✨ Now with the new ESLint Flat Config Format! ✨
A mostly reasonable approach to JavaScript
Or... Mainly NodeJS...
- Make sure ESLint is installed. For VSCode, download the extension here
- Navigate inside your project
- Install Babel-ESLint*:
$npm install @babel/eslint-parser @babel/core eslint --save-dev
- Get the config:
$wget https://raw.githubusercontent.com/NullDev/JavaScript-Styleguide/master/eslint.config.js
- Done! :)
*) The rationale for using Babel-ESLint is that it supports the newest Stage-3 ECMAScript features.
Or use the NullDev Project Template ...
... with already preset config files and project structure
$ npm i
- and you're ready to go!
-
📋 Types
-
📦 Objects
-
📑 Arrays
-
📄 Strings
-
View contents
- 7.1 Strict mode
- 7.2 Declarations
- 7.3 IIFE's
- 7.4 Non-function blocks
- 7.5 Blocks (Info)
- 7.6 Arguments shadow
- 7.7 Rest
- 7.8 Default parameters
- 7.9 Side effects
- 7.10 Defaults last
- 7.11 Function constructor
- 7.12 Signature spacing
- 7.13 Mutating parameters
- 7.14 Reassigning parameters
- 7.15 Spread
- 7.16 Signature invocation indentation
-
📮 Modules
-
⤴️ Hoisting -
🔲 Blocks
-
📝 Comments
-
View contents
- 19.1 Soft tabs
- 19.2 Space Before blocks
- 19.3 Around keywords
- 19.4 Infix operators
- 19.5 LF Line-breaks
- 19.6 End of file
- 19.7 Chains
- 19.8 After blocks
- 19.9 Padded blocks
- 19.10 Inside parentheses
- 19.11 Inside brackets
- 19.12 Inside curly braces
- 19.13 Line length
- 19.14 Block spacing
- 19.15 Comma spacing
- 19.16 Computed properties
- 16.17 Function call spacing
- 19.18 Key spacing
- 19.19 No Trailing spaces
- 19.20 Multiple empty lines
-
🔻 Commas
-
View contents
- 21.1 Use semicolons
-
⬇️ Accessors
-
🔆 Events
View contents
- 25.1 Hash
-
🔩 jQuery
-
View contents
- 28.1 Compatibility table
-
🔌 Testing
View contents
- 30.1 Tests
-
View contents
- 31.1 Performance
-
©️ Copyright
-
♻️ Amendments
View contents
- 34.1 Forking
-
1.1 Primitives: When you access a primitive type you work directly on its value.
string
number
boolean
null
undefined
symbol
bigint
const foo = 1; let bar = foo; bar = 9; console.log(foo, bar); // => 1, 9
- Symbols and BigInts cannot be faithfully polyfilled, so they should not be used when targeting browsers/environments that don't support them natively.
-
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
. eslint:prefer-const
,no-const-assign
Why? This ensures that you can’t reassign your references, which can lead to bugs and difficult to comprehend code.
// bad var a = 1; var b = 2; // good const a = 1; const b = 2;
-
2.2 If you must reassign references, use
let
instead ofvar
. eslint:no-var
Why?
let
is block-scoped rather than function-scoped likevar
.// bad var count = 1; if (true){ count += 1; } // good 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; var c = 1; } console.log(a); // ReferenceError: a is not defined console.log(b); // ReferenceError: b is not defined console.log(c); // 1
-
3.1 Use the literal syntax for object creation. eslint:
no-new-object
// bad const item = new Object(); // good const item = {};
-
3.2 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.
function getKey(k){ return `a key named ${k}`; } // bad const obj = { id: 5, name: "foo", }; obj[getKey("enabled")] = true; // good const obj = { id: 5, name: "foo", [getKey("enabled")]: true, };
-
3.3 Use object method shorthand. eslint:
object-shorthand
// bad const foo = { value: 1, addValue: function (value) { return foo.value + value; } }; // good const foo = { value: 1, addValue(value) { return foo.value + value; } };
-
3.4 Use property value shorthand. eslint:
object-shorthand
Why? It is shorter and descriptive.
const foo = "bar"; // bad const obj = { foo: foo, }; // good const obj = { foo, };
-
3.5 Group your shorthand properties at the beginning of your object declaration.
Why? It’s easier to tell which properties are using the shorthand.
const foo = "bar"; const bar = "foo"; // bad const obj = { test: 1, key: 2, foo, abc: 3, xyz: 4, bar, }; // good const obj = { foo, bar, test: 1, key: 2, abc: 3, xyz: 4, };
-
3.6 Only quote properties that are invalid identifiers. eslint:
quote-props
Why? In general it is subjectively easier to read. It improves syntax highlighting, and is also more easily optimized by many JS engines.
// bad const bad = { "foo": 3, "bar": 4, "data-foo": 5, }; // good const good = { foo: 3, bar: 4, "data-foo": 5, };
-
3.7 Do not call
Object.prototype
methods directly, such ashasOwnProperty
,propertyIsEnumerable
, andisPrototypeOf
. eslint:no-prototype-builtins
Why? These methods may be shadowed by properties on the object in question - consider
{ hasOwnProperty: false }
- or, the object may be a null object (Object.create(null)
).// bad object.hasOwnProperty(key); // good Object.prototype.hasOwnProperty.call(object, key); // best - Stage 3 Proposal: // https://github.com/tc39/proposal-accessible-object-hasownproperty Object.hasOwn(object, key);
-
3.8 Prefer the object spread operator over
Object.assign
to shallow-copy objects. Use the object rest operator to get a new object with certain properties omitted.// very bad const original = { a: 1, b: 2 }; const copy = Object.assign(original, { c: 3 }); // this mutates `original` delete copy.a; // so does this // bad const original = { a: 1, b: 2 }; const copy = Object.assign({}, original, { c: 3 }); // copy => { a: 1, b: 2, c: 3 } // good const original = { a: 1, b: 2 }; const copy = { ...original, c: 3 }; // copy => { a: 1, b: 2, c: 3 } const { a, ...noA } = copy; // noA => { b: 2, c: 3 }
-
4.1 Use the literal syntax for array creation. eslint:
no-array-constructor
// 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] = "foobar"; // good someStack.push("foobar");
-
4.3 Use array spreads
...
to copy arrays. (Read more...)// bad const len = items.length; const itemsCopy = []; let i; for (i = 0; i < len; i += 1){ itemsCopy[i] = items[i]; } // good const itemsCopy = [...items];
-
4.4 To convert an iterable object to an array, use spreads
...
instead ofArray.from
.const foo = document.querySelectorAll(".foo"); // good const nodes = Array.from(foo); // best const nodes = [...foo];
-
4.5 Use
Array.from
for converting an array-like object to an array.const arrLike = { 0: "foo", 1: "bar", 2: "baz", length: 3 }; // bad const arr = Array.prototype.slice.call(arrLike); // good const arr = Array.from(arrLike);
-
4.6 Use
Array.from
instead of spread...
