Can a JavaScript function return itself?

javascript function self
fbas picture fbas · Aug 5, 2011 · Viewed 16.5k times · Source

Can I write a function that returns iteself?

I was reading some description on closures - see Example 6 - where a function was returning a function, so you could call func()(); as valid JavaScript.

So I was wondering could a function return itself in such a way that you could chain it to itself indefinitely like this:

func(arg)(other_arg)()(blah);

Using arguments object, callee or caller?

Answer

Flambino picture Flambino · Aug 5, 2011

There are 2-3 ways. One is, as you say, is to use arguments.callee. It might be the only way if you're dealing with an anonymous function that's not stored assigned to a variable somewhere (that you know of):

(function() {
    return arguments.callee;
})()()()().... ;

The 2nd is to use the function's name

function namedFunc() {
    return namedFunc;
}
namedFunc()()()().... ;

And the last one is to use an anonymous function assigned to a variable, but you have to know the variable, so in that case I see no reason, why you can't just give the function a name, and use the method above

var storedFunc = function() {
    return storedFunc;
};
storedFunc()()()().... ;

They're all functionally identical, but callee is the simplest.

Edit: And I agree with SLaks; I can't recommend it either

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