call stacks. Also, the whole body of a function declaration is hoisted, whereas only the reference of a function expression is hoisted. This rule makes it possible to always use Arrow Functions in place of function expressions.
```javascript
// bad
const foo = function () {
};
// good
function foo() {
}
```
-
7.2 Function expressions:
// immediately-invoked function expression (IIFE) (() => { console.log('Welcome to the Internet. Please follow me.'); })();
-
7.3 Never declare a function in a non-function block (if, while, etc). Assign the function to a variable instead. Browsers will allow you to do it, but they all interpret it differently, which is bad news bears.
-
7.4 Note: ECMA-262 defines a
block
as a list of statements. A function declaration is not a statement. Read ECMA-262's note on this issue.// bad if (currentUser) { function test() { console.log('Nope.'); } } // good let test; if (currentUser) { test = () => { console.log('Yup.'); }; }
-
7.5 Never name a parameter
arguments
. This will take precedence over thearguments
object that is given to every function scope.// bad function nope(name, options, arguments) { // ...stuff... } // good function yup(name, options, args) { // ...stuff... }
- 7.6 Never use
arguments
, opt to use rest syntax...
instead.
Why?
...
is explicit about which arguments you want pulled. Plus rest arguments are a real Array and not Array-like likearguments
.
```javascript
// bad
function concatenateAll() {
const args = Array.prototype.slice.call(arguments);
return args.join('');
}
// good
function concatenateAll(...args) {
return args.join('');
}
```
-
7.7 Use default parameter syntax rather than mutating function arguments.
// really bad function handleThings(opts) { // No! We shouldn't mutate function arguments. // Double bad: if opts is falsy it'll be set to an object which may // be what you want but it can introduce subtle bugs. opts = opts || {}; // ... } // still bad function handleThings(opts) { if (opts === void 0) { opts = {}; } // ... } // good function handleThings(opts = {}) { // ... }
-
7.8 Avoid side effects with default parameters.
Why? They are confusing to reason about.
var b = 1;
// bad
function count(a = b++) {
console.log(a);
}
count(); // 1
count(); // 2
count(3); // 3
count(); // 3
-
7.9 Always put default parameters last.
// bad function handleThings(opts = {}, name) { // ... } // good function handleThings(name, opts = {}) { // ... }
-
7.10 Never use the Function constructor to create a new function.
Why? Creating a function in this way evaluates a string similarly to eval(), which opens vulnerabilities.
// bad var add = new Function('a', 'b', 'return a + b'); // still bad var subtract = Function('a', 'b', 'return a - b');
- 8.1 When you must use function expressions (as when passing an anonymous function), use arrow function notation.
Why? It creates a version of the function that executes in the context of
this
, which is usually what you want, and is a more concise syntax.
Why not? If you have a fairly complicated function, you might move that logic out into its own function declaration.
```javascript
// bad
[1, 2, 3].map(function (x) {
const y = x + 1;
return x * y;
});
// good
[1, 2, 3].map((x) => {
const y = x + 1;
return x * y;
});
```
- 8.2 If the function body consists of a single expression, feel free to omit the braces and use the implicit return. Otherwise use a
return
statement.
Why? Syntactic sugar. It reads well when multiple functions are chained together.
Why not? If you plan on returning an object.
```javascript
// good
[1, 2, 3].map(number => `A string containing the ${number}.`);
// bad
[1, 2, 3].map(number => {
const nextNumber = number + 1;
`A string containing the ${nextNumber}.`;
});
// good
[1, 2, 3].map(number => {
const nextNumber = number + 1;
return `A string containing the ${nextNumber}.`;
});
```
- 8.3 In case the expression spans over multiple lines, wrap it in parentheses for better readability.
Why? It shows clearly where the function starts and ends.
```js
// bad
[1, 2, 3].map(number => 'As time went by, the string containing the ' +
`${number} became much longer. So we needed to break it over multiple ` +
'lines.'
);
// good
[1, 2, 3].map(number => (
`As time went by, the string containing the ${number} became much ` +
'longer. So we needed to break it over multiple lines.'
));
```
- 8.4 If your function only takes a single argument, feel free to omit the parentheses.
Why? Less visual clutter.
```js
// good
[1, 2, 3].map(x => x * x);
// good
[1, 2, 3].reduce((y, x) => x + y);
```
- 9.1 Always use
class
. Avoid manipulatingprototype
directly.