for mapping over iterables, because it avoids creating an intermediate array.// bad const baz = [...foo].map(bar); // good const baz = Array.from(foo, bar);
-
4.7 Use return statements in array method callbacks. It’s ok to omit the return if the function body consists of a single statement returning an expression without side effects, following 8.2. eslint:
array-callback-return
// good [1, 2, 3].map((x) => { const y = x + 1; return x * y; }); // good [1, 2, 3].map(x => x + 1); // bad - no returned value means `acc` becomes undefined after the first iteration [[0, 1], [2, 3], [4, 5]].reduce((acc, item, index) => { const flatten = acc.concat(item); }); // good [[0, 1], [2, 3], [4, 5]].reduce((acc, item, index) => { const flatten = acc.concat(item); return flatten; }); // bad inbox.filter((msg) => { const { subject, response } = msg; if (subject === "foo") return response === "bar"; else return false; }); // good inbox.filter((msg) => { const { subject, response } = msg; if (subject === "foo") return response === "bar"; return false; });
-
4.8 Use line breaks after open and before close array brackets if an array has multiple lines
// bad const arr = [[0, 1], [2, 3], [4, 5]]; const objectInArray = [{ id: 1, }, { id: 2, }]; const numberInArray = [ 1, 2, ... ]; // good const arr = [ [0, 1], [2, 3], [4, 5], ... ]; const objectInArray = [ { id: 1, }, { id: 2, }, ]; const numberInArray = [ 1, 2, ... ];
-
5.1 Use object destructuring when accessing and using multiple properties of an object. eslint:
prefer-destructuring
Why? Destructuring saves you from creating temporary references for those properties, and from repetitive access of the object. Repeating object access creates more repetitive code, requires more reading, and creates more opportunities for mistakes. Destructuring objects also provides a single site of definition of the object structure that is used in the block, rather than requiring reading the entire block to determine what is used.
// bad function getFullName(user){ const firstName = user.firstName; const lastName = user.lastName; return `${firstName} ${lastName}`; } // good function getFullName(user){ const { firstName, lastName } = user; return `${firstName} ${lastName}`; } // best function getFullName({ firstName, lastName }){ return `${firstName} ${lastName}`; }
-
5.2 Use array destructuring. eslint:
prefer-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.
// 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, top } = processInput(input);
-
6.1 Use double quotes
""
for strings instead of single quotes''
. eslint:quotes
Why? While other Styleguides may enforce single quotes, they mostly do it because of consistency (in favor of older projects). Here are some reasons for using double quotes:
- Double quotes eliminate the need to escape apostrophes:
"I'm"
vs'I\'m'
. - From a linguistic point of view, double quotes identify a passage of quoted text while single quotes are commonly used as a contraction.
- Double quotes are used to define strings in many other languages. Single quotes are used to define
char
's in some. - JSON Strings are only valid with double quotes.
// bad const name = 'foo bar'; // bad - template literals should contain interpolation or newlines const name = `foo bar`; // good const name = "foo bar";
- Double quotes eliminate the need to escape apostrophes:
-
6.2 Strings that cause the line to go over 100 characters should not be written across multiple lines using string concatenation.
Why? Broken strings are painful to work with and make code less searchable.
// bad const errorMessage = "This is a super long error - lorem ipsum dolor \ sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Aenean commodo ligula eget \ dolor. Aenean massa. Cum sociis natoque \ penatibus et."; // bad const errorMessage = "This is a super long error - lorem ipsum dolor " + "sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Aenean commodo ligula eget " + "dolor. Aenean massa. Cum sociis natoque " + "penatibus et."; // good const errorMessage = "This is a super long error - lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Aenean commodo ligula eget dolor. Aenean massa. Cum sociis natoque penatibus et.";
-
6.3 When programmatically building up strings, use template strings instead of concatenation. eslint:
prefer-template
template-curly-spacing
Why? Template strings give you a readable, concise syntax with proper newlines and string interpolation features.
// bad function sayHi(name){ return "How are you, " + name + "?"; } // very bad function sayHi(name){ return ["How are you, ", name, "?"].join(); } // bad as well function sayHi(name){ return `How are you, ${ name }?`; } // good function sayHi(name){ return `How are you, ${name}?`; }
-
6.5 Do not unnecessarily escape characters in strings. eslint:
no-useless-escape
Why? Backslashes harm readability, thus they should only be present when necessary.
// bad const foo = '\'this\' \i\s \"quoted\"'; // good const foo = "\"this\" is 'quoted'"; const foo = `my name is "${name}"`;
-
6.6 Do not split regular expressions, even if some parts are used multiple times. The only exception are computed RegEx'es.
Why? It has a great impact on readability and can lead to extremely confusing code
// bad const baseSite = "http(?:s?):\/\/website\.com\/"; const topic = "(?:top|new|user\/\w+\/(?:uploads|likes))(?:(?:\/\w+)?)\/(\d+)"; const comment = "(?:(?::)comment(\d+))"; const uploadsRegex = new RegExp(baseSite + topic, "gi"); const commentRegex = new RegExp(baseSite + topic + comment, "gi"); const profileRegex = new RegExp(baseSite + "user\/(\w+)", "gi"); // good const uploadsRegex = /http(?:s?):\/\/website\.com\/(?:top|new|user\/\w+\/(?:uploads|likes))(?:(?:\/\w+)?)\/(\d+)/gi; const commentRegex = /http(?:s?):\/\/website\.com\/(?:top|new|user\/\w+\/(?:uploads|likes))(?:(?:\/\w+)?)\/(\d+)(?:(?::)comment(\d+))/gi; const profileRegex = /http(?:s?):\/\/website\.com\/user\/(\w+)/gi;
-
7.1 Write the
"use strict";
directive in each and every script you code and put it on the first line to scope it globally. Also, make an empty line below it. eslint:strict
Why? It is a good way to make your code safer. This is because strict mode doesn't allow the usage of dangerous features which could work in a way you wouldn't expect. Some things it does:
- It disallows non-explicit global variables.
- Silent failing assignments will throw errors instead.
- It requires all property names in an object literal to be unique.
- Function parameter names must be unique as well.
Also you do not need to worry about browser compartibility. It is not a statement, but a literal expression, ignored by earlier versions of JavaScript. Read more about strict mode and why you should use it.
Note: Modules are exempt from this rule because they always run in strict-mode.0 // bad 1 console.log("Foo"); 2 let x = function(){ 3 console.log("Bar"); 4 }; 5 --- 0 // bad 1 console.log("Foo"); 2 let x = function(){ 3 "use strict"; 4 // strict mode is enabled in the scope of this function only! 5 console.log("Bar"); 6 }; 7 --- 0 "use strict"; 1 2 // ^ Good 3 console.log("Foo"); 4 let x = function(){ 5 console.log("Bar"); 6 }; 7
-
7.2 Use named function expressions instead of function declarations. eslint:
func-style
Why? Function declarations are hoisted, which means that it’s easy - too easy - to reference the function before it is defined in the file. This harms readability and maintainability. If you find that a function’s definition is large or complex enough that it is interfering with understanding the rest of the file, then perhaps it’s time to extract it to its own module! Don’t forget to explicitly name the expression, regardless of whether or not the name is inferred from the containing variable (which is often the case in modern browsers or when using compilers such as Babel). This eliminates any assumptions made about the Error's call stack. (Discussion)
// bad function foo(){ // ... } // okay let foo = function(){ // ... }; // good // lexical name distinguished from the variable-referenced invocation(s) let short = function longUniqueMoreDescriptiveLexicalFoo(){ // ... };
-
7.3 Wrap immediately invoked function expressions in parentheses. eslint:
wrap-iife
Why? An immediately invoked function expression is a single unit - wrapping both it, and its invocation parens, in parens, cleanly expresses this. Note that in a world with modules everywhere, you almost never need an IIFE.
