Named Functions

[b]We can refer to a function, within itself, by its name.[/b]

 function yell(n){ 
   return n > 0 ? yell(n-1) + "a" : "hiy"; 
 } 
 assert( yell(4) == "hiyaaaa", "Calling the function by itself comes naturally." ); 

[b]What is the name of a function?[/b]

 var ninja = function myNinja(){ 
   assert( ninja == myNinja, "This function is named two things - at once!" ); 
 }; 
 ninja(); 
 assert( typeof myNinja == "undefined", "But myNinja isn't defined outside of the function." ); 
 log( ninja );

[b]We can even do it if we're an anonymous function that's an object property.[/b]

 var ninja = { 
   yell: function(n){ 
     return n > 0 ? ninja.yell(n-1) + "a" : "hiy"; 
   } 
 }; 
 assert( ninja.yell(4) == "hiyaaaa", "A single object isn't too bad, either." ); 

[b]But what happens when we remove the original object?[/b]

 var ninja = { 
   yell: function(n){ 
     return n > 0 ? ninja.yell(n-1) + "a" : "hiy"; 
   } 
 }; 
 assert( ninja.yell(4) == "hiyaaaa", "A single object isn't too bad, either." ); 

 var samurai = { yell: ninja.yell }; 
 var ninja = null; 

 try { 
   samurai.yell(4); 
 } catch(e){ 
   assert( false, "Uh, this isn't good! Where'd ninja.yell go?" ); 
 } 

[b]Let's give the anonymous function a name![/b]

 var ninja = { 
   yell: function yell(n){ 
     return n > 0 ? yell(n-1) + "a" : "hiy"; 
   } 
 }; 
 assert( ninja.yell(4) == "hiyaaaa", "Works as we would expect it to!" ); 

 var samurai = { yell: ninja.yell }; 
 var ninja = {}; 
 assert( samurai.yell(4) == "hiyaaaa", "The method correctly calls itself." ); 

[b]What if we don't want to give the function a name?[/b]

 var ninja = { 
   yell: function(n){ 
     return n > 0 ? arguments.callee(n-1) + "a" : "hiy"; 
   } 
 }; 
 assert( ninja.yell(4) == "hiyaaaa", "arguments.callee is the function itself." ); 

[b]