A mostly reasonable approach to JavaScript
Note: this guide assumes you are using Babel, and requires that you use babel-preset-airbnb or the equivalent. It also assumes you are installing shims/polyfills in your app, with airbnb-browser-shims or the equivalent.
This guide is available in other languages too. See Translation
Other Style Guides
- Types
- References
- Objects
- Arrays
- Destructuring
- Strings
- Functions
- Arrow Functions
- Classes & Constructors
- Modules
- Iterators and Generators
- Properties
- Variables
- Hoisting
- Comparison Operators & Equality
- Blocks
- Control Statements
- Comments
- Whitespace
- Commas
- Semicolons
- Type Casting & Coercion
- Naming Conventions
- Accessors
- Events
- jQuery
- ECMAScript 5 Compatibility
- ECMAScript 6+ (ES 2015+) Styles
- Standard Library
- Testing
- Performance
- Resources
- In the Wild
- Translation
- The JavaScript Style Guide Guide
- Chat With Us About JavaScript
- Contributors
- License
- Amendments
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1.1 Primitives: When you access a primitive type you work directly on its value.
stringnumberbooleannullundefinedsymbolbigint
const foo = 1; let bar = foo; bar = 9; console.log(foo, bar); // => 1, 9
- Symbols and BigInts cannot be faithfully polyfilled, so they should not be used when targeting browsers/environments that don’t support them natively.
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1.2 Complex: When you access a complex type you work on a reference to its value.
objectarrayfunction
const foo = [1, 2]; const bar = foo; bar[0] = 9; console.log(foo[0], bar[0]); // => 9, 9
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2.1 Use
constfor all of your references; avoid usingvar. eslint:prefer-const,no-const-assignWhy? This ensures that you can’t reassign your references, which can lead to bugs and difficult to comprehend code.
// bad var a = 1; var b = 2; // good const a = 1; const b = 2;
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2.2 If you must reassign references, use
letinstead ofvar. eslint:no-varWhy?
letis block-scoped rather than function-scoped likevar.// bad var count = 1; if (true) { count += 1; } // good, use the let. let count = 1; if (true) { count += 1; }
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2.3 Note that both
letandconstare block-scoped.// const and let only exist in the blocks they are defined in. { let a = 1; const b = 1; } console.log(a); // ReferenceError console.log(b); // ReferenceError
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3.1 Use the literal syntax for object creation. eslint:
no-new-object// bad const item = new Object(); // good const item = {};
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3.2 Use computed property names when creating objects with dynamic property names.
Why? They allow you to define all the properties of an object in one place.
function getKey(k) { return `a key named ${k}`; } // bad const obj = { id: 5, name: 'San Francisco', }; obj[getKey('enabled')] = true; // good const obj = { id: 5, name: 'San Francisco', [getKey('enabled')]: true, };
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3.3 Use object method shorthand. eslint:
object-shorthand// bad const atom = { value: 1, addValue: function (value) { return atom.value + value; }, }; // good const atom = { value: 1, addValue(value) { return atom.value + value; }, };
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3.4 Use property value shorthand. eslint:
object-shorthandWhy? It is shorter and descriptive.
const lukeSkywalker = 'Luke Skywalker'; // bad const obj = { lukeSkywalker: lukeSkywalker, }; // good const obj = { lukeSkywalker, };
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3.5 Group your shorthand properties at the beginning of your object declaration.
Why? It’s easier to tell which properties are using the shorthand.
const anakinSkywalker = 'Anakin Skywalker'; const lukeSkywalker = 'Luke Skywalker'; // bad const obj = { episodeOne: 1, twoJediWalkIntoACantina: 2, lukeSkywalker, episodeThree: 3, mayTheFourth: 4, anakinSkywalker, }; // good const obj = { lukeSkywalker, anakinSkywalker, episodeOne: 1, twoJediWalkIntoACantina: 2, episodeThree: 3, mayTheFourth: 4, };
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3.6 Only quote properties that are invalid identifiers. eslint:
quote-propsWhy? In general we consider it subjectively easier to read. It improves syntax highlighting, and is also more easily optimized by many JS engines.
// bad const bad = { 'foo': 3, 'bar': 4, 'data-blah': 5, }; // good const good = { foo: 3, bar: 4, 'data-blah': 5, };
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3.7 Do not call
Object.prototypemethods directly, such ashasOwnProperty,propertyIsEnumerable, andisPrototypeOf. eslint:no-prototype-builtinsWhy? These methods may be shadowed by properties on the object in question - consider
{ hasOwnProperty: false }- or, the object may be a null object (Object.create(null)).// bad console.log(object.hasOwnProperty(key)); // good console.log(Object.prototype.hasOwnProperty.call(object, key)); // best const has = Object.prototype.hasOwnProperty; // cache the lookup once, in module scope. console.log(has.call(object, key)); /* or */ import has from 'has'; // https://www.npmjs.com/package/has console.log(has(object, key));
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3.8 Prefer the object spread operator over
Object.assignto shallow-copy objects. Use the object rest operator to get a new object with certain properties omitted.// very bad const original = { a: 1, b: 2 }; const copy = Object.assign(original, { c: 3 }); // this mutates `original` ಠ_ಠ delete copy.a; // so does this // bad const original = { a: 1, b: 2 }; const copy = Object.assign({}, original, { c: 3 }); // copy => { a: 1, b: 2, c: 3 } // good const original = { a: 1, b: 2 }; const copy = { ...original, c: 3 }; // copy => { a: 1, b: 2, c: 3 } const { a, ...noA } = copy; // noA => { b: 2, c: 3 }
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4.1 Use the literal syntax for array creation. eslint:
no-array-constructor// bad const items = new Array(); // good const items = [];
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4.2 Use Array#push instead of direct assignment to add items to an array.