// immediately-invoked function expression (IIFE) // bad !function(){ /* ... */ }(); ~function(){ /* ... */ }(); -function(){ /* ... */ }(); +function(){ /* ... */ }(); void function(){ /* ... */ }(); // good (function(){ console.log("I'm an IIFE"); }());
- 7.4 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. eslint:no-loop-func
-
7.5 Note: ECMA-262 defines a
block
as a list of statements. A function declaration is not a statement.// bad if (currentUser){ function test(){ console.log("Foo"); } } // good let test; if (currentUser){ test = () => { console.log("Foo"); }; }
-
7.6 Never name a parameter
arguments
. This will take precedence over thearguments
object that is given to every function scope.// bad function foo(name, options, arguments){ // ... } // good function foo(name, options, args){ // ... }
-
7.7 Never use
arguments
, opt to use rest syntax...
instead. eslint:prefer-rest-params
Why?
...
is explicit about which arguments you want pulled. Plus, rest arguments are a real Array, and not merely Array-like likearguments
.// bad function concatenateAll(){ const args = Array.prototype.slice.call(arguments); return args.join(""); } // good function concatenateAll(...args){ return args.join(""); }
-
7.8 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 = {}){ // ... }
-
7.9 Avoid side effects with default parameters.
Why? They are confusing to reason about.
let b = 1; // bad function count(a = b++){ console.log(a); } count(); // 1 count(); // 2 count(3); // 3 count(); // 3
-
7.10 Always put default parameters last.
// bad function handleThings(opts = {}, name){ // ... } // good function handleThings(name, opts = {}){ // ... }
-
7.11 Never use the Function constructor to create a new function. eslint:
no-new-func
Why? Creating a function in this way evaluates a string similarly to
eval()
, which opens vulnerabilities.// bad let add = new Function("a", "b", "return a + b"); // still bad let subtract = Function("a", "b", "return a - b");
-
7.12 Spacing in a function signature. eslint:
space-before-function-paren
space-before-blocks
Why? Consistency is good, and you shouldn’t have to add or remove a space when adding or removing a name.
// bad const f = function () {}; const g = function (){}; const h = function() {}; // good const x = function(){}; const y = function a(){};
-
7.13 Never mutate parameters. eslint:
no-param-reassign
Why? Manipulating objects passed in as parameters can cause unwanted variable side effects in the original caller.
// bad function f1(obj){ obj.key = 1; } // good function f2(obj){ const key = Object.prototype.hasOwnProperty.call(obj, "key") ? obj.key : 1; }
-
7.14 Never reassign parameters. eslint:
no-param-reassign
Why? Reassigning parameters can lead to unexpected behavior, especially when accessing the
arguments
object. It can also cause optimization issues, especially in V8 (and therefore NodeJS as well).// bad function f1(a){ a = 1; // ... } function f2(a){ if (!a) a = 1; // ... } // good function f3(a){ const b = a || 1; // ... } function f4(a = 1){ // ... }
-
7.15 Prefer the use of the spread operator
...
to call variadic functions. eslint:prefer-spread
Why? It’s cleaner, you don’t need to supply a context, and you can not easily compose
new
withapply
.// bad const x = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]; console.log.apply(console, x); // good const x = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]; console.log(...x); // bad new (Function.prototype.bind.apply(Date, [null, 2016, 8, 5])); // good new Date(...[2016, 8, 5]);
-
7.16 Functions with multiline signatures, or invocations, should be indented just like every other multiline list in this guide: with each item on a line by itself and with a trailing comma on the last item. eslint:
function-paren-newline
// bad function foo(bar, baz, quux){ // ... } // good function foo( bar, baz, quux, ... ){ // ... } // bad console.log(foo, bar, baz); // good console.log( foo, bar, baz, ... );
-
8.1 When you must use an anonymous function (as when passing an inline callback), use arrow function notation. eslint:
prefer-arrow-callback
,arrow-spacing
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 named function expression.
// 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 statement returning an expression without side effects, omit the braces and use the implicit return. Otherwise, keep the braces and use a
return
statement. eslint:arrow-parens
,arrow-body-style
Why? Syntactic sugar. It reads well when multiple functions are chained together.
// bad [1, 2, 3].map(number => { const nextNumber = number + 1; `A string containing the ${nextNumber}.`; }); // good [1, 2, 3].map(number => `A string containing the ${number + 1}.`); // good [1, 2, 3].map((number) => { const nextNumber = number + 1; return `A string containing the ${nextNumber}.`; }); // good [1, 2, 3].map((number, index) => ({ [index]: number, })); // No implicit return with side effects function foo(callback){ const val = callback(); if (val === true){ // Do something if callback returns true } } let bool = false; // bad foo(() => bool = true); // good foo(() => { bool = true; });
-
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.
// bad ["get", "post", "put"].map(httpMethod => Object.prototype.hasOwnProperty.call( httpMagicObjectWithAVeryLongName, httpMethod, ) ); // good ["get", "post", "put"].map(httpMethod => ( Object.prototype.hasOwnProperty.call( httpMagicObjectWithAVeryLongName, httpMethod, ) ));
-
8.4 If your function takes a single argument and doesn’t use braces, omit the parentheses. Otherwise, always include parentheses around arguments for clarity and consistency. Note: it is also acceptable to always use parentheses, in which case use the “always” option for eslint. eslint:
arrow-parens
Why? Less visual clutter.
// bad [1, 2, 3].map((x) => x * x); // good [1, 2, 3].map(x => x * x); // good [1, 2, 3].map(number => ( `A long string with the ${number}. It’s so long that we don’t want it to take up space on the .map line!` )); // bad [1, 2, 3].map(x => { const y = x + 1; return x * y; }); // good [1, 2, 3].map((x) => { const y = x + 1; return x * y; });
-
8.5 Avoid confusing arrow function syntax (
=>
) with comparison operators (<=
,>=
). eslint:no-confusing-arrow
// bad const itemHeight = item => item.height > 256 ? item.largeSize : item.smallSize; // bad const itemHeight = (item) => item.height > 256 ? item.largeSize : item.smallSize; // good const itemHeight = item => (item.height > 256 ? item.largeSize : item.smallSize); // good const itemHeight = (item) => { const { height, largeSize, smallSize } = item; return height > 256 ? largeSize : smallSize; };
-
8.6 Enforce the location of arrow function bodies with implicit returns. eslint:
implicit-arrow-linebreak
// bad (foo) => bar; (foo) => (bar); // good (foo) => bar; (foo) => (bar); (foo) => ( bar )
-
9.1 Always use
class
. Avoid manipulatingprototype
directly.Why?
class
syntax is more concise and easier to reason about.// 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
.// 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 Player.prototype.jump = function(){ this.jumping = true; return true; }; Player.prototype.setHeight = function(height){ this.height = height; }; const foo = new Player(); foo.jump(); // => true foo.setHeight(20); // => undefined // good class Player { jump(){ this.jumping = true; return this; } setHeight(height){ this.height = height; return this; } } const foo = new Player(); foo.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 Player { constructor(options = {}) { this.name = options.name || "no name"; } getName(){ return this.name; } toString(){ return `Player - ${this.getName()}`; } }
-
9.5 Classes have a default constructor if one is not specified. An empty constructor function or one that just delegates to a parent class is unnecessary. eslint:
no-useless-constructor
// bad class Player { constructor() {} getName(){ return this.name; } } // bad class Foo extends Player { constructor(...args){ super(...args); } } // good class Foo extends Player { constructor(...args){ super(...args); this.name = "Foo"; } }
-
9.6 Avoid duplicate class members. eslint:
no-dupe-class-members
Why? Duplicate class member declarations will silently prefer the last one - having duplicates is almost certainly a bug.
