JSLint reports "Unexpected dangling" character in an underscore prefixed variable name

javascript jslint
Zhami picture Zhami · Jun 14, 2010 · Viewed 30.4k times · Source

I know that some people consider the presence of a leading underscore to imply that a variable is "private," that such privacy is a fiction, and assume this is why JSLint reports such names with an error message.

I use Google Analytics on a Web site I am building. I make reference to GA's variables, such as "_gaq."

I am trying to get my JS code to be 100% JSLint clean (I'm not religious about my coding style, and so will go with Mr. Crockford's counsel). That said, I can't do anything about Google's variables names... so, I guess I can't get 100% "clean."

I post here in case I've misunderstood the message, and can do something to comply with JSLint practices.

Answer

Zhami picture Zhami · Jun 14, 2010

Ah, I've got this handled... I wrap the statements that use the underscore prefixed variables with JSLint commands to disable, then re-enable this class of error: 

/*jslint nomen: true*/
... statement(s) with _var ...
/*jslint nomen: false*/

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