const someStack = []; // bad someStack[someStack.length] = 'abracadabra'; // good someStack.push('abracadabra');
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4.3 Use array spreads
...to copy arrays.// bad const len = items.length; const itemsCopy = []; let i; for (i = 0; i < len; i += 1) { itemsCopy[i] = items[i]; } // good const itemsCopy = [...items];
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4.4 To convert an iterable object to an array, use spreads
...instead ofArray.from.const foo = document.querySelectorAll('.foo'); // good const nodes = Array.from(foo); // best const nodes = [...foo];
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4.5 Use
Array.fromfor converting an array-like object to an array.const arrLike = { 0: 'foo', 1: 'bar', 2: 'baz', length: 3 }; // bad const arr = Array.prototype.slice.call(arrLike); // good const arr = Array.from(arrLike);
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4.6 Use
Array.frominstead of spread...for mapping over iterables, because it avoids creating an intermediate array.// bad const baz = [...foo].map(bar); // good const baz = Array.from(foo, bar);
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4.7 Use return statements in array method callbacks. It’s ok to omit the return if the function body consists of a single statement returning an expression without side effects, following 8.2. eslint:
array-callback-return// good [1, 2, 3].map((x) => { const y = x + 1; return x * y; }); // good [1, 2, 3].map((x) => x + 1); // bad - no returned value means `acc` becomes undefined after the first iteration [[0, 1], [2, 3], [4, 5]].reduce((acc, item, index) => { const flatten = acc.concat(item); }); // good [[0, 1], [2, 3], [4, 5]].reduce((acc, item, index) => { const flatten = acc.concat(item); return flatten; }); // bad inbox.filter((msg) => { const { subject, author } = msg; if (subject === 'Mockingbird') { return author === 'Harper Lee'; } else { return false; } }); // good inbox.filter((msg) => { const { subject, author } = msg; if (subject === 'Mockingbird') { return author === 'Harper Lee'; } return false; });
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4.8 Use line breaks after open and before close array brackets if an array has multiple lines
// bad const arr = [ [0, 1], [2, 3], [4, 5], ]; const objectInArray = [{ id: 1, }, { id: 2, }]; const numberInArray = [ 1, 2, ]; // good const arr = [[0, 1], [2, 3], [4, 5]]; const objectInArray = [ { id: 1, }, { id: 2, }, ]; const numberInArray = [ 1, 2, ];
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5.1 Use object destructuring when accessing and using multiple properties of an object. eslint:
prefer-destructuringWhy? Destructuring saves you from creating temporary references for those properties.
// bad function getFullName(user) { const firstName = user.firstName; const lastName = user.lastName; return `${firstName} ${lastName}`; } // good function getFullName(user) { const { firstName, lastName } = user; return `${firstName} ${lastName}`; } // best function getFullName({ firstName, lastName }) { return `${firstName} ${lastName}`; }
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5.2 Use array destructuring. eslint:
prefer-destructuringconst arr = [1, 2, 3, 4]; // bad const first = arr[0]; const second = arr[1]; // good const [first, second] = arr;
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5.3 Use object destructuring for multiple return values, not array destructuring.
Why? You can add new properties over time or change the order of things without breaking call sites.
// bad function processInput(input) { // then a miracle occurs return [left, right, top, bottom]; } // the caller needs to think about the order of return data const [left, __, top] = processInput(input); // good function processInput(input) { // then a miracle occurs return { left, right, top, bottom }; } // the caller selects only the data they need const { left, top } = processInput(input);
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6.1 Use single quotes
''for strings. eslint:quotes// bad const name = "Capt. Janeway"; // bad - template literals should contain interpolation or newlines const name = `Capt. Janeway`; // good const name = 'Capt. Janeway';
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6.2 Strings that cause the line to go over 100 characters should not be written across multiple lines using string concatenation.
Why? Broken strings are painful to work with and make code less searchable.
// bad const errorMessage = 'This is a super long error that was thrown because \ of Batman. When you stop to think about how Batman had anything to do \ with this, you would get nowhere \ fast.'; // bad const errorMessage = 'This is a super long error that was thrown because ' + 'of Batman. When you stop to think about how Batman had anything to do ' + 'with this, you would get nowhere fast.'; // good const errorMessage = 'This is a super long error that was thrown because of Batman. When you stop to think about how Batman had anything to do with this, you would get nowhere fast.';
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6.3 When programmatically building up strings, use template strings instead of concatenation. eslint:
prefer-templatetemplate-curly-spacingWhy? Template strings give you a readable, concise syntax with proper newlines and string interpolation features.
// bad function sayHi(name) { return 'How are you, ' + name + '?'; } // bad function sayHi(name) { return ['How are you, ', name, '?'].join(); } // bad function sayHi(name) { return `How are you, ${ name }?`; } // good function sayHi(name) { return `How are you, ${name}?`; }
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6.5 Do not unnecessarily escape characters in strings. eslint:
no-useless-escapeWhy? Backslashes harm readability, thus they should only be present when necessary.
// bad const foo = '\'this\' \i\s \"quoted\"'; // good const foo = '\'this\' is "quoted"'; const foo = `my name is '${name}'`;
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7.1 Use named function expressions instead of function declarations. eslint:
func-styleWhy? Function declarations are hoisted, which means that it’s easy - too easy - to reference the function before it is defined in the file. This harms readability and maintainability. If you find that a function’s definition is large or complex enough that it is interfering with understanding the rest of the file, then perhaps it’s time to extract it to its own module! Don’t forget to explicitly name the expression, regardless of whether or not the name is inferred from the containing variable (which is often the case in modern browsers or when using compilers such as Babel). This eliminates any assumptions made about the Error’s call stack. (Discussion)
// bad function foo() { // ... } // bad const foo = function () { // ... }; // good // lexical name distinguished from the variable-referenced invocation(s) const short = function longUniqueMoreDescriptiveLexicalFoo() { // ... };
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7.2 Wrap immediately invoked function expressions in parentheses. eslint:
wrap-iifeWhy? An immediately invoked function expression is a single unit - wrapping both it, and its invocation parens, in parens, cleanly expresses this. Note that in a world with modules everywhere, you almost never need an IIFE.
// immediately-invoked function expression (IIFE) (function () { console.log('Welcome to the Internet. Please follow me.'); }());
- 7.3 Never declare a function in a non-function block (
if,while, etc). Assign the function to a variable instead. Browsers will allow you to do it, but they all interpret it differently, which is bad news bears. eslint:no-loop-func
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7.4 Note: ECMA-262 defines a
blockas a list of statements. A function declaration is not a statement.// bad if (currentUser) { function test() { console.log('Nope.'); } } // good let test; if (currentUser) { test = () => { console.log('Yup.'); }; }
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7.5 Never name a parameter
arguments. This will take precedence over theargumentsobject that is given to every function scope.// bad function foo(name, options, arguments) { // ... } // good function foo(name, options, args) { // ... }
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7.6 Never use
arguments, opt to use rest syntax...instead. eslint:prefer-rest-paramsWhy?
...is explicit about which arguments you want pulled. Plus, rest arguments are a real Array, and not merely Array-like likearguments.// bad function concatenateAll() { const args = Array.prototype.slice.call(arguments); return args.join(''); } // good function concatenateAll(...args) { return args.join(''); }
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7.7 Use default parameter syntax rather than mutating function arguments.
// really bad function handleThings(opts) { // No! We shouldn’t mutate function arguments. // Double bad: if opts is falsy it'll be set to an object which may // be what you want but it can introduce subtle bugs. opts = opts || {}; // ... } // still bad function handleThings(opts) { if (opts === void 0) { opts = {}; } // ... } // good function handleThings(opts = {}) { // ... }
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7.8 Avoid side effects with default parameters.