// bad class Foo { bar(){ return 1; } bar(){ return 2; } } // good class Foo { bar(){ return 1; } } // good class Foo { bar(){ return 2; } }
-
9.7 Class methods should use
this
or be made into a static method unless an external library or framework requires to use specific non-static methods. Being an instance method should indicate that it behaves differently based on properties of the receiver. eslint:class-methods-use-this
// bad class Foo { bar(){ console.log("bar"); } } // good - this is used class Foo { bar(){ console.log(this.bar); } } // good - constructor is exempt class Foo { constructor(){ // ... } } // good - static methods aren't expected to use this class Foo { static bar(){ console.log("bar"); } }
-
10.1 Stick to CommonJS Imports (RequireJS / module.exports).
Why? Not many of the current browser engines implements import/export from the ES6 standard. In NodeJS,
require()
is still the standard way of importing modules. Plus, in NodeJS you can make use of dynamic module loading and Require's API's in general, where you can control caching as well.// bad import foo from "bar"; export default bar; // bad import { foo } from "bar"; export default bar; // good let foo = require("bar"); module.exports = bar;
-
10.2 Only import from a path in one place. eslint:
no-duplicate-imports
Why? Having multiple lines that import from the same path can make code harder to maintain.
// bad let foo = require("bar"); // … some other imports … let { foo2, foo3 } = require("bar"); // good let { foo, foo1, foo2 } = require("bar"); // good let { foo, foo1, foo2, } = require("bar");
-
10.3 Do not export mutable bindings. eslint:
import/no-mutable-exports
Why? Mutation should be avoided in general, but in particular when exporting mutable bindings. While this technique may be needed for some special cases, in general, only constant references should be exported.
// bad let foo = 3; module.exports = foo; // good const foo = 3; module.exports = foo;
-
10.4 Put all
import
s above non-import statements. eslint:import/first
Why? Since
import
s are hoisted, keeping them all at the top prevents surprising behavior.// bad let foo = require("foo"); foo.init(); let bar = require("bar"); // good let foo = require("foo"); let bar = require("bar"); foo.init();
-
10.5 Do not include JavaScript filename extensions eslint:
import/extensions
Why? Including extensions inhibits refactoring, and inappropriately hardcodes implementation details of the module you're importing in every consumer.
// bad import foo from "./foo.js"; import bar from "./bar.jsx"; import baz from "./baz/index.jsx"; // good import foo from "./foo"; import bar from "./bar"; import baz from "./baz";
-
10.6 Multiline imports should be indented just like multiline array and object literals. eslint:
object-curly-newline
Why? The curly braces follow the same indentation rules as every other curly brace block in the style guide.
// bad let { longNameA, longNameB, longNameC, longNameD, longNameE } = require("path"); // good let { longNameA, longNameB, longNameC, longNameD, longNameE, } = require("path");
-
11.1 Don’t use iterators. Prefer JavaScript’s higher-order functions instead of loops like
for-in
orfor-of
. eslint:no-iterator
no-restricted-syntax
Why? Dealing with pure functions that return values is easier to reason about than side effects.
Use
map()
/every()
/filter()
/find()
/findIndex()
/reduce()
/some()
/ ... to iterate over arrays, andObject.keys()
/Object.values()
/Object.entries()
to produce arrays so you can iterate over objects.Note:
for-in
andfor-of
are mostly OK as well. Especially for small operations. Higher-order functions however are best practice.const numbers = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]; // ok... 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; // bad const increasedByOne = []; for (let i = 0; i < numbers.length; i++){ increasedByOne.push(numbers[i] + 1); } // good const increasedByOne = []; numbers.forEach((num) => { increasedByOne.push(num + 1); }); // best (keeping it functional) const increasedByOne = numbers.map(num => num + 1);
-
11.2 Use generators only in NodeJS for now.
Why? They don’t transpile well to ES5.
-
11.3 If you must use generators, or if you disagree with 11.2, make sure their function signature is spaced properly. eslint:
generator-star-spacing
Why?
function
and*
are part of the same conceptual keyword -*
is not a modifier forfunction
,function*
is a unique construct, different fromfunction
.// bad function * foo(){ // ... } // bad let bar = function * (){ // ... }; // bad let baz = function *(){ // ... }; // bad let quux = function* (){ // ... }; // bad function*foo(){ // ... } // bad function *foo(){ // ... } // very bad function * foo(){ // ... } // very bad let foo = function * (){ // ... }; // good function* foo(){ // ... } // good let foo = function*(){ // ... };
-
12.1 Use dot notation when accessing properties. eslint:
dot-notation
const foo = { bar: true, baz: 5, }; // bad const isTrue = foo["bar"]; // good const isTrue = foo.bar;
-
12.2 Use bracket notation
[]
when accessing properties with a variable or if the key includes illegal characters.const foo = { bar: true, baz: 5, "test-1": "foo" }; function getProp(prop) { return foo[prop]; } const isTrue = getProp("bar"); const bar = foo["test-1"];
-
12.3 Use exponentiation operator
**
when calculating exponentiations. eslint:no-restricted-properties
.// bad const binary = Math.pow(2, 10); // good const binary = 2 ** 10;
-
13.1 Always use
const
orlet
to declare variables. Not doing so will result in global variables. We want to avoid polluting the global namespace. Variables declared withoutconst
,let
orvar
are disallowed in strict mode as well. eslint:no-undef
prefer-const
// bad foo = new Foo(); // good const foo = new Foo();
-
13.2 Use one
const
orlet
declaration per variable or assignment. eslint:one-var
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. You can also step through each declaration with the debugger, instead of jumping through all of them at once.// bad const items = getItems(), foo = true, bar = "baz"; // bad // (compare to above, and try to spot the mistake) const items = getItems(), foo = true; bar = "baz"; // good const items = getItems(); const foo = true; const bar = "baz";
-
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 previously assigned variables.
// bad let i, len, foo, items = getItems(), bar = true; // bad let i; const items = getItems(); let foo; const bar = true; let len; // good const bar = true; const items = getItems(); let foo; 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.// bad - unnecessary function call function checkName(hasName){ const name = getName(); if (hasName === "test") return false; if (name === "test"){ this.setName(""); return false; } return name; } // good function checkName(hasName){ if (hasName === "test") return false; const name = getName(); if (name === "test"){ this.setName(""); return false; } return name; }
-
13.5 Don’t chain variable assignments. eslint:
no-multi-assign
Why? Chaining variable assignments creates implicit global variables.