Why?
class
syntax is more concise and easier to reason about.
```javascript
// bad
function Queue(contents = []) {
this._queue = [...contents];
}
Queue.prototype.pop = function() {
const value = this._queue[0];
this._queue.splice(0, 1);
return value;
}
// good
class Queue {
constructor(contents = []) {
this._queue = [...contents];
}
pop() {
const value = this._queue[0];
this._queue.splice(0, 1);
return value;
}
}
```
- 9.2 Use
extends
for inheritance.
Why? It is a built-in way to inherit prototype functionality without breaking
instanceof
.
```javascript
// bad
const inherits = require('inherits');
function PeekableQueue(contents) {
Queue.apply(this, contents);
}
inherits(PeekableQueue, Queue);
PeekableQueue.prototype.peek = function() {
return this._queue[0];
}
// good
class PeekableQueue extends Queue {
peek() {
return this._queue[0];
}
}
```
-
9.3 Methods can return
this
to help with method chaining.// bad Jedi.prototype.jump = function() { this.jumping = true; return true; }; Jedi.prototype.setHeight = function(height) { this.height = height; }; const luke = new Jedi(); luke.jump(); // => true luke.setHeight(20); // => undefined // good class Jedi { jump() { this.jumping = true; return this; } setHeight(height) { this.height = height; return this; } } const luke = new Jedi(); luke.jump() .setHeight(20);
-
9.4 It's okay to write a custom toString() method, just make sure it works successfully and causes no side effects.
class Jedi { constructor(options = {}) { this.name = options.name || 'no name'; } getName() { return this.name; } toString() { return `Jedi - ${this.getName()}`; } }
- 10.1 Always use modules (
import
/export
) over a non-standard module system. You can always transpile to your preferred module system.
Why? Modules are the future, let's start using the future now.
```javascript
// bad
const AirbnbStyleGuide = require('./AirbnbStyleGuide');
module.exports = AirbnbStyleGuide.es6;
// ok
import AirbnbStyleGuide from './AirbnbStyleGuide';
export default AirbnbStyleGuide.es6;
// best
import { es6 } from './AirbnbStyleGuide';
export default es6;
```
- 10.2 Do not use wildcard imports.
Why? This makes sure you have a single default export.
```javascript
// bad
import * as AirbnbStyleGuide from './AirbnbStyleGuide';
// good
import AirbnbStyleGuide from './AirbnbStyleGuide';
```
- 10.3 And do not export directly from an import.
Why? Although the one-liner is concise, having one clear way to import and one clear way to export makes things consistent.
```javascript
// bad
// filename es6.js
export { es6 as default } from './airbnbStyleGuide';
// good
// filename es6.js
import { es6 } from './AirbnbStyleGuide';
export default es6;
```
- 11.1 Don't use iterators. Prefer JavaScript's higher-order functions like
map()
andreduce()
instead of loops likefor-of
.
Why? This enforces our immutable rule. Dealing with pure functions that return values is easier to reason about than side-effects.
```javascript
const numbers = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5];
// bad
let sum = 0;
for (let num of numbers) {
sum += num;
}
sum === 15;
// good
let sum = 0;
numbers.forEach((num) => sum += num);
sum === 15;
// best (use the functional force)
const sum = numbers.reduce((total, num) => total + num, 0);
sum === 15;
```
- 11.2 Don't use generators for now.
Why? They don't transpile well to ES5.
-
12.1 Use dot notation when accessing properties.
const luke = { jedi: true, age: 28, }; // bad const isJedi = luke['jedi']; // good const isJedi = luke.jedi;
-
12.2 Use subscript notation
[]
when accessing properties with a variable.const luke = { jedi: true, age: 28, }; function getProp(prop) { return luke[prop]; } const isJedi = getProp('jedi');
-
13.1 Always use
const
to declare variables. Not doing so will result in global variables. We want to avoid polluting the global namespace. Captain Planet warned us of that.// bad superPower = new SuperPower(); // good const superPower = new SuperPower();
-
13.2 Use one
const
declaration per variable.Why? It's easier to add new variable declarations this way, and you never have to worry about swapping out a
;
for a,
or introducing punctuation-only diffs.// bad const items = getItems(), goSportsTeam = true, dragonball = 'z'; // bad // (compare to above, and try to spot the mistake) const items = getItems(), goSportsTeam = true; dragonball = 'z'; // good const items = getItems(); const goSportsTeam = true; const dragonball = 'z';
-
13.3 Group all your
const
s and then group all yourlet
s.