Why? They are confusing to reason about.
var b = 1; // bad function count(a = b++) { console.log(a)
; } count(); // 1 count(); // 2 count(3); // 3 count(); // 3
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7.9 Always put default parameters last.
// bad function handleThings(opts = {}, name) { // ... } // good function handleThings(name, opts = {}) { // ... }
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7.10 Never use the Function constructor to create a new function. eslint:
no-new-funcWhy? Creating a function in this way evaluates a string similarly to
eval(), which opens vulnerabilities.// bad var add = new Function('a', 'b', 'return a + b'); // still bad var subtract = Function('a', 'b', 'return a - b');
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7.11 Spacing in a function signature. eslint:
space-before-function-parenspace-before-blocksWhy? Consistency is good, and you shouldn’t have to add or remove a space when adding or removing a name.
// bad const f = function(){}; const g = function (){}; const h = function() {}; // good const x = function () {}; const y = function a() {};
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7.12 Never mutate parameters. eslint:
no-param-reassignWhy? Manipulating objects passed in as parameters can cause unwanted variable side effects in the original caller.
// bad function f1(obj) { obj.key = 1; } // good function f2(obj) { const key = Object.prototype.hasOwnProperty.call(obj, 'key') ? obj.key : 1; }
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7.13 Never reassign parameters. eslint:
no-param-reassignWhy? Reassigning parameters can lead to unexpected behavior, especially when accessing the
argumentsobject. It can also cause optimization issues, especially in V8.// bad function f1(a) { a = 1; // ... } function f2(a) { if (!a) { a = 1; } // ... } // good function f3(a) { const b = a || 1; // ... } function f4(a = 1) { // ... }
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7.14 Prefer the use of the spread operator
...to call variadic functions. eslint:prefer-spreadWhy? It’s cleaner, you don’t need to supply a context, and you can not easily compose
newwithapply.// bad const x = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]; console.log.apply(console, x); // good const x = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]; console.log(...x); // bad new (Function.prototype.bind.apply(Date, [null, 2016, 8, 5])); // good new Date(...[2016, 8, 5]);
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7.15 Functions with multiline signatures, or invocations, should be indented just like every other multiline list in this guide: with each item on a line by itself, with a trailing comma on the last item. eslint:
function-paren-newline// bad function foo(bar, baz, quux) { // ... } // good function foo( bar, baz, quux, ) { // ... } // bad console.log(foo, bar, baz); // good console.log( foo, bar, baz, );
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8.1 When you must use an anonymous function (as when passing an inline callback), use arrow function notation. eslint:
prefer-arrow-callback,arrow-spacingWhy? It creates a version of the function that executes in the context of
this, which is usually what you want, and is a more concise syntax.Why not? If you have a fairly complicated function, you might move that logic out into its own named function expression.
// bad [1, 2, 3].map(function (x) { const y = x + 1; return x * y; }); // good [1, 2, 3].map((x) => { const y = x + 1; return x * y; });
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8.2 If the function body consists of a single statement returning an expression without side effects, omit the braces and use the implicit return. Otherwise, keep the braces and use a
returnstatement. eslint:arrow-parens,arrow-body-styleWhy? Syntactic sugar. It reads well when multiple functions are chained together.
// bad [1, 2, 3].map((number) => { const nextNumber = number + 1; `A string containing the ${nextNumber}.`; }); // good [1, 2, 3].map((number) => `A string containing the ${number + 1}.`); // good [1, 2, 3].map((number) => { const nextNumber = number + 1; return `A string containing the ${nextNumber}.`; }); // good [1, 2, 3].map((number, index) => ({ [index]: number, })); // No implicit return with side effects function foo(callback) { const val = callback(); if (val === true) { // Do something if callback returns true } } let bool = false; // bad foo(() => bool = true); // good foo(() => { bool = true; });
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8.3 In case the expression spans over multiple lines, wrap it in parentheses for better readability.
Why? It shows clearly where the function starts and ends.
// bad ['get', 'post', 'put'].map((httpMethod) => Object.prototype.hasOwnProperty.call( httpMagicObjectWithAVeryLongName, httpMethod, ) ); // good ['get', 'post', 'put'].map((httpMethod) => ( Object.prototype.hasOwnProperty.call( httpMagicObjectWithAVeryLongName, httpMethod, ) ));
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8.4 Always include parentheses around arguments for clarity and consistency. eslint:
arrow-parensWhy? Minimizes diff churn when adding or removing arguments.
// bad [1, 2, 3].map(x => x * x); // good [1, 2, 3].map((x) => x * x); // bad [1, 2, 3].map(number => ( `A long string with the ${number}. It’s so long that we don’t want it to take up space on the .map line!` )); // good [1, 2, 3].map((number) => ( `A long string with the ${number}. It’s so long that we don’t want it to take up space on the .map line!` )); // bad [1, 2, 3].map(x => { const y = x + 1; return x * y; }); // good [1, 2, 3].map((x) => { const y = x + 1; return x * y; });
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8.5 Avoid confusing arrow function syntax (
=>) with comparison operators (<=,>=). eslint:no-confusing-arrow// bad const itemHeight = (item) => item.height <= 256 ? item.largeSize : item.smallSize; // bad const itemHeight = (item) => item.height >= 256 ? item.largeSize : item.smallSize; // good const itemHeight = (item) => (item.height <= 256 ? item.largeSize : item.smallSize); // good const itemHeight = (item) => { const { height, largeSize, smallSize } = item; return height <= 256 ? largeSize : smallSize; };
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8.6 Enforce the location of arrow function bodies with implicit returns. eslint:
implicit-arrow-linebreak// bad (foo) => bar; (foo) => (bar); // good (foo) => bar; (foo) => (bar); (foo) => ( bar )
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9.1 Always use
class. Avoid manipulatingprototypedirectly.Why?
classsyntax is more concise and easier to reason about.// bad function Queue(contents = []) { this.queue = [...contents]; } Queue.prototype.pop = function () { const value = this.queue[0]; this.queue.splice(0, 1); return value; }; // good class Queue { constructor(contents = []) { this.queue = [...contents]; } pop() { const value = this.queue[0]; this.queue.splice(0, 1); return value; } }
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9.2 Use
extendsfor inheritance.Why? It is a built-in way to inherit prototype functionality without breaking
instanceof.// bad const inherits = require('inherits'); function PeekableQueue(contents) { Queue.apply(this, contents); } inherits(PeekableQueue, Queue); PeekableQueue.prototype.peek = function () { return this.queue[0]; }; // good class PeekableQueue extends Queue { peek() { return this.queue[0]; } }
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9.3 Methods can return
thisto help with method chaining.// bad Jedi.prototype.jump = function () { this.jumping = true; return true; }; Jedi.prototype.setHeight = function (height) { this.height = height; }; const luke = new Jedi(); luke.jump(); // => true luke.setHeight(20); // => undefined // good class Jedi { jump() { this.jumping = true; return this; } setHeight(height) { this.height = height; return this; } } const luke = new Jedi(); luke.jump() .setHeight(20);
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9.4 It’s okay to write a custom
toString()method, just make sure it works successfully and causes no side effects.class Jedi { constructor(options = {}) { this.name = options.name || 'no name'; } getName() { return this.name; } toString() { return `Jedi - ${this.getName()}`; } }
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9.5 Classes have a default constructor if one is not specified. An empty constructor function or one that just delegates to a parent class is unnecessary. eslint:
no-useless-constructor// bad class Jedi { constructor() {} getName() { return this.name; } } // bad class Rey extends Jedi { constructor(...args) { super(...args); } } // good class Rey extends Jedi { constructor(...args) { super(...args); this.name = 'Rey'; } }
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9.6 Avoid duplicate class members. eslint:
no-dupe-class-membersWhy? Duplicate class member declarations will silently prefer the last one - having duplicates is almost certainly a bug.
