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JavaScript jQuery Basics (2014) Creating a Password Confirmation Form Perform: Part 1

Posted by Ben Flores
Ben Flores
17,074 Points

Why are we able to create a named function and then call it without parenthesis?

I understand we created passwordEvent() to keep our code dry. I don't get, however, why down below when we call it inside focus we do so like this:

$("#password").focus(passwordEvent);

Is this because .focus() takes a function inside, so we don't need to use the parenthesis? Otherwise to call that function they would be necessary, correct?

3 Answers

Jason Anders
MOD
Jason Anders
Treehouse Moderator 145,860 Points
Jason Anders
Jason Anders
Treehouse Moderator 145,860 Points

Hey Benjamin,

In JavaScript, functions are "first-class citizens" and can be used as parameters for other functions

With that in mind, you are correct that when you call a function, it needs the (). However, in the example you have provided, you are simply passing in the function as a parameter into the focus() function.

Now when you call the focus function, you will need to pass in the parameters needed for the passWordEvent function.

If you're still unsure, have a look at the MDN documentation.

Keep Coding! :dizzy:

Jakub Łątkiewicz
Jakub Łątkiewicz
5,181 Points
Jakub Łątkiewicz
Jakub Łątkiewicz
5,181 Points

You use parenthesis if you want to call the function. You use the function name if you want to reference it.

Adrien Contee
Adrien Contee
4,875 Points
Adrien Contee
Adrien Contee
4,875 Points

Man I had this same problem in the beginning... I couldn't wrap my head around it. All this Higher Order Functions, and First Class Functions business didn't help either. The best way I can tell you is the way I understood it.

You know you can declare functions in a couple of ways.... anonymous, as a declaration, and as expressions. Since anonymous isn't relevant here I'll leave that aside.

When declaring a named function you can either include the name in the function declaration itself or as the variable name in an expression.

A Function Declaration:

function myFunc() {
   //block of code
}

can also be written like this:

var myFunc = function() {
//block of code
}

So when you are passing the function myFunc to another function... you are not calling it... you are passing a reference to it.

Hope this helps!