This content originally appeared on DEV Community and was authored by Abdullah Numan
In JavaScript, wrapping the entire content of a source file generally comes with immediately invoking it. The function is called an Immediately Invoked Function Expression, or IIFE. It is also called a Self-Executing Anonymous Function.
(function () {
/* … */
})();
It's a design pattern commonly used in ES6 Module Pattern. It helps us encapsulate data and functionality in a JS source file, i.e. a node module such as React, Redux, etc.
IIFEs are significant because:
- they help with namespacing functions and variables in a library. Namespacing helps us prevent polluting the global namespace.
- they help us control privacy of variables and functions. With an IIFE, we are able to expose only the APIs that we want to -- by returning them in an object, and hide the rest.
References
This content originally appeared on DEV Community and was authored by Abdullah Numan
Abdullah Numan | Sciencx (2022-07-17T04:03:22+00:00) What is the significance of, and reason for, wrapping the entire content of a JavaScript source file in a function block?. Retrieved from https://www.scien.cx/2022/07/17/what-is-the-significance-of-and-reason-for-wrapping-the-entire-content-of-a-javascript-source-file-in-a-function-block/
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