// bad class Foo { bar() { return 1; } bar() { return 2; } } // good class Foo { bar() { return 1; } } // good class Foo { bar() { return 2; } }
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9.7 Class methods should use
thisor be made into a static method unless an external library or framework requires to use specific non-static methods. Being an instance method should indicate that it behaves differently based on properties of the receiver. eslint:class-methods-use-this// bad class Foo { bar() { console.log('bar'); } } // good - this is used class Foo { bar() { console.log(this.bar); } } // good - constructor is exempt class Foo { constructor() { // ... } } // good - static methods aren't expected to use this class Foo { static bar() { console.log('bar'); } }
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10.1 Always use modules (
import/export) over a non-standard module system. You can always transpile to your preferred module system.Why? Modules are the future, let’s start using the future now.
// bad const AirbnbStyleGuide = require('./AirbnbStyleGuide'); module.exports = AirbnbStyleGuide.es6; // ok import AirbnbStyleGuide from './AirbnbStyleGuide'; export default AirbnbStyleGuide.es6; // best import { es6 } from './AirbnbStyleGuide'; export default es6;
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10.2 Do not use wildcard imports.
Why? This makes sure you have a single default export.
// bad import * as AirbnbStyleGuide from './AirbnbStyleGuide'; // good import AirbnbStyleGuide from './AirbnbStyleGuide';
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10.3 And do not export directly from an import.
Why? Although the one-liner is concise, having one clear way to import and one clear way to export makes things consistent.
// bad // filename es6.js export { es6 as default } from './AirbnbStyleGuide'; // good // filename es6.js import { es6 } from './AirbnbStyleGuide'; export default es6;
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10.4 Only import from a path in one place. eslint:
no-duplicate-importsWhy? Having multiple lines that import from the same path can make code harder to maintain.
// bad import foo from 'foo'; // … some other imports … // import { named1, named2 } from 'foo'; // good import foo, { named1, named2 } from 'foo'; // good import foo, { named1, named2, } from 'foo';
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10.5 Do not export mutable bindings. eslint:
import/no-mutable-exportsWhy? Mutation should be avoided in general, but in particular when exporting mutable bindings. While this technique may be needed for some special cases, in general, only constant references should be exported.
// bad let foo = 3; export { foo }; // good const foo = 3; export { foo };
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10.6 In modules with a single export, prefer default export over named export. eslint:
import/prefer-default-exportWhy? To encourage more files that only ever export one thing, which is better for readability and maintainability.
// bad export function foo() {} // good export default function foo() {}
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10.7 Put all
imports above non-import statements. eslint:import/firstWhy? Since
imports are hoisted, keeping them all at the top prevents surprising behavior.// bad import foo from 'foo'; foo.init(); import bar from 'bar'; // good import foo from 'foo'; import bar from 'bar'; foo.init();
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10.8 Multiline imports should be indented just like multiline array and object literals. eslint:
object-curly-newlineWhy? The curly braces follow the same indentation rules as every other curly brace block in the style guide, as do the trailing commas.
// bad import {longNameA, longNameB, longNameC, longNameD, longNameE} from 'path'; // good import { longNameA, longNameB, longNameC, longNameD, longNameE, } from 'path';
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10.9 Disallow Webpack loader syntax in module import statements. eslint:
import/no-webpack-loader-syntaxWhy? Since using Webpack syntax in the imports couples the code to a module bundler. Prefer using the loader syntax in
webpack.config.js.// bad import fooSass from 'css!sass!foo.scss'; import barCss from 'style!css!bar.css'; // good import fooSass from 'foo.scss'; import barCss from 'bar.css';
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10.10 Do not include JavaScript filename extensions eslint:
import/extensionsWhy? Including extensions inhibits refactoring, and inappropriately hardcodes implementation details of the module you're importing in every consumer.
// bad import foo from './foo.js'; import bar from './bar.jsx'; import baz from './baz/index.jsx'; // good import foo from './foo'; import bar from './bar'; import baz from './baz';
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11.1 Don’t use iterators. Prefer JavaScript’s higher-order functions instead of loops like
for-inorfor-of. eslint:no-iteratorno-restricted-syntaxWhy? This enforces our immutable rule. Dealing with pure functions that return values is easier to reason about than side effects.
Use
map()/every()/filter()/find()/findIndex()/reduce()/some()/ ... to iterate over arrays, andObject.keys()/Object.values()/Object.entries()to produce arrays so you can iterate over objects.const numbers = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]; // bad let sum = 0; for (let num of numbers) { sum += num; } sum === 15; // good let sum = 0; numbers.forEach((num) => { sum += num; }); sum === 15; // best (use the functional force) const sum = numbers.reduce((total, num) => total + num, 0); sum === 15; // bad const increasedByOne = []; for (let i = 0; i < numbers.length; i++) { increasedByOne.push(numbers[i] + 1); } // good const increasedByOne = []; numbers.forEach((num) => { increasedByOne.push(num + 1); }); // best (keeping it functional) const increasedByOne = numbers.map((num) => num + 1);
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11.2 Don’t use generators for now.
Why? They don’t transpile well to ES5.