Why? This is helpful when later on you might need to assign a variable depending on one of the previous assigned variables.
```javascript
// bad
let i, len, dragonball,
items = getItems(),
goSportsTeam = true;
// bad
let i;
const items = getItems();
let dragonball;
const goSportsTeam = true;
let len;
// good
const goSportsTeam = true;
const items = getItems();
let dragonball;
let i;
let length;
```
- 13.4 Assign variables where you need them, but place them in a reasonable place.
Why?
let
andconst
are block scoped and not function scoped.
```javascript
// good
function() {
test();
console.log('doing stuff..');
//..other stuff..
const name = getName();
if (name === 'test') {
return false;
}
return name;
}
// bad - unnecessary function call
function(hasName) {
const name = getName();
if (!hasName) {
return false;
}
this.setFirstName(name);
return true;
}
// good
function(hasName) {
if (!hasName) {
return false;
}
const name = getName();
this.setFirstName(name);
return true;
}
```
-
14.1
var
declarations get hoisted to the top of their scope, their assignment does not.const
andlet
declarations are blessed with a new concept called Temporal Dead Zones (TDZ). It's important to know why typeof is no longer safe.// we know this wouldn't work (assuming there // is no notDefined global variable) function example() { console.log(notDefined); // => throws a ReferenceError } // creating a variable declaration after you // reference the variable will work due to // variable hoisting. Note: the assignment // value of `true` is not hoisted. function example() { console.log(declaredButNotAssigned); // => undefined var declaredButNotAssigned = true; } // The interpreter is hoisting the variable // declaration to the top of the scope, // which means our example could be rewritten as: function example() { let declaredButNotAssigned; console.log(declaredButNotAssigned); // => undefined declaredButNotAssigned = true; } // using const and let function example() { console.log(declaredButNotAssigned); // => throws a ReferenceError console.log(typeof declaredButNotAssigned); // => throws a ReferenceError const declaredButNotAssigned = true; }
-
14.2 Anonymous function expressions hoist their variable name, but not the function assignment.
function example() { console.log(anonymous); // => undefined anonymous(); // => TypeError anonymous is not a function var anonymous = function() { console.log('anonymous function expression'); }; }
-
14.3 Named function expressions hoist the variable name, not the function name or the function body.
function example() { console.log(named); // => undefined named(); // => TypeError named is not a function superPower(); // => ReferenceError superPower is not defined var named = function superPower() { console.log('Flying'); }; } // the same is true when the function name // is the same as the variable name. function example() { console.log(named); // => undefined named(); // => TypeError named is not a function var named = function named() { console.log('named'); } }
-
14.4 Function declarations hoist their name and the function body.
function example() { superPower(); // => Flying function superPower() { console.log('Flying'); } }
-
For more information refer to JavaScript Scoping & Hoisting by Ben Cherry.
-
15.1 Use
===
and!==
over==
and!=
. -
15.2 Conditional statements such as the
if
statement evaluate their expression using coercion with theToBoolean
abstract method and always follow these simple rules:- Objects evaluate to true
- Undefined evaluates to false
- Null evaluates to false
- Booleans evaluate to the value of the boolean
- Numbers evaluate to false if +0, -0, or NaN, otherwise true
- Strings evaluate to false if an empty string
''
, otherwise true
if ([0]) { // true // An array is an object, objects evaluate to true }
-
15.3 Use shortcuts.
// bad if (name !== '') { // ...stuff... } // good if (name) { // ...stuff... } // bad if (collection.length > 0) { // ...stuff... } // good if (collection.length) { // ...stuff... }
