Question

Functions that operate on other functions, either by taking them as arguments or by returning them, are called higher-order functions. If you have already accepted the fact that functions are regular values, there is nothing particularly remarkable about the fact that such functions exist. The term comes from mathematics, where the distinction between functions and other values is taken more seriously.

Higher-order functions allow us to abstract over actions, not just values. They come in several forms. For example, you can have functions that create new functions.

function greaterThan(n) {
  return function(m) { return m > n; };
}
var greaterThan10 = greaterThan(10);
console.log(greaterThan10(11));
// → true

And you can have functions that change other functions.

function noisy(f) {
  return function(arg) {
    console.log("calling with", arg);
    var val = f(arg);
    console.log("called with", arg, "- got", val);
    return val;
  };
}
noisy(Boolean)(0);
// → calling with 0
// → called with 0 - got false

You can even write functions that provide new types of control flow.

function unless(test, then) {
  if (!test) then();
}
function repeat(times, body) {
  for (var i = 0; i < times; i++) body(i);
}

repeat(3, function(n) {
  unless(n % 2, function() {
    console.log(n, "is even");
  });
});
// → 0 is even
// → 2 is even

The lexical scoping rules that we discussed in Chapter 3 work to our advantage when using functions in this way. In the previous example, the n variable is a parameter to the outer function. Because the inner function lives inside the environment of the outer one, it can use n . The bodies of such inner functions can access the variables around them. They can play a role similar to the {} blocks used in regular loops and conditional statements. An important difference is that variables declared inside inner functions do not end up in the environment of the outer function. And that is usually a good thing.

This is a book about getting computers to do what you want them to do. Computers are about as common as screwdrivers today, but they contain a lot more hidden complexity and thus are harder to operate and understand. To many, they remain alien, slightly threatening things.