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11.3 If you must use generators, or if you disregard our advice, make sure their function signature is spaced properly. eslint:
generator-star-spacingWhy?
functionand*are part of the same conceptual keyword -*is not a modifier forfunction,function*is a unique construct, different fromfunction.// bad function * foo() { // ... } // bad const bar = function * () { // ... }; // bad const baz = function *() { // ... }; // bad const quux = function*() { // ... }; // bad function*foo() { // ... } // bad function *foo() { // ... } // very bad function * foo() { // ... } // very bad const wat = function * () { // ... }; // good function* foo() { // ... } // good const foo = function* () { // ... };
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12.1 Use dot notation when accessing properties. eslint:
dot-notationconst luke = { jedi: true, age: 28, }; // bad const isJedi = luke['jedi']; // good const isJedi = luke.jedi;
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12.2 Use bracket notation
[]when accessing properties with a variable.const luke = { jedi: true, age: 28, }; function getProp(prop) { return luke[prop]; } const isJedi = getProp('jedi');
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12.3 Use exponentiation operator
**when calculating exponentiations. eslint:no-restricted-properties.// bad const binary = Math.pow(2, 10); // good const binary = 2 ** 10;
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13.1 Always use
constorletto declare variables. Not doing so will result in global variables. We want to avoid polluting the global namespace. Captain Planet warned us of that. eslint:no-undefprefer-const// bad superPower = new SuperPower(); // good const superPower = new SuperPower();
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13.2 Use one
constorletdeclaration per variable or assignment. eslint:one-varWhy? It’s easier to add new variable declarations this way, and you never have to worry about swapping out a
;for a,or introducing punctuation-only diffs. You can also step through each declaration with the debugger, instead of jumping through all of them at once.// bad const items = getItems(), goSportsTeam = true, dragonball = 'z'; // bad // (compare to above, and try to spot the mistake) const items = getItems(), goSportsTeam = true; dragonball = 'z'; // good const items = getItems(); const goSportsTeam = true; const dragonball = 'z';
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13.3 Group all your
consts and then group all yourlets.Why? This is helpful when later on you might need to assign a variable depending on one of the previous assigned variables.
// bad let i, len, dragonball, items = getItems(), goSportsTeam = true; // bad let i; const items = getItems(); let dragonball; const goSportsTeam = true; let len; // good const goSportsTeam = true; const items = getItems(); let dragonball; let i; let length;
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13.4 Assign variables where you need them, but place them in a reasonable place.
Why?
letandconstare block scoped and not function scoped.// bad - unnecessary function call function checkName(hasName) { const name = getName(); if (hasName === 'test') { return false; } if (name === 'test') { this.setName(''); return false; } return name; } // good function checkName(hasName) { if (hasName === 'test') { return false; } const name = getName(); if (name === 'test') { this.setName(''); return false; } return name; }
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13.5 Don’t chain variable assignments. eslint:
no-multi-assignWhy? Chaining variable assignments creates implicit global variables.
// bad (function example() { // JavaScript interprets this as // let a = ( b = ( c = 1 ) ); // The let keyword only applies to variable a; variables b and c become // global variables. let a = b = c = 1; }()); console.log(a); // throws ReferenceError console.log(b); // 1 console.log(c); // 1 // good (function example() { let a = 1; let b = a; let c = a; }()); console.log(a); // throws ReferenceError console.log(b); // throws ReferenceError console.log(c); // throws ReferenceError // the same applies for `const`
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13.6 Avoid using unary increments and decrements (
++,--). eslintno-plusplusWhy? Per the eslint documentation, unary increment and decrement statements are subject to automatic semicolon insertion and can cause silent errors with incrementing or decrementing values within an application. It is also more expressive to mutate your values with statements like
num += 1instead ofnum++ornum ++. Disallowing unary increment and decrement statements also prevents you from pre-incrementing/pre-decrementing values unintentionally which can also cause unexpected behavior in your programs.// bad const array = [1, 2, 3]; let num = 1; num++; --num; let sum = 0; let truthyCount = 0; for (let i = 0; i < array.length; i++) { let value = array[i]; sum += value; if (value) { truthyCount++; } } // good const array = [1, 2, 3]; let num = 1; num += 1; num -= 1; const sum = array.reduce((a, b) => a + b, 0); const truthyCount = array.filter(Boolean).length;
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13.7 Avoid linebreaks before or after
=in an assignment. If your assignment violatesmax-len, surround the value in parens. eslintoperator-linebreak.Why? Linebreaks surrounding
=can obfuscate the value of an assignment.// bad const foo = superLongLongLongLongLongLongLongLongFunctionName(); // bad const foo = 'superLongLongLongLongLongLongLongLongString'; // good const foo = ( superLongLongLongLongLongLongLongLongFunctionName() ); // good const foo = 'superLongLongLongLongLongLongLongLongString';
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13.8 Disallow unused variables. eslint:
no-unused-varsWhy? Variables that are declared and not used anywhere in the code are most likely an error due to incomplete refactoring. Such variables take up space in the code and can lead to confusion by readers.
// bad var some_unused_var = 42; // Write-only variables are not considered as used. var y = 10; y = 5; // A read for a modification of itself is not considered as used. var z = 0; z = z + 1; // Unused function arguments. function getX(x, y) { return x; } // good function getXPlusY(x, y) { return x + y; } var x = 1; var y = a + 2; alert(getXPlusY(x, y)); // 'type' is ignored even if unused because it has a rest property sibling. // This is a form of extracting an object that omits the specified keys. var { type, ...coords } = data; // 'coords' is now the 'data' object without its 'type' property.
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14.1
vardeclarations get hoisted to the top of their closest enclosing function scope, their assignment does not.constandletdeclarations are blessed with a new concept called Temporal Dead Zones (TDZ). It’s important to know why typeof is no longer safe.// we know this wouldn’t work (assuming there // is no notDefined global variable) function example() { console.log(notDefined); // => throws a ReferenceError } // creating a variable declaration after you // reference the variable will work due to // variable hoisting. Note: the assignment // value of `true` is not hoisted. function example() { console.log(declaredButNotAssigned); // => undefined var declaredButNotAssigned = true; } // the interpreter is hoisting the variable // declaration to the top of the scope, // which means our example could be rewritten as: function example() { let declaredButNotAssigned; console.log(declaredButNotAssigned); // => undefined declaredButNotAssigned = true; } // using const and let function example() { console.log(declaredButNotAssigned); // => throws a ReferenceError console.log(typeof declaredButNotAssigned); // => throws a ReferenceError const declaredButNotAssigned = true; }
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14.2 Anonymous function expressions hoist their variable name, but not the function assignment.
function example() { console.log(anonymous); // => undefined anonymous(); // => TypeError anonymous is not a function var anonymous = function () { console.log('anonymous function expression'); }; }
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14.3 Named function expressions hoist the variable name, not the function name or the function body.
function example() { console.log(named); // => undefined named(); // => TypeError named is not a function superPower(); // => ReferenceError superPower is not defined var named = function superPower() { console.log('Flying'); }; } // the same is true when the function name // is the same as the variable name. function example() { console.log(named); // => undefined named(); // => TypeError named is not a function var named = function named() { console.log('named'); }; }
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14.4 Function declarations hoist their name and the function body.
function example() { superPower(); // => Flying function superPower() { console.log('Flying'); } }
-
For more information refer to JavaScript Scoping & Hoisting by Ben Cherry.