-
15.4 For more information see Truth Equality and JavaScript by Angus Croll.
-
16.1 Use braces with all multi-line blocks.
// bad if (test) return false; // good if (test) return false; // good if (test) { return false; } // bad function() { return false; } // good function() { return false; }
-
16.2 If you're using multi-line blocks with
if
andelse
, putelse
on the same line as yourif
block's closing brace.// bad if (test) { thing1(); thing2(); } else { thing3(); } // good if (test) { thing1(); thing2(); } else { thing3(); }
-
17.1 Use
/** ... */
for multi-line comments. Include a description, specify types and values for all parameters and return values.// bad // make() returns a new element // based on the passed in tag name // // @param {String} tag // @return {Element} element function make(tag) { // ...stuff... return element; } // good /** * make() returns a new element * based on the passed in tag name * * @param {String} tag * @return {Element} element */ function make(tag) { // ...stuff... return element; }
-
17.2 Use
//
for single line comments. Place single line comments on a newline above the subject of the comment. Put an empty line before the comment.// bad const active = true; // is current tab // good // is current tab const active = true; // bad function getType() { console.log('fetching type...'); // set the default type to 'no type' const type = this._type || 'no type'; return type; } // good function getType() { console.log('fetching type...'); // set the default type to 'no type' const type = this._type || 'no type'; return type; }
-
17.3 Prefixing your comments with
FIXME
orTODO
helps other developers quickly understand if you're pointing out a problem that needs to be revisited, or if you're suggesting a solution to the problem that needs to be implemented. These are different than regular comments because they are actionable. The actions areFIXME -- need to figure this out
orTODO -- need to implement
. -
17.4 Use
// FIXME:
to annotate problems.class Calculator extends Abacus { constructor() { super(); // FIXME: shouldn't use a global here total = 0; } }
-
17.5 Use
// TODO:
to annotate solutions to problems.class Calculator extends Abacus { constructor() { super(); // TODO: total should be configurable by an options param this.total = 0; } }
-
18.1 Use soft tabs set to 2 spaces.
// bad function() { ∙∙∙∙const name; } // bad function() { ∙const name; } // good function() { ∙∙const name; }
-
18.2 Place 1 space before the leading brace.
// bad function test(){ console.log('test'); } // good function test() { console.log('test'); } // bad dog.set('attr',{ age: '1 year', breed: 'Bernese Mountain Dog', }); // good dog.set('attr', { age: '1 year', breed: 'Bernese Mountain Dog', });
-
18.3 Place 1 space before the opening parenthesis in control statements (
if
,while
etc.). Place no space before the argument list in function calls and declarations.// bad if(isJedi) { fight (); } // good if (isJedi) { fight(); } // bad function fight () { console.log ('Swooosh!'); } // good function fight() { console.log('Swooosh!'); }
-
18.4 Set off operators with spaces.
// bad const x=y+5; // good const x = y + 5;
-
18.5 End files with a single newline character.
// bad (function(global) { // ...stuff... })(this);
// bad (function(global) { // ...stuff... })(this);↵ ↵
// good (function(global) { // ...stuff... })(this);↵
-
18.6 Use indentation when making long method chains. Use a leading dot, which emphasizes that the line is a method call, not a new statement.
// bad $('#items').find('.selected').highlight().end().find('.open').updateCount(); // bad $('#items'). find('.selected'). highlight(). end(). find('.open'). updateCount(); // good $('#items') .find('.selected') .highlight() .end() .find('.open') .updateCount(); // bad const leds = stage.selectAll('.led').data(data).enter().append('svg:svg').class('led', true) .attr('width', (radius + margin) * 2).append('svg:g') .attr('transform', 'translate(' + (radius + margin) + ',' + (radius + margin) + ')') .call(tron.led); // good const leds = stage.selectAll('.led') .data(data) .enter().append('svg:svg') .classed('led', true) .attr('width', (radius + margin) * 2) .append('svg:g') .attr('transform', 'translate(' + (radius + margin) + ',' + (radius + margin) + ')') .call(tron.led);
-
18.7 Leave a blank line after blocks and before the next statement.
// bad if (foo) { return bar; } return baz; // good if (foo) { return bar; } return baz; // bad const obj = { foo() { }, bar() { }, }; return obj; // good const obj = { foo() { }, bar() { }, }; return obj; // bad const arr = [ function foo() { }, function bar() { }, ]; return arr; // good const arr = [ function foo() { }, function bar() { }, ]; return arr;
-
19.1 Leading commas: Nope.
// bad const story = [ once , upon , aTime ]; // good const story = [ once, upon, aTime, ]; // bad const hero = { firstName: 'Ada' , lastName: 'Lovelace' , birthYear: 1815 , superPower: 'computers' }; // good const hero = { firstName: 'Ada', lastName: 'Lovelace', birthYear: 1815, superPower: 'computers', };
-
19.2 Additional trailing comma: Yup.
Why? This leads to cleaner git diffs. Also, transpilers like Babel will remove the additional trailing comma in the transpiled code which means you don't have to worry about the trailing comma problem in legacy browsers.
