function-overloader

FUNCTION OVERLOADER

Introduce the mechanism for easy overloading functions and method.

install

npm install function-overloader

Introduction

This library/helper is solution for lack of function overloading in javascript. It will not introduce overloading for functions. But it will help handling multiple different arguments.

It will return response from correct do block.

teaser

import Overload from "function-overloader";
class Monster {

    constructor() {
        Overload.set(...arguments)
            .when("string", "number")
            .do((monsterName, level) => {
                this.name = monsterName;
                this.level = level;
            })
            .when("object")
            .do(monsterData => {
                this.name = monsterData.name;
                this.level = monsterData.level;
            })
            .done();
        console.log(`Monster ${this.name} level ${this.level} created`);
    }
    
    addAttribute() {
        return Overload.set(...arguments)
            .when(Attribute)
            .do(this.addExisitingAttribute)
            .when("string", "function")
            .do(this.addNewAttribute)
            .done();
    }
    
    addExisitingAttribute (attribute) {
        this.attributes.push(attribute);
        return attribute;
    }
    
    addNewAttribute (attributeName, attributeLogic) {
        const attribute = new Attribute(attributeName, attributeLogic);
        this.attributes.push(attribute);
        return attribute;
    }
}

Now it is possible:

    const monster1 = new Monster ("hakuna", 3);
    monster1.addAttribute("happy", () => {});
    const attribute = new Attribute("sad", () => {});
    monster1.addAttribute(attribute);
    
    const monster2 = new Monster ({
        name: "froggy",
        level: 2
    });

motivation

Decrease code complexity of overloaded functions and methods.

Old fashion:

function someMethod () {
    if(arguments.length === 2 && typeof arguments[0] === "string" && typeof arguments[1] === "number") {
        //do some stuff when get string and number
    } else if (arguments.length === 1 && typeof arguments[0] === "object" && arguments[0] instanceof SomeCustomConstructor) {
        //do something else if one argument which is instance of SomeCustomConstructor
    } else {
        //do something else
    }
}

usage

import/require this library

import Overload from "function-overloader";

then:

function someOverloadedFunction() {
    return Overload.set(...arguments)
        .when("sometypeA1", "sometypeA2")
        .do(someFunctionHandlingFirstCase)
        .when("sometypeB1", "sometypeB2")
        .do(someFunctionHandlingSecondCase)  
        .done();
}

API

init

Overload.set(...arguments)

accept function arguments. It is possible by passing them one by one, but preffered why is to just pass spread ...arguments. It will return Condition Response

Another possibility is to :

new Overload(...arguments);

And it will also return Condition Response

Condition Response

It has methods:

.when()

It is for describe when to run related do method. Return Function Response

Accept multiple values that will descibe function. Possible values:

• "boolean"

• "number"

• "string"

• "symbol"

• "function"

• "undefined"

• Constructor function / class to define that argument should be an instance of provided class / constructor.

if there is no arguments it means that it will resolve only when overloaded function doesn't get any arguments.

.done()

should be called at the end to mark that now we should get chosen function response

No arguments. Will return funtion response

Function Response

Has one method

.do()

Accept function which should be called if previous .when match arguments. Will respond with Condition Response

Debugger

For easy debug this library run your script with

DEBUG=Overloader <command to run>

License

MIT