Develop Reference

How can I increment the value of a parameter in an object using a function?

I want to be able to increment/change the value of a parameter inside an object. I want the value to change by accessing the value of a variable that is incrementing inside another function.
The example code below shows what I am trying to do. I would like options.number to increase as i inside masterLoop increases.
I know that i isn't defined in the scope of function calc(), but I can't think of a way to retrieve the value of i while maintaining this general code structure.
(function masterLoop(i) {
setTimeout(function() {
++i;
masterLoopStage = i;
console.log('Stage is: ' + i);
masterLoop(i);
}, 5000)
})(1);
function calc() {
number = i; // I know i isn't defined in this scope, but I can't figure out how access the incrementing value of i inside this function
return number;
}
var options = {
number: calc() // I want this vale to increase along with i inside masterLoop()
};
setInterval(function() {
console.log(options.number);
}, 5000);
Typically, in cases like this, I would try to use a return to retrieve a value, but I wasn't able to find a solution with that either since the incrementing value is inside a setInterval and thus its scope isn't available to the return.
Here is an example of that:
function calc() {
var foo = 1;
setInterval(function() {
var foo = foo + 1;
}, 1000);
return foo; // the incrementing value of foo is not available outside the scope of setIterval, so this won't work. The return also won't work inside setInterval.
}
var optionsConstant = {
maxVolume: 10
};
var options = {
maxVolume: optionsConstant.maxVolume + calc() // I want calc() to be able to increment along with foo in the setInterval above.
};
setInterval(function() {
var maxVolume = options.maxVolume;
console.log('maxVolume: ' + maxVolume);
}, 5000);

Taking your second attempt, you could make calc an immediately invoked function expression -- providing a closure -- and in it return a function that has access to foo.
Then, to keep the final syntax of options.maxVolume, you should define that property as a getter, so that in fact it will execute some code when accessed, calling calc():
var calc = (function () { // create closure for foo
var foo = 1;
setInterval(function() {
foo = foo + 1; // remove var!
}, 100);
return function calc() { // return a function
return foo;
}
})();
var optionsConstant = {
maxVolume: 10
};
var options = {
get maxVolume() { // make it a getter
return optionsConstant.maxVolume + calc();
}
};
setInterval(function() {
var maxVolume = options.maxVolume;
console.log('maxVolume: ' + maxVolume);
}, 500);

Can you declare the increment variable outside the masterloop function scope so the other functions can access it and read its' value when needed?
You'll need to make sure to re-initialize it's value when appropriate.

I think you need to use a closure. Here's one example:
let returnI = (function masterLoop(i) {
setTimeout(function() {
++i;
masterLoopStage = i;
console.log('Stage is: ' + i);
return masterLoop(i);
}, 5000)
})(1);
function calc() {
number = returnI;
return number;
}
var options = {
number: calc()
};
setInterval(function() {
console.log(options.number);
}, 5000);

Nested function repeat

I'm trying to make a function REPEAT, instead of for. Here is my code :
function REPETER(nb) {
return {
INSTRUCTIONS: function(callback) {
for(i_repeter=1;i_repeter<=nb;i_repeter++) callback();
return this ;
}
};
}
var x = 1 ;
REPETER(5)
.INSTRUCTIONS (() => {
xxx = xxx + 2 ;
alert(i_repeter);
}
);
It works well.
But :
REPETER(2)
.INSTRUCTIONS(() => {
xxx = xxx + 1 ;
REPETER(5)
.INSTRUCTIONS(() => {
xxx = xxx + 2 ;
alert(i_repeter);
}
);
}
);
doesn't work, the first REPETER does nothing.
How can i fix this ?
Thanks !

You need to declare i_repeter within the INSTRUCTIONS function. Because you're not declaring it, you're creating an implicit global. Globals are a Bad Thing, implicit ones doubly so. Since you have a repeater calling a repeater, you end up with crosstalk; the first one thinks it's done before it is.
So:
function REPETER(nb) {
return {
INSTRUCTIONS: function(callback) {
var i_repeter; // <=== Change is here
for (i_repeter = 1; i_repeter <= nb; i_repeter++) callback();
return this;
}
};
}
Also don't try to use i_repeter in your function updating xxx (and be sure to declare xxx).

What is the best way to have a function toggle between two different processes?

I have a function that I want it execute alternating processes every time it's triggered. Any help on how I would achieve this would be great.
function onoff(){
statusOn process /*or if on*/ statusOff process
}

One interesting aspect of JavaScript is that functions are first-class objects, meaning they can have custom properties:
function onoff() {
onoff.enabled = !onoff.enabled;
if(onoff.enabled) {
alert('on');
} else {
alert('off');
}
}
For this to work, your function should have a name. If your function is anonymous (unnamed), you can try to use arguments.callee to access it, but that is deprecated in the new ES5 standard and not possible when using its strict mode.