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15.2 Conditional statements such as the
ifstatement evaluate their expression using coercion with theToBooleanabstract method and always follow these simple rules:- Objects evaluate to true
- Undefined evaluates to false
- Null evaluates to false
- Booleans evaluate to the value of the boolean
- Numbers evaluate to false if +0, -0, or NaN, otherwise true
- Strings evaluate to false if an empty string
'', otherwise true
if ([0] && []) { // true // an array (even an empty one) is an object, objects will evaluate to true }
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15.3 Use shortcuts for booleans, but explicit comparisons for strings and numbers.
// bad if (isValid === true) { // ... } // good if (isValid) { // ... } // bad if (name) { // ... } // good if (name !== '') { // ... } // bad if (collection.length) { // ... } // good if (collection.length > 0) { // ... }
- 15.4 For more information see Truth Equality and JavaScript by Angus Croll.
-
15.5 Use braces to create blocks in
caseanddefaultclauses that contain lexical declarations (e.g.let,const,function, andclass). eslint:no-case-declarationsWhy? Lexical declarations are visible in the entire
switchblock but only get initialized when assigned, which only happens when itscaseis reached. This causes problems when multiplecaseclauses attempt to define the same thing.// bad switch (foo) { case 1: let x = 1; break; case 2: const y = 2; break; case 3: function f() { // ... } break; default: class C {} } // good switch (foo) { case 1: { let x = 1; break; } case 2: { const y = 2; break; } case 3: { function f() { // ... } break; } case 4: bar(); break; default: { class C {} } }
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15.6 Ternaries should not be nested and generally be single line expressions. eslint:
no-nested-ternary// bad const foo = maybe1 > maybe2 ? "bar" : value1 > value2 ? "baz" : null; // split into 2 separated ternary expressions const maybeNull = value1 > value2 ? 'baz' : null; // better const foo = maybe1 > maybe2 ? 'bar' : maybeNull; // best const foo = maybe1 > maybe2 ? 'bar' : maybeNull;
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15.7 Avoid unneeded ternary statements. eslint:
no-unneeded-ternary// bad const foo = a ? a : b; const bar = c ? true : false; const baz = c ? false : true; // good const foo = a || b; const bar = !!c; const baz = !c;
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15.8 When mixing operators, enclose them in parentheses. The only exception is the standard arithmetic operators:
+,-, and**since their precedence is broadly understood. We recommend enclosing/and*in parentheses because their precedence can be ambiguous when they are mixed. eslint:no-mixed-operatorsWhy? This improves readability and clarifies the developer’s intention.
// bad const foo = a && b < 0 || c > 0 || d + 1 === 0; // bad const bar = a ** b - 5 % d; // bad // one may be confused into thinking (a || b) && c if (a || b && c) { return d; } // bad const bar = a + b / c * d; // good const foo = (a && b < 0) || c > 0 || (d + 1 === 0); // good const bar = a ** b - (5 % d); // good if (a || (b && c)) { return d; } // good const bar = a + (b / c) * d;
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16.1 Use braces with all multiline blocks. eslint:
nonblock-statement-body-position// bad if (test) return false; // good if (test) return false; // good if (test) { return false; } // bad function foo() { return false; } // good function bar() { return false; }
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16.2 If you’re using multiline blocks with
ifandelse, putelseon the same line as yourifblock’s closing brace. eslint:brace-style// bad if (test) { thing1(); thing2(); } else { thing3(); } // good if (test) { thing1(); thing2(); } else { thing3(); }
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16.3 If an
ifblock always executes areturnstatement, the subsequentelseblock is unnecessary. Areturnin anelse ifblock following anifblock that contains areturncan be separated into multipleifblocks. eslint:no-else-return// bad function foo() { if (x) { return x; } else { return y; } } // bad function cats() { if (x) { return x; } else if (y) { return y; } } // bad function dogs() { if (x) { return x; } else { if (y) { return y; } } } // good function foo() { if (x) { return x; } return y; } // good function cats() { if (x) { return x; } if (y) { return y; } } // good function dogs(x) { if (x) { if (z) { return y; } } else { return z; } }
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17.1 In case your control statement (
if,whileetc.) gets too long or exceeds the maximum line length, each (grouped) condition could be put into a new line. The logical operator should begin the line.Why? Requiring operators at the beginning of the line keeps the operators aligned and follows a pattern similar to method chaining. This also improves readability by making it easier to visually follow complex logic.
// bad if ((foo === 123 || bar === 'abc') && doesItLookGoodWhenItBecomesThatLong() && isThisReallyHappening()) { thing1(); } // bad if (foo === 123 && bar === 'abc') { thing1(); } // bad if (foo === 123 && bar === 'abc') { thing1(); } // bad if ( foo === 123 && bar === 'abc' ) { thing1(); } // good if ( foo === 123 && bar === 'abc' ) { thing1(); } // good if ( (foo === 123 || bar === 'abc') && doesItLookGoodWhenItBecomesThatLong() && isThisReallyHappening() ) { thing1(); } // good if (foo === 123 && bar === 'abc') { thing1(); }
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17.2 Don't use selection operators in place of control statements.
// bad !isRunning && startRunning(); // good if (!isRunning) { startRunning(); }
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18.1 Use
/** ... */for multiline comments.// bad // make() returns a new element // based on the passed in tag name // // @param {String} tag // @return {Element} element function make(tag) { // ... return element; } // good /** * make() returns a new element * based on the passed-in tag name */ function make(tag) { // ... return element; }
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18.2 Use
//for single line comments. Place single line comments on a newline above the subject of the comment. Put an empty line before the comment unless it’s on the first line of a block.// bad const active = true; // is current tab // good // is current tab const active = true; // bad function getType() { console.log('fetching type...'); // set the default type to 'no type' const type = this.type || 'no type'; return type; } // good function getType() { console.log('fetching type...'); // set the default type to 'no type' const type = this.type || 'no type'; return type; } // also good function getType() { // set the default type to 'no type' const type = this.type || 'no type'; return type; }
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18.3 Start all comments with a space to make it easier to read. eslint:
spaced-comment// bad //is current tab const active = true; // good // is current tab const active = true; // bad /** *make() returns a new element *based on the passed-in tag name */ function make(tag) { // ... return element; } // good /** * make() returns a new element * based on the passed-in tag name */ function make(tag) { // ... return element; }
- 18.4 Prefixing your comments with
FIXMEorTODOhelps other developers quickly understand if you’re pointing out a problem that needs to be revisited, or if you’re suggesting a solution to the problem that needs to be implemented. These are different than regular comments because they are actionable. The actions areFIXME: -- need to figure this outorTODO: -- need to implement.