// bad (function example(){ /** * JavaScript interprets this as * let a = ( b = ( c = 1 ) ); * The let keyword only applies to variable a; variables b and c become * global variables. */ let a = b = c = 1; }()); console.log(a); // throws ReferenceError console.log(b); // 1 console.log(c); // 1 // good (function example(){ let a = 1; let b = a; let c = a; }()); console.log(a); // throws ReferenceError console.log(b); // throws ReferenceError console.log(c); // throws ReferenceError // the same applies for `const`
-
13.6 Avoid using unary increments and decrements (
++
,--
). eslintno-plusplus
Why? Per the eslint documentation, unary increment and decrement statements are subject to automatic semicolon insertion and can cause silent errors with incrementing or decrementing values within an application. It is also more expressive to mutate your values with statements like
num += 1
instead ofnum++
ornum ++
. Disallowing unary increment and decrement statements also prevents you from pre-incrementing/pre-decrementing values unintentionally which can also cause unexpected behavior in your programs.// bad const array = [1, 2, 3]; let num = 1; num++; --num; let sum = 0; let truthyCount = 0; for (let i = 0; i < array.length; i++){ let value = array[i]; sum += value; if (value) truthyCount++; } // good const array = [1, 2, 3]; let num = 1; num += 1; num -= 1; const sum = array.reduce((a, b) => a + b, 0); const truthyCount = array.filter(Boolean).length;
-
13.7 Avoid linebreaks before or after
=
in an assignment. If your assignment violatesmax-len
, surround the value in parens. eslintoperator-linebreak
.Why? Linebreaks surrounding
=
can obfuscate the value of an assignment.// bad const foo = superLongLongLongLongLongLongLongLongFunctionName(); // bad const foo = "superLongLongLongLongLongLongLongLongString"; // good const foo = ( superLongLongLongLongLongLongLongLongFunctionName() ); // good const foo = "superLongLongLongLongLongLongLongLongString";
-
13.8 Disallow unused variables. eslint:
no-unused-vars
Why? Variables that are declared and not used anywhere in the code are most likely an error due to incomplete refactoring. Such variables take up space in the code and can lead to confusion by readers.
// bad let some_unused_var = 42; // Write-only variables are not considered as used. let y = 10; y = 5; // A read for a modification of itself is not considered as used. let z = 0; z = z + 1; // Unused function arguments. function getX(x, y){ return x; } // good function getXPlusY(x, y){ return x + y; } let x = 1; let y = a + 2; alert(getXPlusY(x, y)); // 'type' is ignored even if unused because it has a rest property sibling. // This is a form of extracting an object that omits the specified keys. let { type, ...coords } = data; // 'coords' is now the 'data' object without its 'type' property.
-
13.9 Do not floor variables with the bitwise or (
x | 0
). UseMath.floor()
or if you mustMath.trunc()
.Why? First off, it does not floor the number. It truncates it (rounding towards 0). It causes odd Comparative behavior as well:
Math.floor(NaN) === NaN
, while(NaN | 0) === 0
. Also, it works with 32-bit signed integers only. As mentioned above, useMath.trunc()
if you have to. It is the ES5 equivalent of| 0
and it is able to work with numbers higher or equal to 2^31.let x = 42.835 // Bad let y = x | 0; // Okay let y = Math.trunc(x); // Good let y = Math.floor(x);
-
14.1
var
declarations get hoisted to the top of their closest enclosing function 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.// 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 foo(); // => ReferenceError foo is not defined var named = function foo(){ console.log("bar"); }; } // 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(){ foo(); // => bar function foo(){ console.log("bar"); } }
-
For more information refer to JavaScript Scoping & Hoisting by Ben Cherry.
-
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 (even an empty one) is an object, objects will evaluate to true }
-
15.3 Use shortcuts for booleans, but explicit comparisons for strings and numbers.
// bad if (isValid === true){ // ... } // good if (isValid){ // ... } // bad if (name){ // ... } // good if (name !== ""){ // ... } // bad if (collection.length){ // ... } // good if (collection.length > 0){ // ... }
- 15.4 For more information see Truth Equality and JavaScript by Angus Croll.
-
15.5 Use braces to create blocks in
case
anddefault
clauses. This is especially useful for those, which contain lexical declarations (e.g.let
,const
,function
, andclass
). eslint:no-case-declarations
Why? Lexical declarations are visible in the entire
switch
block but only get initialized when assigned, which only happens when itscase
is reached. This causes problems when multiplecase
clauses attempt to define the same thing.// bad switch (foo){ case 1: let x = 1; break; case 2: const y = 2; break; case 3: function f(){ // ... } break; default: class C {} } // good switch (foo) { case 1: { let x = 1; break; } case 2: { const y = 2; break; } case 3: { function f(){ // ... } break; } case 4: { bar(); break; } default: { class C {} } }
-
15.6 Ternaries should not be nested and generally be single line expressions. eslint:
no-nested-ternary
// bad const foo = maybe1 > maybe2 ? "bar" : value1 > value2 ? "baz" : null; // split into 2 separated ternary expressions const maybeNull = value1 > value2 ? "baz" : null; // better const foo = maybe1 > maybe2 ? "bar" : maybeNull; // best const foo = maybe1 > maybe2 ? "bar" : maybeNull;
-
15.7 Avoid unneeded ternary statements. eslint:
no-unneeded-ternary
// bad const foo = a ? a : b; const bar = c ? true : false; const baz = c ? false : true; // good const foo = a || b; const bar = !!c; const baz = !c;
-
15.8 When mixing operators, enclose them in parentheses. The only exception is the standard arithmetic operators (
+
,-
,*
, &/
) since their precedence is broadly understood. eslint:no-mixed-operators
Why? This improves readability and clarifies the developer’s intention.
// bad const foo = a && b < 0 || c > 0 || d + 1 === 0; // bad const bar = a ** b - 5 % d; // bad // one may be confused into thinking (a || b) && c if (a || b && c){ return d; } // good const foo = (a && b < 0) || c > 0 || (d + 1 === 0); // good const bar = (a ** b) - (5 % d); // good if (a || (b && c)){ return d; } // good const bar = a + b / c * d;
-
16.1 Use braces with all multi-line blocks. eslint:
nonblock-statement-body-position
Note: Use one-line statements only with short commands. Like
if (x) y();
They look nicer but can be hard to debug// bad if (test) return false; // good if (test) return false; // bad - it is too bulky and doesn't fit nicely in one row if (test1) if (test2) stuff(); // good if (test1){ if (test2) stuff(); } // good (multiline) if (test){ doStuff(); // ... return false; } // bad function foo(){ return false; } // good function bar(){ return false; }
-
16.2 If you're using multi-line blocks with
if
andelse
, do not putelse
on the same line as yourif
block’s closing brace. eslint:brace-style
// bad if (test){ thing1(); thing2(); } else { thing3(); thing4(); } // good if (test){ thing1(); thing2(); } else { thing3(); thing4(); } // bad if (test){ thing1(); thing2(); } else thing3(); // good if (test){ thing1(); thing2(); } else thing3();
-
16.3 If an
if
block always executes areturn
statement, the subsequentelse
block is unnecessary. Areturn
in anelse if
block following anif
block that contains areturn
can be separated into multipleif
blocks. eslint:no-else-return
// bad function foo(){ if (x) return x; else return y; } // bad function bar(){ if (x) return x; else if (y) return y; } // bad function baz(){ if (x) return x; else { if (y) return y; } } // good function foo(){ if (x) return x; return y; } // good function bar(){ if (x) return x; if (y) return y; } // good function baz(x){ if (x){ if (z) return y; } else return z; }
-
17.1 In case your control statement (
if
,while
etc.) gets too long or exceeds the maximum line length, each (grouped) condition could be put into a new line. The logical operator should begin the line.Why? Requiring operators at the beginning of the line keeps the operators aligned and follows a pattern similar to method chaining. This also improves readability by making it easier to visually follow complex logic.
// bad if ((foo === 123 || bar === "abc") && doesItLookGoodWhenItBecomesThatLong() && isThisReallyHappening()){ thing1(); } // bad if (foo === 123 && bar === "abc"){ thing1(); } // bad if (foo === 123 && bar === "abc"){ thing1(); } // bad if ( foo === 123 && bar === "abc" ){ thing1(); } // good if ( foo === 123 && bar === "abc" ){ thing1(); } // good if ( (foo === 123 || bar === "abc") && doesItLookGoodWhenItBecomesThatLong() && isThisReallyHappening() ){ thing1(); } // good if (foo === 123 && bar === "abc"){ thing1(); }
-
17.2 Don't use selection operators in place of control statements.
// bad !isRunning && startRunning(); // good if (!isRunning) startRunning();
-
18.1 Stick to the english language. Always write variable names, function names, comments and co in english.
Why? Some reasons:
- Consistency.