With the use of closures, you can define a static variable that is only accessible by the function itself:
var toggle = (function()
{
var state = true;
return function()
{
if(state)
alert("A");
else
alert("B");
state = !state;
};
})();
Now you can repeatedly invoke toggle(), and it would alternate between "A" and "B". The state variable is unaccessible from the outside, so you don't pollute the global variable scope.

Use closures. In addition to closures, this method demonstrates arbitrary arguments and arbitrary numbers of functions to cycle through:
Function cycler
function cycle() {
var toCall = arguments;
var which = 0;
return function() {
var R = toCall[which].apply(this, arguments);
which = (which+1) % toCall.length; // see NOTE
return R;
}
}
Demo:
function sum(a,b) {return a+b}
function prod(a,b) {return a*b}
function pow(a,b) {return Math.pow(a,b)}
function negate(x) {return -x;}
var f = cycle(sum, prod, pow, negate);
console.log(f(2,10)); // 12
console.log(f(2,10)); // 20
console.log(f(2,10)); // 1024
console.log(f(2)); // -2
// repeat!
console.log(f(2,10)); // 12
console.log(f(2,10)); // 20
console.log(f(2,10)); // 1024
console.log(f(2)); // -2
Arbitrary cycler
Alternatively if you do not wish to assume all cycled things are functions, you can use this pattern. In some ways it is more elegant; in some ways it is less elegant.
function cycle() {
var list = arguments;
var which = 0;
return function() {
var R = list[which];
which = (which+1) % toCall.length; // see NOTE
return R;
}
}
Demo:
var cycler = cycle(function(x){return x}, 4, function(a,b){return a+b});
cycler()(1); // 1
cycler(); // 4
cycler()(1,5); // 6
// repeat!
cycler()(1); // 1
cycler(); // 4
cycler()(1,5); // 6
NOTE: Because javascript thinks 10000000000000001%2 is 0 (i.e. that this number is even), this function must be three codelines longer than necessary, or else you will only be able to call this function 10 quadrillion times before it gives an incorrect answer. You are unlikely to reach this limit in a single browsing session... but who knows

If I'm understanding what you want, this may be what you're looking for:
var AlternateFunctions = function() {
var one = function() {
// do stuff...
current = two;
}, two = function() {
// do stuff...
current = one;
}, current = one;
return function() {
current();
}
}();
Then calling AlternateFunctions(); will cycle between one() and two()

There are a couple of good answers already posted, but I'm wondering what you're trying to achieve. If you're keeping track of some DOM element's state, instead of having state saved within the function, you should check the state of the element so that the function isn't operating in a vacuum (and possibly not doing what you expect). You can check some attribute, e.g., class:
function onoff(obj){
if(obj.className === 'on') {
obj.className = 'off';
}else{
obj.className = 'on';
}
}

var last=0;
function toggle() {
if(last) {
last=0;
// do process 2
}
else {
last=1;
// do process 1
}
}

See jsfiddle demo
var status=true;
function onOff(el){
/*
* toggle
*/
status = (status ? false : true);
status
? el.html('on')
: el.html('off');
}

Can you alter a Javascript function after declaring it?

Let's say I have var a = function() { return 1; }. Is it possible to alter a so that a() returns 2? Perhaps by editing a property of the a object, since every function is an object?
Update: Wow, thanks for all the responses. However, I'm afraid I wasn't looking to simply reassign a variable but actually edit an existing function. I am thinking along the lines of how you can combine partial functions in Scala to create a new PartialFunction. I am interested in writing something similar in Javascript and was thinking that the existing function could perhaps be updated, rather than creating an entirely new Function object.

You can do all kinds of fun stuff with javascript, including redefining functions:
let a = function() { return 1; }
console.log(a()); // 1
// keep a reference
let old = a;
// redefine
a = function() {
// call the original function with any arguments specified, storing the result
const originalResult = old.apply(old, arguments);
// add one
return originalResult + 1;
};
console.log(a()); // 2
Voila.
Edit: Updated to show this in a crazier scenario:
let test = new String("123");
console.log(test.toString()); // logs 123
console.log(test.substring(0)); // logs 123
String.prototype.substring = function(){ return "hahanope"; }
console.log(test.substring(0)); // logs hahanope
You can see here that even though "test" is defined first, and we redefine substring() afterwards, the change still applies.
Side note: you really should reconsider your architecture if you're doing this...you're going to confuse the crap out of some poor developer 5 years down the road when s/he's looking at a function definition that's supposed to return 1, but seems to always return 2....