```javascript
// bad - git diff without trailing comma
const hero = {
firstName: 'Florence',
- lastName: 'Nightingale'
+ lastName: 'Nightingale',
+ inventorOf: ['coxcomb graph', 'modern nursing']
};
// good - git diff with trailing comma
const hero = {
firstName: 'Florence',
lastName: 'Nightingale',
+ inventorOf: ['coxcomb chart', 'modern nursing'],
};
// bad
const hero = {
firstName: 'Dana',
lastName: 'Scully'
};
const heroes = [
'Batman',
'Superman'
];
// good
const hero = {
firstName: 'Dana',
lastName: 'Scully',
};
const heroes = [
'Batman',
'Superman',
];
```
-
20.1 Yup.
// bad (function() { const name = 'Skywalker' return name })() // good (() => { const name = 'Skywalker'; return name; })(); // good (guards against the function becoming an argument when two files with IIFEs are concatenated) ;(() => { const name = 'Skywalker'; return name; })();
-
21.1 Perform type coercion at the beginning of the statement.
-
21.2 Strings:
// => this.reviewScore = 9; // bad const totalScore = this.reviewScore + ''; // good const totalScore = String(this.reviewScore);
-
21.3 Use
parseInt
for Numbers and always with a radix for type casting.const inputValue = '4'; // bad const val = new Number(inputValue); // bad const val = +inputValue; // bad const val = inputValue >> 0; // bad const val = parseInt(inputValue); // good const val = Number(inputValue); // good const val = parseInt(inputValue, 10);
-
21.4 If for whatever reason you are doing something wild and
parseInt
is your bottleneck and need to use Bitshift for performance reasons, leave a comment explaining why and what you're doing.// good /** * parseInt was the reason my code was slow. * Bitshifting the String to coerce it to a * Number made it a lot faster. */ const val = inputValue >> 0;
-
21.5 Note: Be careful when using bitshift operations. Numbers are represented as 64-bit values, but Bitshift operations always return a 32-bit integer (source). Bitshift can lead to unexpected behavior for integer values larger than 32 bits. Discussion. Largest signed 32-bit Int is 2,147,483,647:
2147483647 >> 0 //=> 2147483647 2147483648 >> 0 //=> -2147483648 2147483649 >> 0 //=> -2147483647
-
21.6 Booleans:
const age = 0; // bad const hasAge = new Boolean(age); // good const hasAge = Boolean(age); // good const hasAge = !!age;
-
22.1 Avoid single letter names. Be descriptive with your naming.
// bad function q() { // ...stuff... } // good function query() { // ..stuff.. }
-
22.2 Use camelCase when naming objects, functions, and instances.
// bad const OBJEcttsssss = {}; const this_is_my_object = {}; function c() {} // good const thisIsMyObject = {}; function thisIsMyFunction() {}
-
22.3 Use PascalCase when naming constructors or classes.
// bad function user(options) { this.name = options.name; } const bad = new user({ name: 'nope', }); // good class User { constructor(options) { this.name = options.name; } } const good = new User({ name: 'yup', });
-
22.4 Use a leading underscore
_
when naming private properties.// bad this.__firstName__ = 'Panda'; this.firstName_ = 'Panda'; // good this._firstName = 'Panda';
-
22.5 Don't save references to
this
. Use arrow functions or Function#bind.// bad function foo() { const self = this; return function() { console.log(self); }; } // bad function foo() { const that = this; return function() { console.log(that); }; } // good function foo() { return () => { console.log(this); }; }
-
22.6 If your file exports a single class, your filename should be exactly the name of the class.
// file contents class CheckBox { // ... } export default CheckBox; // in some other file // bad import CheckBox from './checkBox'; // bad import CheckBox from './check_box'; // good import CheckBox from './CheckBox';
-
22.7 Use camelCase when you export-default a function. Your filename should be identical to your function's name.
function makeStyleGuide() { } export default makeStyleGuide;
-
22.8 Use PascalCase when you export a singleton / function library / bare object.
const AirbnbStyleGuide = { es6: { } }; export default AirbnbStyleGuide;
