A javascript design pattern for options with default values?

Question

// opt_options is optional
function foo(a, b, opt_options) {
  // opt_c, opt_d, and opt_e are read from 'opt_options', only c and d have defaults
  var opt_c = 'default_for_c';
  var opt_d = 'default_for_d';
  var opt_e; // e has no default

  if (opt_options) {
    opt_c = opt_options.c || opt_c;
    opt_d = opt_options.d || opt_d;
    opt_e = opt_options.e;
  }
}

The above seems awfully verbose. What's a better way to handle argument options with default parameters?

Answer 1

This uses jQuery.extend but could be interchanged with an object merger from your library of choice or Object.assign in ES6.

function Module(options){
    var defaults = {
        color: 'red'
    };
    var actual = $.extend({}, defaults, options || {});
    console.info( actual.color );
}

var a = new Module();
// Red
var b = new Module( { color: 'blue' } );
// Blue

---

Edit: Now also in underscore or lodash!

function Module(options){
    var actual = _.defaults(options || {}, {
         color: 'red'
    });
    console.info( actual.color );
}

var a = new Module();
// Red
var b = new Module( { color: 'blue' } );
// Blue

---

In Javascript ES6 you can use Object.assign:

function Module(options = {}){
    let defaults = {
        color: 'red'
    };
    let actual = Object.assign({}, defaults, options);
    console.info( actual.color );
}