So you want to modify the code of a function directly, in place, and not just reassign a different function to an existing variable.
I hate to say it, but as far as I have been able to figure it out - and I have tried -, it can't be done. True, a function is an object, and as such it has methods and properties which can be tweaked and overwritten on the object itself. Unfortunately, the function body is not one of them. It is not assigned to a public property.
The documentation on MDN lists the properties and methods of the function object. None of them gives us the opportunity to manipulate the function body from the outside.
That's because according to the spec, the function body is stored in the internal [[Code]] property of the function object, which can't be accessed directly.

I used something like this to modify an existing function whose declaration was not accessible to me:
// declare function foo
var foo = function (a) { alert(a); };
// modify function foo
foo = new Function (
"a",
foo.toSource()
.replace("alert(a)", "alert('function modified - ' + a)")
.replace(/^function[^{]+{/i,"") // remove everything up to and including the first curly bracket
.replace(/}[^}]*$/i, "") // remove last curly bracket and everything after<br>
);
Instead of toSource() you could probably use toString() to get a string containing the function's declaration. Some calls to replace() to prepare the string for use with the Function Constructor and to modify the function's source.

let a = function() { return 1; }
console.log(a()) // 1
a = function() { return 2; }
console.log(a()) // 2
technically, you're losing one function definition and replacing it with another.

How about this, without having to redefine the function:
var a = function() { return arguments.callee.value || 1; };
alert(a()); // => 1
a.value = 2;
alert(a()); // => 2

I am sticking to jvenema's solution, in which I don't like the global variable "old". It seems better to keep the old function inside of the new one:
function a() { return 1; }
// redefine
a = (function(){
var _a = a;
return function() {
// You may reuse the original function ...
// Typical case: Conditionally use old/new behaviour
var originalResult = _a.apply(this, arguments);
// ... and modify the logic in any way
return originalResult + 1;
}
})();
a() // --> gives 2

All feasible solutions stick to a "function wrapping approach".
The most reliable amongst them seems to be the one of rplantiko.
Such function wrapping easily can be abstracted away. The concept / pattern itself might be called "Method Modification". Its implementation definitely belongs to Function.prototype. It would be nice to be backed
one day by standard prototypal method modifiers like before, after, around, afterThrowing and afterFinally.
As for the aforementioned example by rplantiko ...
function a () { return 1; }
// redefine
a = (function () {
var _a = a;
return function () {
// You may reuse the original function ...
// Typical case: Conditionally use old/new behaviour
var originalResult = _a.apply(this, arguments);
// ... and modify the logic in any way
return originalResult + 1;
};
})();
console.log('a() ...', a()); // --> gives 2
.as-console-wrapper { min-height: 100%!important; top: 0; }
... and making use of around, the code would transform to ...
function a () { return 1; }
console.log('original a ...', a);
console.log('a() ...', a()); // 1
a = a.around(function (proceed, handler, args) {
return (proceed() + 1);
});
console.log('\nmodified a ...', a);
console.log('a() ...', a()); // 2
.as-console-wrapper { min-height: 100%!important; top: 0; }
<script>
(function(d){function f(a){return typeof a==e&&typeof a.call==e&&typeof a.apply==e}function g(a,b){b=null!=b&&b||null;var c=this;return f(a)&&f(c)&&function(){return a.call(b||null!=this&&this||null,c,a,arguments)}||c}var e=typeof d;Object.defineProperty(d.prototype,"around",{configurable:!0,writable:!0,value:g});Object.defineProperty(d,"around",{configurable:!0,writable:!0,value:function(a,b,c){return g.call(a,b,c)}})})(Function);
</script>

This is a Clear Example based on a control timepicker eworld.ui
www.eworldui.net
Having a TimePicker eworld.ui where JavaScript is unreachable from outside, you can't find any js related to those controls. So how can you add a onchange event to the timepicker ?
There is a js function called when you Select a time between all the options that the control offer you. This function is: TimePicker_Up_SelectTime
First you have to copy the code inside this function.
Evaluate...quikwatch...TimePicker_Up_SelectTime.toString()
function TimePicker_Up_SelectTime(tbName, lblName, divName, selTime, enableHide, postbackFunc, customFunc) {
document.getElementById(tbName).value = selTime;
if(lblName != '')
document.getElementById(lblName).innerHTML = selTime;
document.getElementById(divName).style.visibility = 'hidden';
if(enableHide)
TimePicker_Up_ShowHideDDL('visible');
if(customFunc != "")
eval(customFunc + "('" + selTime + "', '" + tbName + "');");
eval(postbackFunc + "();");
}
Now
Using the code that you have saved before reassign the same source code but add whatever you want..
TimePicker_Up_SelectTime = function (tbName, lblName, divName, selTime, enableHide, postbackFunc, customFunc) {
document.getElementById(tbName).value = selTime;
if (lblName != '')
document.getElementById(lblName).innerHTML = selTime;
document.getElementById(divName).style.visibility = 'hidden';
if (enableHide)
TimePicker_Up_ShowHideDDL('visible');
if (customFunc != "")
eval(customFunc + "('" + selTime + "', '" + tbName + "');");
eval(postbackFunc + "();");
>>>>>>> My function >>>>> RaiseChange(tbName);
}
I've added My Function to the function so now I can simulate an onchange event when I select a time.
RaiseChange(...) could be whatever you want.