-
23.1 Accessor functions for properties are not required.
-
23.2 If you do make accessor functions use getVal() and setVal('hello').
// bad dragon.age(); // good dragon.getAge(); // bad dragon.age(25); // good dragon.setAge(25);
-
23.3 If the property is a
boolean
, useisVal()
orhasVal()
.// bad if (!dragon.age()) { return false; } // good if (!dragon.hasAge()) { return false; }
-
23.4 It's okay to create get() and set() functions, but be consistent.
class Jedi { constructor(options = {}) { const lightsaber = options.lightsaber || 'blue'; this.set('lightsaber', lightsaber); } set(key, val) { this[key] = val; } get(key) { return this[key]; } }
-
24.1 When attaching data payloads to events (whether DOM events or something more proprietary like Backbone events), pass a hash instead of a raw value. This allows a subsequent contributor to add more data to the event payload without finding and updating every handler for the event. For example, instead of:
// bad $(this).trigger('listingUpdated', listing.id); ... $(this).on('listingUpdated', function(e, listingId) { // do something with listingId });
prefer:
// good $(this).trigger('listingUpdated', { listingId: listing.id }); ... $(this).on('listingUpdated', function(e, data) { // do something with data.listingId });
-
25.1 Prefix jQuery object variables with a
$
.// bad const sidebar = $('.sidebar'); // good const $sidebar = $('.sidebar'); // good const $sidebarBtn = $('.sidebar-btn');
-
25.2 Cache jQuery lookups.
// bad function setSidebar() { $('.sidebar').hide(); // ...stuff... $('.sidebar').css({ 'background-color': 'pink' }); } // good function setSidebar() { const $sidebar = $('.sidebar'); $sidebar.hide(); // ...stuff... $sidebar.css({ 'background-color': 'pink' }); }
-
25.3 For DOM queries use Cascading
$('.sidebar ul')
or parent > child$('.sidebar > ul')
. jsPerf -
25.4 Use
find
with scoped jQuery object queries.// bad $('ul', '.sidebar').hide(); // bad $('.sidebar').find('ul').hide(); // good $('.sidebar ul').hide(); // good $('.sidebar > ul').hide(); // good $sidebar.find('ul').hide();
- 26.1 Refer to Kangax's ES5 compatibility table.
- 27.1 This is a collection of links to the various es6 features.
- Arrow Functions
- Classes
- Object Shorthand
- Object Concise
- Object Computed Properties
- Template Strings
- Destructuring
- Default Parameters
- Rest
- Array Spreads
- Let and Const
- Iterators and Generators
- Modules
-
28.1 Yup.
function() { return true; }
- On Layout & Web Performance
- String vs Array Concat
- Try/Catch Cost In a Loop
- Bang Function
- jQuery Find vs Context, Selector
- innerHTML vs textContent for script text
- Long String Concatenation
- Loading...
Learning ES6
- Draft ECMA 2015 (ES6) Spec
- ExploringJS
- ES6 Compatibility Table
- Comprehensive Overview of ES6 Features
Read This
Tools
- Code Style Linters
Other Style Guides
- Google JavaScript Style Guide
- jQuery Core Style Guidelines
- Principles of Writing Consistent, Idiomatic JavaScript
Other Styles
- Naming this in nested functions - Christian Johansen
- Conditional Callbacks - Ross Allen
- Popular JavaScript Coding Conventions on Github - JeongHoon Byun
- Multiple var statements in JavaScript, not superfluous - Ben Alman
Further Reading
- Understanding JavaScript Closures - Angus Croll
- Basic JavaScript for the impatient programmer - Dr. Axel Rauschmayer
- You Might Not Need jQuery - Zack Bloom & Adam Schwartz
- ES6 Features - Luke Hoban
- Frontend Guidelines - Benjamin De Cock
Books
- JavaScript: The Good Parts - Douglas Crockford
- JavaScript Patterns - Stoyan Stefanov
- Pro JavaScript Design Patterns - Ross Harmes and Dustin Diaz
- High Performance Web Sites: Essential Knowledge for Front-End Engineers - Steve Souders
- Maintainable JavaScript - Nicholas C. Zakas
- JavaScript Web Applications - Alex MacCaw
- Pro JavaScript Techniques - John Resig
- Smashing Node.js: JavaScript Everywhere - Guillermo Rauch
- Secrets of the JavaScript Ninja - John Resig and Bear Bibeault
- Human JavaScript - Henrik Joreteg
- Superhero.js - Kim Joar Bekkelund, Mads Mobæk, & Olav Bjorkoy
- JSBooks - Julien Bouquillon
- Third Party JavaScript - Ben Vinegar and Anton Kovalyov
- Effective JavaScript: 68 Specific Ways to Harness the Power of JavaScript - David Herman
- Eloquent JavaScript - Marijn Haverbeke
- You Don't Know JS: ES6 & Beyond - Kyle Simpson
Blogs
- DailyJS
- JavaScript Weekly
- JavaScript, JavaScript...