- English is a global language. What if you're part of a german developer team, write code in german and then want to hire someone from another country?
- JavaScript's keywords are english.
- Some languages use symbols from different charsets (ö, ä, ü, ß, Ѱ, Ω, etc. pp.). Some of them are illegal as variable/function names and others could break your encoding.
-
18.2 Use
/** ... */
for multi-line comments.// bad // make() returns a new element // based on the passed in tag name // // @param {String} tag // @return {Element} element function make(tag){ // ... return element; } // good /** * make() returns a new element * based on the passed-in tag name */ function make(tag){ // ... return element; }
-
18.3 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 unless it’s on the first line of a block.// 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; } // also good function getType(){ // set the default type to 'no type' const type = this.type || "no type"; return type; }
-
18.4 Start all comments with a space to make it easier to read. eslint:
spaced-comment
// bad //is current tab const active = true; // good // is current tab const active = true; // bad /** *make() returns a new element *based on the passed-in tag name */ function make(tag){ // ... return element; } // good /** * make() returns a new element * based on the passed-in tag name */ function make(tag){ // ... return element; }
- 18.5 Prefixing your comments with
FIXME
orTODO
(action-items) 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
.
-
18.6 Use
// FIXME:
to annotate problems.class Calculator extends Abacus { constructor(){ super(); // FIXME: shouldn’t use a global here total = 0; } }
-
18.7 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; } }
-
19.1 Use soft tabs (space character instead of tabulator) set to 4 spaces. eslint:
indent
// bad function foo(){ ∙∙let name; let foo; } // bad function bar(){ ∙let name; let foo; } // good function baz(){ ∙∙∙∙let name; let foo; }
-
19.2 Place 1 space before the leading brace if the character before it is not a parenthesis. eslint:
space-before-blocks
Why? Technically speaking, the block is part of the expression. A space doesn't really make sense unless it is simpler to read.
// bad function test() { console.log("test"); } // good function test(){ console.log("test"); } // bad foo.set("attr",{ bar: "baz" }); // good foo.set("attr", { bar: "baz" }); // bad class Foo{ // ... } // good class Foo { // ... } // bad constructor() { // ... } // good constructor(){ // ... } // bad if (foo) { bar(); } else{ baz(); } // good if (foo){ bar(); } else { baz(); } // bad let x ={ foo: "bar", }; // good let x = { foo: "bar", };
-
19.3 Place 1 space before the opening parenthesis in control statements (
if
,while
etc.). Place no space between the argument list and the function name in function calls and declarations. eslint:keyword-spacing
// bad if(foo){ bar (); } // good if (foo){ bar(); } // bad function foo (){ console.log ("bar"); } // good function foo(){ console.log("bar"); }
-
19.4 Set off operators with spaces. eslint:
space-infix-ops
// bad const x=y+5; // good const x = y + 5;
- 19.5 Use Unix/Linux-Style Linebreaks -
LF
(\n
) instead ofCR
+LF
(\r\n
). eslint:linebreak-style
-
19.6 End files with a single newline character. eslint:
eol-last
Why? Because that's how the POSIX standard defines a line. Read more...
// bad let foo = require("foo"); // ... module.exports = foo;
// bad let foo = require("foo"); // ... module.exports = foo;↵ ↵
// good let foo = require("foo"); // ... module.exports = foo;↵
-
19.7 Use indentation when making long method chains (more than 2 method chains). Use a leading dot, which emphasizes that the line is a method call, not a new statement. eslint:
newline-per-chained-call
no-whitespace-before-property
// bad $("#items").find(".selected").highlight().end().find(".open").updateCount(); // bad $("#items"). find(".selected"). highlight(). end(). find(".open"). updateCount(); // good $("#items") .find(".selected") .highlight() .end() .find(".open") .updateCount(); // bad const leds = stage.selectAll(".led").data(data).enter().append("svg:svg").classed("led", true) .attr("width", (radius + margin) * 2).append("svg:g") .attr("transform", `translate(${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); // good const leds = stage.selectAll(".led").data(data);
-
19.8 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;
-
19.9 Do not pad your blocks with blank lines. eslint:
padded-blocks
// bad function bar(){ console.log(foo); } // bad if (baz){ console.log(qux); } else { console.log(foo); } // bad class Foo { constructor(bar){ this.bar = bar; } } // good function bar(){ console.log(foo); } // good if (baz){ console.log(qux); } else { console.log(foo); }
-
19.10 Do not add spaces inside parentheses. eslint:
space-in-parens
// bad function bar( foo ){ return foo; } // good function bar(foo){ return foo; } // bad if ( foo ){ console.log(foo); } // good if (foo){ console.log(foo); }
-
19.11 Do not add spaces inside brackets. eslint:
array-bracket-spacing
// bad const foo = [ 1, 2, 3 ]; console.log(foo[ 0 ]); // good const foo = [1, 2, 3]; console.log(foo[0]);
-
19.12 Add spaces inside curly braces. eslint:
object-curly-spacing
// bad const foo = {foo: "bar"}; // good const foo = { foo: "bar" };
-
19.13 Avoid having lines of code that are longer than 100 characters (including whitespace). Note: per above, long strings are exempt from this rule, and should not be broken up. eslint:
max-len
Why? This ensures readability and maintainability.
// bad const foo = jsonData && jsonData.foo && jsonData.foo.bar && jsonData.foo.bar.baz && jsonData.foo.bar.baz.quux && jsonData.foo.bar.baz.quux.xyzzy; // bad $.ajax({ method: "POST", url: "https://nulldev.org", data: { foo: "bar" } }).done(() => console.log("Done")).fail(() => console.log("Error")); // good const foo = jsonData && jsonData.foo && jsonData.foo.bar && jsonData.foo.bar.baz && jsonData.foo.bar.baz.quux && jsonData.foo.bar.baz.quux.xyzzy; // good $.ajax({ method: "POST", url: "https://nulldev.org", data: { foo: "bar" }, }).done(() => { console.log("Done"); }).fail(() => { console.log("Error"); });
-
19.14 Require consistent spacing inside an open block token and the next token on the same line. This rule also enforces consistent spacing inside a close block token and previous token on the same line. eslint:
block-spacing
// bad function foo(){return true;} if (foo){ bar = 0;} // good function foo(){ return true; } if (foo){ bar = 0; }
-
19.15 Avoid spaces before commas and require a space after commas. eslint:
comma-spacing
// bad let foo = 1,bar = 2; let arr = [1 , 2]; // good let foo = 1, bar = 2; let arr = [1, 2];
-
19.16 Enforce spacing inside of computed property brackets. eslint:
computed-property-spacing
// bad obj[foo ] obj[ "foo"] let x = {[ b ]: a} obj[foo[ bar ]] // good obj[foo] obj["foo"] let x = { [b]: a } obj[foo[bar]]
-
19.17 Avoid spacing between functions and their invocations. eslint:
func-call-spacing
// bad func (); func (); // good func();
-
19.18 Enforce spacing between keys and values in object literal properties. eslint:
key-spacing
// bad let obj = { "foo" : 42 }; let obj2 = { "foo":42 }; // good let obj = { "foo": 42 };
- 19.19 Avoid trailing spaces at the end of lines. eslint:
no-trailing-spaces
-
19.20 Avoid multiple empty lines and only allow one newline at the end of files. eslint:
no-multiple-empty-lines
// bad let x = 1; let y = 2; // good let x = 1; let y = 2;
-
20.1 Do not write leading commas. eslint:
comma-style
// bad const x = [ foo , bar , baz ]; // good const x = [ foo, bar, baz, ]; // bad const x = { foo: "foo1" , bar: "bar1" , baz: "baz1" , abc: "abc1" }; // good const x = { foo: "foo1", bar: "bar1", baz: "baz1", abc: "abc1", };
-
20.2 Write additional trailing commas. eslint:
comma-dangle
Why? It leads to cleaner git diffs and allows easier copy-pasting. Careful: A comma must not appear after a rest element. Read more...
