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javascriptregexstringarrow-functions

string placeholder replacement program in javascript


function format(template, ...values) {
    return template.replace(/{(\d+)}/g, (_,i) => values[i]);
}

The above solution returns a formatted string. for example format("{0}{1}{2}{1}{0}", "k", "a", "y") returns "kayak".

I know the string replace function in JS , Here I didn't get the arrow function


Solution

  • _ in fat arrow function is called as throwaway variable.

    The underscore symbol _ is a valid identifier in JavaScript, and in your example, it is being used as a function parameter.

    A single underscore is a convention used by some javascript programmers to indicate to other programmers that they should "ignore this binding/parameter". Since JavaScript doesn't do parameter-count checking the parameter could have been omitted entirely.

    This symbol is often used (by convention again) in conjunction with fat-arrow functions to make them even terser and readable, like this:

    const fun = _ => console.log('Hello, World!')
    fun()
    

    In this case, the function needs no params to run, so the developer has used the underscore as a convention to indicate this. The same thing could be written like this:

    const fun = () => console.log('Hello, World!')
    fun()
    

    The difference is that the second version is a function with no parameters, but the first version has a parameter called _ that is ignored. These are different though and the second version is safer, if slightly more verbose (1 extra character).

    Also, consider a case like

    arr.forEach(function (_, i) {..})
    

    Where _ indicates the first parameter is not to be used.