- Bocoup Weblog
- Adequately Good
- NCZOnline
- Perfection Kills
- Ben Alman
- Dmitry Baranovskiy
- Dustin Diaz
- nettuts
Podcasts
This is a list of organizations that are using this style guide. Send us a pull request or open an issue and we'll add you to the list.
- Aan Zee: AanZee/javascript
- Adult Swim: adult-swim/javascript
- Airbnb: airbnb/javascript
- Apartmint: apartmint/javascript
- Avalara: avalara/javascript
- Billabong: billabong/javascript
- Blendle: blendle/javascript
- ComparaOnline: comparaonline/javascript
- Compass Learning: compasslearning/javascript-style-guide
- DailyMotion: dailymotion/javascript
- Digitpaint digitpaint/javascript
- Evernote: evernote/javascript-style-guide
- ExactTarget: ExactTarget/javascript
- Expensify Expensify/Style-Guide
- Flexberry: Flexberry/javascript-style-guide
- Gawker Media: gawkermedia/javascript
- General Electric: GeneralElectric/javascript
- GoodData: gooddata/gdc-js-style
- Grooveshark: grooveshark/javascript
- How About We: howaboutwe/javascript
- Huballin: huballin/javascript
- InfoJobs: InfoJobs/JavaScript-Style-Guide
- Intent Media: intentmedia/javascript
- Jam3: Jam3/Javascript-Code-Conventions
- JSSolutions: JSSolutions/javascript
- Kinetica Solutions: kinetica/javascript
- Mighty Spring: mightyspring/javascript
- MinnPost: MinnPost/javascript
- MitocGroup: MitocGroup/javascript
- ModCloth: modcloth/javascript
- Money Advice Service: moneyadviceservice/javascript
- Muber: muber/javascript
- National Geographic: natgeo/javascript
- National Park Service: nationalparkservice/javascript
- Nimbl3: nimbl3/javascript
- Orion Health: orionhealth/javascript
- Peerby: Peerby/javascript
- Razorfish: razorfish/javascript-style-guide
- reddit: reddit/styleguide/javascript
- REI: reidev/js-style-guide
- Ripple: ripple/javascript-style-guide
- SeekingAlpha: seekingalpha/javascript-style-guide
- Shutterfly: shutterfly/javascript
- Springload: springload/javascript
- StudentSphere: studentsphere/javascript
- Target: target/javascript
- TheLadders: TheLadders/javascript
- T4R Technology: T4R-Technology/javascript
- VoxFeed: VoxFeed/javascript-style-guide
- Weggo: Weggo/javascript
- Zillow: zillow/javascript
- ZocDoc: ZocDoc/javascript
This style guide is also available in other languages:
- Brazilian Portuguese: armoucar/javascript-style-guide
- Bulgarian: borislavvv/javascript
- Catalan: fpmweb/javascript-style-guide
- Chinese(Traditional): jigsawye/javascript
- Chinese(Simplified): sivan/javascript-style-guide
- French: nmussy/javascript-style-guide
- German: timofurrer/javascript-style-guide
- Italian: sinkswim/javascript-style-guide
- Japanese: mitsuruog/javacript-style-guide
- Korean: tipjs/javascript-style-guide
- Polish: mjurczyk/javascript
- Russian: uprock/javascript
- Spanish: paolocarrasco/javascript-style-guide
- Thai: lvarayut/javascript-style-guide
- Find us on gitter.
(The MIT License)
Copyright (c) 2014 Airbnb
Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy of this software and associated documentation files (the 'Software'), to deal in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions:
The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in all copies or substantial portions of the Software.
THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED 'AS IS', WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM, OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE SOFTWARE.
We encourage you to fork this guide and change the rules to fit your team's style guide. Below, you may list some amendments to the style guide. This allows you to periodically update your style guide without having to deal with merge conflicts.