// git diff without trailing comma (bad) const hero = { bar: "bar", - baz: "baz" + baz: "baz", + abc: [1, 2, 3] }; // git diff with trailing comma (good) const foo = { bar: "bar", baz: "baz", + abc: [1, 2, 3], };
// bad const foo = { bar: true, baz: false }; const foo = [ "bar", "baz" ]; // good const foo = { bar: true, baz: false, }; const foo = [ "bar", "baz", ]; // bad function foo( arg1, arg2, agr3 ){ // .. } // good function foo( arg1, arg2, agr3, ){ // .. } // bad createUser( firstName, lastName, birthday ); // good createUser( firstName, lastName, birthday, );
-
21.1 Use semicolons. eslint:
semi
Why? When JavaScript encounters a line break without a semicolon, it uses a set of rules called Automatic Semicolon Insertion to determine whether or not it should regard that line break as the end of a statement, and (as the name implies) place a semicolon into your code before the line break if it thinks so. ASI contains a few eccentric behaviors, though, and your code will break if JavaScript misinterprets your line break. These rules will become more complicated as new features become a part of JavaScript. Explicitly terminating your statements and configuring your linter to catch missing semicolons will help prevent you from encountering issues. In other words: You could say ASI is a feature to help out, when you forget a semicolon. This doesn't mean you shouldn't use them. Not using semicolons may also slow down the execution because of the additional parsing.
// bad - raises exception const foo = {} const bar = {} [foo, bar].forEach(baz => baz.x = "test") // bad - raises exception const abc = "Another test" (async function tempFoo(){ // ... }()) // bad - returns `undefined` instead of the value on the next line // this always happens when `return` is on a line by itself because of ASI! function tempBar(){ return "Some string..." } // good const foo = {}; const bar = {}; [foo, bar].forEach((baz) => { baz.x = "test"; }); // good const abc = "Another test"; (async function tempFoo(){ // ... }()); // good function tempBar(){ return "Some string..."; }
- 22.1 Perform type coercion at the beginning of the statement.
-
22.2 Strings: Prefer
String()
over.toString()
eslint:no-new-wrappers
Why?
.toString()
is a prototype ofNumber
.String()
on the other hand, is globally available and thus allows casting of any type. Also,.toString()
can be overridden as seen in section 9.4// => this.reviewScore = 9; // bad const totalScore = new String(this.reviewScore); // typeof totalScore is "object" not "string" // bad const totalScore = this.reviewScore + ""; // invokes this.reviewScore.valueOf() // bad const totalScore = this.reviewScore.toString(); // isn't guaranteed to return a string // good const totalScore = String(this.reviewScore);
-
22.3 Numbers: Use
Number()
for type casting andparseInt()
only with a radix for parsing strings. Do preferNumber()
overparseInt()
though. eslint:radix
no-new-wrappers
Why? Mostly because of the same reasons listed in the section above. Also, since
parseInt()
always expects a string, it does show odd behaviour when parsing very small numbers (source)const inputValue = "4"; // bad const val = new Number(inputValue); // bad const val = +inputValue; // bad const val = inputValue >> 0; // bad const val = parseInt(inputValue); // best const val = Number(inputValue); // good const val = parseInt(inputValue, 10);
-
22.4 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;
-
22.5 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. More info. Largest signed 32-bit Int is 2,147,483,647:
2147483647 >> 0; // => 2147483647 2147483648 >> 0; // => -2147483648 2147483649 >> 0; // => -2147483647
-
22.6 Booleans: eslint:
no-new-wrappers
const age = 0; // bad const hasAge = new Boolean(age); // good const hasAge = Boolean(age); // best const hasAge = !!age;
-
22.6 Only compare returned strings by
typeof
to valid strings: eslint:valid-typeof
// bad - will be prevented by linter typeof foo === "strnig"; // good typeof foo === "string"; typeof bar === typeof foo;
-
23.0 Stick to the english language. Always write variable names, function names, comments and co in english.
Why? Some reasons:
- Consistency.
- English is a global language. What if you're part of a german developer team, write code in german and then want to hire someone from another country?
- JavaScript's keywords are english.
- Some languages use symbols from different charsets (ö, ä, ü, ß, Ѱ, Ω, etc. pp.). Some of them are illegal as variable/function names and others could break your encoding.
-
23.1 Avoid single letter names. Be descriptive with your naming. eslint:
id-length
// bad function q(){ // ... } // good function query(){ // ... }
-
23.2 Use camelCase when naming objects, functions, and instances. eslint:
camelcase
// bad const OBJEcttsssss = {}; const this_is_my_object = {}; function c(){} // good const thisIsMyObject = {}; function thisIsMyFunction(){}
-
23.3 Use PascalCase only when naming constructors or classes. eslint:
new-cap
// bad function user(options){ this.name = options.name; } const bad = new user({ name: "...", }); // good class User { constructor(options){ this.name = options.name; } } const good = new User({ name: "...", });
-
23.4 Do not use trailing or leading underscores. eslint:
no-underscore-dangle
Why? JavaScript does not have the concept of privacy in terms of properties or methods. Although a leading underscore is a common convention to mean “private”, in fact, these properties are fully public, and as such, are part of your public API contract. This convention might lead developers to wrongly think that a change won’t count as breaking, or that tests aren’t needed. tl;dr: if you want something to be “private”, it must not be observably present.
// bad this.__firstName__ = "Foo"; this.firstName_ = "Foo"; this._firstName = "Foo"; // good this.firstName = "Foo"; // good, in environments where WeakMaps are available // see https://kangax.github.io/compat-table/es6/#test-WeakMap const firstNames = new WeakMap(); firstNames.set(this, "Foo");
-
23.5 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); }; }
-
23.6 A base filename should exactly match the name of its default export.
// file 1 contents class CheckBox { // ... } module.exports = CheckBox; // file 2 contents module.exports = function fortyTwo(){ return 42; } // file 3 contents module.exports = function insideDirectory(){} // in some other file // bad let CheckBox = require("./checkBox"); // PascalCase import/export, camelCase filename let FortyTwo = require("./FortyTwo"); // PascalCase import/filename, camelCase export let InsideDirectory = require("./InsideDirectory"); // PascalCase import/filename, camelCase export // bad let CheckBox = require("./check_box"); // PascalCase import/export, snake_case filename let forty_two = require("./forty_two"); // snake_case import/filename, camelCase export let inside_directory = require("./inside_directory"); // snake_case import, camelCase export let index = require("./inside_directory/index"); // requiring the index file explicitly let insideDirectory = require("./insideDirectory/index"); // requiring the index file explicitly // good let CheckBox = require("./CheckBox"); // PascalCase export/import/filename let fortyTwo = require("./fortyTwo"); // camelCase export/import/filename let insideDirectory = require("./insideDirectory"); // camelCase export/import/directory name/implicit "index" // ^ supports both insideDirectory.js and insideDirectory/index.js
-
23.7 Use camelCase when you export-default a function. Your filename should be identical to your function’s name.
function makeStyleGuide(){ // ... } module.exports = makeStyleGuide;
-
23.8 Use PascalCase when you export a constructor / class / singleton / function library / bare object.
const Foo = { bar: { } }; module.exports = Foo;
-
23.9 Acronyms and initialisms should always be all capitalized, or all lowercased.
Why? Names are for readability, not to appease a computer algorithm.