-
18.5 Use
// FIXME:to annotate problems.class Calculator extends Abacus { constructor() { super(); // FIXME: shouldn’t use a global here total = 0; } }
-
18.6 Use
// TODO:to annotate solutions to problems.class Calculator extends Abacus { constructor() { super(); // TODO: total should be configurable by an options param this.total = 0; } }
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19.1 Use soft tabs (space character) set to 2 spaces. eslint:
indent// bad function foo() { ∙∙∙∙let name; } // bad function bar() { ∙let name; } // good function baz() { ∙∙let name; }
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19.2 Place 1 space before the leading brace. eslint:
space-before-blocks// bad function test(){ console.log('test'); } // good function test() { console.log('test'); } // bad dog.set('attr',{ age: '1 year', breed: 'Bernese Mountain Dog', }); // good dog.set('attr', { age: '1 year', breed: 'Bernese Mountain Dog', });
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19.3 Place 1 space before the opening parenthesis in control statements (
if,whileetc.). Place no space between the argument list and the function name in function calls and declarations. eslint:keyword-spacing// bad if(isJedi) { fight (); } // good if (isJedi) { fight(); } // bad function fight () { console.log ('Swooosh!'); } // good function fight() { console.log('Swooosh!'); }
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19.4 Set off operators with spaces. eslint:
space-infix-ops// bad const x=y+5; // good const x = y + 5;
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19.5 End files with a single newline character. eslint:
eol-last// bad import { es6 } from './AirbnbStyleGuide'; // ... export default es6;
// bad import { es6 } from './AirbnbStyleGuide'; // ... export default es6;↵ ↵
// good import { es6 } from './AirbnbStyleGuide'; // ... export default es6;↵
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19.6 Use indentation when making long method chains (more than 2 method chains). Use a leading dot, which emphasizes that the line is a method call, not a new statement. eslint:
newline-per-chained-callno-whitespace-before-property// bad $('#items').find('.selected').highlight().end().find('.open').updateCount(); // bad $('#items'). find('.selected'). highlight(). end(). find('.open'). updateCount(); // good $('#items') .find('.selected') .highlight() .end() .find('.open') .updateCount(); // bad const leds = stage.selectAll('.led').data(data).enter().append('svg:svg').classed('led', true) .attr('width', (radius + margin) * 2).append('svg:g') .attr('transform', `translate(${radius + margin},${radius + margin})`) .call(tron.led); // good const leds = stage.selectAll('.led') .data(data) .enter().append('svg:svg') .classed('led', true) .attr('width', (radius + margin) * 2) .append('svg:g') .attr('transform', `translate(${radius + margin},${radius + margin})`) .call(tron.led); // good const leds = stage.selectAll('.led').data(data);
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19.7 Leave a blank line after blocks and before the next statement.
// bad if (foo) { return bar; } return baz; // good if (foo) { return bar; } return baz; // bad const obj = { foo() { }, bar() { }, }; return obj; // good const obj = { foo() { }, bar() { }, }; return obj; // bad const arr = [ function foo() { }, function bar() { }, ]; return arr; // good const arr = [ function foo() { }, function bar() { }, ]; return arr;
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19.8 Do not pad your blocks with blank lines. eslint:
padded-blocks// bad function bar() { console.log(foo); } // bad if (baz) { console.log(qux); } else { console.log(foo); } // bad class Foo { constructor(bar) { this.bar = bar; } } // good function bar() { console.log(foo); } // good if (baz) { console.log(qux); } else { console.log(foo); }
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19.9 Do not use multiple blank lines to pad your code. eslint:
no-multiple-empty-lines// bad class Person { constructor(fullName, email, birthday) { this.fullName = fullName; this.email = email; this.setAge(birthday); } setAge(birthday) { const today = new Date(); const age = this.getAge(today, birthday); this.age = age; } getAge(today, birthday) { // .. } } // good class Person { constructor(fullName, email, birthday) { this.fullName = fullName; this.email = email; this.setAge(birthday); } setAge(birthday) { const today = new Date(); const age = getAge(today, birthday); this.age = age; } getAge(today, birthday) { // .. } }
-
19.10 Do not add spaces inside parentheses. eslint:
space-in-parens// bad function bar( foo ) { return foo; } // good function bar(foo) { return foo; } // bad if ( foo ) { console.log(foo); } // good if (foo) { console.log(foo); }
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19.11 Do not add spaces inside brackets. eslint:
array-bracket-spacing// bad const foo = [ 1, 2, 3 ]; console.log(foo[ 0 ]); // good const foo = [1, 2, 3]; console.log(foo[0]);
-
19.12 Add spaces inside curly braces. eslint:
object-curly-spacing// bad const foo = {clark: 'kent'}; // good const foo = { clark: 'kent' };
-
19.13 Avoid having lines of code that are longer than 100 characters (including whitespace). Note: per above, long strings are exempt from this rule, and should not be broken up. eslint:
max-lenWhy? This ensures readability and maintainability.
// bad const foo = jsonData && jsonData.foo && jsonData.foo.bar && jsonData.foo.bar.baz && jsonData.foo.bar.baz.quux && jsonData.foo.bar.baz.quux.xyzzy; // bad $.ajax({ method: 'POST', url: 'https://airbnb.com/', data: { name: 'John' } }).done(() => console.log('Congratulations!')).fail(() => console.log('You have failed this city.')); // good const foo = jsonData && jsonData.foo && jsonData.foo.bar && jsonData.foo.bar.baz && jsonData.foo.bar.baz.quux && jsonData.foo.bar.baz.quux.xyzzy; // good $.ajax({ method: 'POST', url: 'https://airbnb.com/', data: { name: 'John' }, }) .done(() => console.log('Congratulations!')) .fail(() => console.log('You have failed this city.'));
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19.14 Require consistent spacing inside an open block token and the next token on the same line. This rule also enforces consistent spacing inside a close block token and previous token on the same line. eslint:
block-spacing// bad function foo() {return true;} if (foo) { bar = 0;} // good function foo() { return true; } if (foo) { bar = 0; }
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19.15 Avoid spaces before commas and require a space after commas. eslint:
comma-spacing// bad var foo = 1,bar = 2; var arr = [1 , 2]; // good var foo = 1, bar = 2; var arr = [1, 2];
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19.16 Enforce spacing inside of computed property brackets. eslint:
computed-property-spacing// bad obj[foo ] obj[ 'foo'] var x = {[ b ]: a} obj[foo[ bar ]] // good obj[foo] obj['foo'] var x = { [b]: a } obj[foo[bar]]
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19.17 Avoid spaces between functions and their invocations. eslint:
func-call-spacing// bad func (); func (); // good func();
-
19.18 Enforce spacing between keys and values in object literal properties. eslint:
key-spacing// bad var obj = { "foo" : 42 }; var obj2 = { "foo":42 }; // good var obj = { "foo": 42 };
- 19.19 Avoid trailing spaces at the end of lines. eslint:
no-trailing-spaces
-
19.20 Avoid multiple empty lines, only allow one newline at the end of files, and avoid a newline at the beginning of files. eslint:
no-multiple-empty-lines// bad - multiple empty lines var x = 1; var y = 2; // bad - 2+ newlines at end of file var x = 1; var y = 2; // bad - 1+ newline(s) at beginning of file var x = 1; var y = 2; // good var x = 1; var y = 2;
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20.1 Leading commas: Nope. eslint:
comma-style// bad const story = [ once , upon , aTime ]; // good const story = [ once, upon, aTime, ]; // bad const hero = { firstName: 'Ada' , lastName: 'Lovelace' , birthYear: 1815 , superPower: 'computers' }; // good const hero = { firstName: 'Ada', lastName: 'Lovelace', birthYear: 1815, superPower: 'computers', };
-
20.2 Additional trailing comma: Yup. eslint:
comma-dangleWhy? This leads to cleaner git diffs. Also, transpilers like Babel will remove the additional trailing comma in the transpiled code which means you don’t have to worry about the trailing comma problem in legacy browsers.