If you're debugging javascript and want to see how changes to the code affects the page, you can use this Firefox extension to view/alter javascripts:
Execute JS firefox extension:
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/1729

You can change functions like other objects
var a1 = function(){return 1;}
var b1 = a1;
a1 = function(){
return b1() + 1;
};
console.log(a1()); // return 2
// OR:
function a2(){return 1;}
var b2 = a2;
a2 = function(){
return b2() + 1;
};
console.log(a2()); // return 2

Can you not just define it again later on? When you want the change try just redefining it as:
a = function() { return 2; }

const createFunction = function (defaultRealization) {
let realization = defaultRealization;
const youFunction = function (...args) {
return realization(...args);
};
youFunction.alterRealization = function (fn) {
realization = fn;
};
return youFunction;
}
const myFunction = createFunction(function () { return 1; });
console.log(myFunction()); // 1
myFunction.alterRealization(function () { return 2; });
console.log(myFunction()); // 2

onchange javascript variable

Is there a way to call a JavaScript function if a javascript variable changes values using jQuery?
Something to the extend of -
var test = 1;
test = 2; // calls a javascript function
test = 3; // calls a javascript function
This way I wouldn't have to add an onchange event to so many different functions.

(Something seems a bit carelessly planned in your code if you need functionality like that)
The easiest way to add that feature is to create a function for updating your variable, that also calls whatever other function you want to.
Instead of:
var test = 1;
test = 2; // calls a javascript function
test = 3; // calls a javascript function
You do:
var test = 1;
function set_test(newval) {
test = newval;
my_callback(); // this is whatever you wanted to call onChange
}
set_test(2);
set_test(3);

try this, it's real variable change event:
var book = {
_year: 2004,
edition: 1
};
Object.defineProperty(book, "year", {
get: function(){
return this._year;
},
set: function(newValue){
this._year=newValue;
this.edition=newValue-2004;
alert(this._year);
alert(this.edition);
}
});
book.year=2017
// will alert 2017 and 13

No, there is not, just polling with setInterval or setTimeout or callbacks. Events only apply to DOM. I'd suggest that you try to go with callbacks and do things like this:
function foo(data, callback)
{
// do things with data
callback(data);
}
function bar(data)
{
console.log('callback can has', data);
}
foo('baz', bar);
It's a rough example, but should give you the idea.

One option is to wrap your data into a heavier object.
var Watching = function(){
var a;
this.getA(){
return a;
};
this.setA(value){
a = value;
this.trigger('watch');
};
his.watchA(callback){
this.bind('watch', callback);
};
};
var obj = new Watching();
obj.watchA(function(){ alert('changed'); });
obj.setA(2);

This doesn't answer your question exactly, but it may solve your problem:
make your variable as html content of an element, then use jQuery change() event
<script>
document.write("<div id='test'>"+test+"</div>";
$("#test").change(function(){//your script here});
</script>

You can create a class to be notified when your variable changed.
this is the class:
class ListeningVariable {
constructor(val, changeHandler) {
this.val = val;
this.changeHandler = changeHandler
}
set value(val) {
if (this.val !== val) {
this.changeHandler(val);
}
this.val = val;
}
changeHandler(val) {}
}
Then you can create an instance of this class instead of your variable:
let myVar = new ListeningVariable(25/*initialize*/, function(val) {
console.log("variable Changed to:", val);
}/*handler function*/);
And when you want to change your variable, just use this code:
myVar.value = 20; // calls the changeHandler function
myVar.value = 20; // does't call the changeHandler function
myVar.value = 40; // calls the changeHandler function

You can do something like this with setting intervals to keep track of change:
var dataToChange = 1;
var key = dataToChange;
var int = setInterval(() => {
if (dataToChange != key) {
console.log('changed'); /// if data changes
clearInterval(int);
} else {
console.log('nothing changed'); /// while nothing changes
}
}, 3000);
setTimeout(() => {
///// supposedly this is when the variable changes
dataToChange = 2;
}, 9000);

The below function will poll for changes in the test variable every 5 seconds:
// initialize test variable globally
var test = 1;
// global variable to store the previous value of test
// which is updated every 5 seconds
var tmp = test;
setInterval("pollForVariableChange()", 5000);
function pollForVariableChange() {
if (tmp != test) {
alert('Value of test has changed to ' + test);
}
tmp = test;
}