// bad let SmsContainer = require("./containers/SmsContainer"); // bad const HttpRequests = [ // ... ]; // good let SMSContainer = require("./containers/SMSContainer"); // good const HTTPRequests = [ // ... ]; // also good (sticks to camelCase) const httpRequests = [ // ... ]; // best let TextMessageContainer = require("./containers/TextMessageContainer"); // best const requests = [ // ... ];
-
23.10 You may optionally uppercase a constant only if it (1) is exported, (2) is a
const
(it can not be reassigned), and (3) the programmer can trust it (and its nested properties) to never change.
Note: This is about ES6 import/export, not CommonJS require()Why? This is an additional tool to assist in situations where the programmer would be unsure if a variable might ever change. UPPERCASE_VARIABLES are letting the programmer know that they can trust the variable (and its properties) not to change.
- What about all
const
variables? This is unnecessary, so uppercasing should not be used for constants within a file. It should be used for exported constants however. - What about exported objects? Uppercase at the top level of export (e.g.
EXPORTED_OBJECT.key
) and maintain that all nested properties do not change.
// bad const PRIVATE_VARIABLE = "should not be unnecessarily uppercased within a file"; // bad export const THING_TO_BE_CHANGED = "should obviously not be uppercased"; // bad export let REASSIGNABLE_VARIABLE = "do not use let with uppercase variables"; // --- // allowed but does not supply semantic value export const apiKey = "SOMEKEY"; // better in most cases export const API_KEY = "SOMEKEY"; // --- // bad - unnecessarily uppercases key while adding no semantic value export const MAPPING = { KEY: "value", }; // good export const MAPPING = { key: "value", };
- What about all
-
23.11 Write
isCondition
instead ofconditionState
for boolean state checks.Why? It makes the intentions clear.
// bad - this is very vague if (activeState) doSomething(); // bad - the "=== true" check makes the intentions clear, but is also unnecessary if (activeState === true) doSomething(); // good - short and clear if (isActive) doSomething();
- 24.1 Accessor functions for properties are not required.
-
24.2 Do not use JavaScript getters/setters as they cause unexpected side effects and are harder to test, maintain, and reason about. Instead, if you do make accessor functions, use
getVal()
andsetVal("foo")
.// bad class Foo { get bar(){ // ... } set bar(value){ // ... } } // good class Foo { getBar(){ // ... } setBar(value){ // ... } }
-
24.3 If the property/method is a
boolean
, useisVal()
orhasVal()
.// bad if (!foo.bar()){ return false; } // good if (!foo.hasBar()){ return false; }
-
24.4 It’s okay to create
get()
andset()
functions, but be consistent.class Foo { constructor(options = {}){ const bar = options.bar || "Default bar"; this.set("bar", bar); } set(key, val){ this[key] = val; } get(key){ return this[key]; } }
-
25.1 When attaching data payloads to events (whether DOM events or something more proprietary like Backbone events), pass an object literal (also known as 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", (e, listingID) => { // do something with listingID });
prefer:
// good $(this).trigger("listingUpdated", { listingID: listing.id }); // ... $(this).on("listingUpdated", (e, data) => { // do something with data.listingID });
The Standard Library contains utilities that are functionally broken but remain for legacy reasons.
-
26.1 Use
Number.isNaN
instead of globalisNaN
. eslint:no-restricted-globals
Why? The global
isNaN
coerces non-numbers to numbers, returning true for anything that coerces to NaN. If this behavior is desired, make it explicit.// bad isNaN("1.2"); // false isNaN("1.2.3"); // true // good Number.isNaN("1.2.3"); // false Number.isNaN(Number("1.2.3")); // true
-
26.2 Use
Number.isFinite
instead of globalisFinite
. eslint:no-restricted-globals
Why? The global
isFinite
coerces non-numbers to numbers, returning true for anything that coerces to a finite number. If this behavior is desired, make it explicit.// bad isFinite("2e3"); // true // good Number.isFinite("2e3"); // false Number.isFinite(parseInt("2e3", 10)); // true
-
27.1 Prefix jQuery object variables with a
$
.// bad const sidebar = $(".sidebar"); // good const $sidebar = $(".sidebar"); // good const $sidebarBtn = $(".sidebar-btn");
-
27.2 Cache jQuery lookups.
// bad function setSidebar(){ $(".sidebar").hide(); // ... $(".sidebar").css({ "background-color": "green", }); } // good function setSidebar(){ const $sidebar = $(".sidebar"); $sidebar.hide(); // ... $sidebar.css({ "background-color": "green", }); }
-
27.4 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();
-
27.5 Use
.on
instead of the event name (shorthands) when doing bindings.Why?
.on()
works on dynamically added elements and is better in performance. Read more...// bad $("a.test").click(function(){ // ... }); $("div.test").mouseover(function(){ // ... }); // good $("a.test").on("click", function(){ // ... }); $("div.test").on("mouseover", function(){ // ... });
-
27.6 Don't bloat the
$(document).ready()
functionWhy? It actively harms readability and generally the structure of the code.
// Bad $(document).ready(function(){ $(foo).on("click", function(){ doStuff(); doMoreStuff(); doEvenMoreStuff(function(stuff){ // ... }); }); $(bar).on("click", function(){ doMoreStuff(); doStuff(); }); $(baz).on("click", function(){ doMoreStuff(); doEvenMoreStuff(function(stuff){ // ... }); }); }); // Good function stuffHandler(){ // ... } $(document).ready(function(){ $(foo).on("click", stuffHandler); $(bar).on("click", stuffHandler); $(baz).on("click", stuffHandler); });
- 28.1 Refer to Kangax’s ES5 compatibility table.
- 29.1 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
- Exponentiation Operator
- Iterators and Generators
- Modules
-
29.2 Do not use TC39 proposals that have not reached stage 3.
Why? They are not finalized, and they are subject to change or to be withdrawn entirely. We want to use JavaScript, and proposals are not JavaScript yet.
- 30.1 Tests
- Whichever testing framework you use, you should be writing tests!
- Strive to write many small pure functions, and minimize where mutations occur.
- Be cautious about stubs and mocks - they can make your tests more brittle.
- Recommendations:
mocha
andjest
ortape
for small, separate modules. - 100% test coverage is a good goal to strive for, even if it’s not always practical to reach it.
- Whenever you fix a bug, write a regression test. A bug fixed without a regression test is almost certainly going to break again in the future.
- 31.1 Performance
- 32.1 Learning ES6+
- 32.2 Read This
- 32.3 Tools
- Code Style Linters
- 32.4 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
- 32.5 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
- 32.6 Blogs
- 32.7 Podcasts
- 33.1 This Styleguide is based on AirBnB's JavaScript Styleguide
- 34.1 We encourage you to fork this guide and change the rules to fit your team’s style guide. 😸