// bad - git diff without trailing comma const hero = { firstName: 'Florence', - lastName: 'Nightingale' + lastName: 'Nightingale', + inventorOf: ['coxcomb chart', 'modern nursing'] }; // good - git diff with trailing comma const hero = { firstName: 'Florence', lastName: 'Nightingale', + inventorOf: ['coxcomb chart', 'modern nursing'], };// bad const hero = { firstName: 'Dana', lastName: 'Scully' }; const heroes = [ 'Batman', 'Superman' ]; // good const hero = { firstName: 'Dana', lastName: 'Scully', }; const heroes = [ 'Batman', 'Superman', ]; // bad function createHero( firstName, lastName, inventorOf ) { // does nothing } // good function createHero( firstName, lastName, inventorOf, ) { // does nothing } // good (note that a comma must not appear after a "rest" element) function createHero( firstName, lastName, inventorOf, ...heroArgs ) { // does nothing } // bad createHero( firstName, lastName, inventorOf ); // good createHero( firstName, lastName, inventorOf, ); // good (note that a comma must not appear after a "rest" element) createHero( firstName, lastName, inventorOf, ...heroArgs );
-
Why? When JavaScript encounters a line break without a semicolon, it uses a set of rules called Automatic Semicolon Insertion to determine whether or not it should regard that line break as the end of a statement, and (as the name implies) place a semicolon into your code before the line break if it thinks so. ASI contains a few eccentric behaviors, though, and your code will break if JavaScript misinterprets your line break. These rules will become more complicated as new features become a part of JavaScript. Explicitly terminating your statements and configuring your linter to catch missing semicolons will help prevent you from encountering issues.
// bad - raises exception const luke = {} const leia = {} [luke, leia].forEach((jedi) => jedi.father = 'vader') // bad - raises exception const reaction = "No! That’s impossible!" (async function meanwhileOnTheFalcon() { // handle `leia`, `lando`, `chewie`, `r2`, `c3p0` // ... }()) // bad - returns `undefined` instead of the value on the next line - always happens when `return` is on a line by itself because of ASI! function foo() { return 'search your feelings, you know it to be foo' } // good const luke = {}; const leia = {}; [luke, leia].forEach((jedi) => { jedi.father = 'vader'; }); // good const reaction = "No! That’s impossible!"; (async function meanwhileOnTheFalcon() { // handle `leia`, `lando`, `chewie`, `r2`, `c3p0` // ... }()); // good function foo() { return 'search your feelings, you know it to be foo'; }
- 22.1 Perform type coercion at the beginning of the statement.
-
22.2 Strings: eslint:
no-new-wrappers// => this.reviewScore = 9; // bad const totalScore = new String(this.reviewScore); // typeof totalScore is "object" not "string" // bad const totalScore = this.reviewScore + ''; // invokes this.reviewScore.valueOf() // bad const totalScore = this.reviewScore.toString(); // isn’t guaranteed to return a string // good const totalScore = String(this.reviewScore);
-
22.3 Numbers: Use
Numberfor type casting andparseIntalways with a radix for parsing strings. eslint:radixno-new-wrappersconst inputValue = '4'; // bad const val = new Number(inputValue); // bad const val = +inputValue; // bad const val = inputValue >> 0; // bad const val = parseInt(inputValue); // good const val = Number(inputValue); // good const val = parseInt(inputValue, 10);
-
22.4 If for whatever reason you are doing something wild and
parseIntis your bottleneck and need to use Bitshift for performance reasons, leave a comment explaining why and what you’re doing.// good /** * parseInt was the reason my code was slow. * Bitshifting the String to coerce it to a * Number made it a lot faster. */ const val = inputValue >> 0;
-
22.5 Note: Be careful when using bitshift operations. Numbers are represented as 64-bit values, but bitshift operations always return a 32-bit integer (source). Bitshift can lead to unexpected behavior for integer values larger than 32 bits. Discussion. Largest signed 32-bit Int is 2,147,483,647:
2147483647 >> 0; // => 2147483647 2147483648 >> 0; // => -2147483648 2147483649 >> 0; // => -2147483647
-
22.6 Booleans: eslint:
no-new-wrappersconst age = 0; // bad const hasAge = new Boolean(age); // good const hasAge = Boolean(age); // best const hasAge = !!age;
-
23.1 Avoid single letter names. Be descriptive with your naming. eslint:
id-length// bad function q() { // ... } // good function query() { // ... }
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23.2 Use camelCase when naming objects, functions, and instances. eslint:
camelcase// bad const OBJEcttsssss = {}; const this_is_my_object = {}; function c() {} // good const thisIsMyObject = {}; function thisIsMyFunction() {}
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23.3 Use PascalCase only when naming constructors or classes. eslint:
new-cap// bad function user(options) { this.name = options.name; } const bad = new user({ name: 'nope', }); // good class User { constructor(options) { this.name = options.name; } } const good = new User({ name: 'yup', });
-
23.4 Do not use trailing or leading underscores. eslint:
no-underscore-dangleWhy? JavaScript does not have the concept of privacy in terms of properties or methods. Although a leading underscore is a common convention to mean “private”, in fact, these properties are fully public, and as such, are part of your public API contract. This convention might lead developers to wrongly think that a change won’t count as breaking, or that tests aren’t needed. tl;dr: if you want something to be “private”, it must not be observably present.
// bad this.__firstName__ = 'Panda'; this.firstName_ = 'Panda'; this._firstName = 'Panda'; // good this.firstName = 'Panda'; // good, in environments where WeakMaps are available // see https://kangax.github.io/compat-table/es6/#test-WeakMap const firstNames = new WeakMap(); firstNames.set(this, 'Panda');
-
23.5 Don’t save references to
this. Use arrow functions or Function#bind.// bad function foo() { const self = this; return function () { console.log(self); }; } // bad function foo() { const that = this; return function () { console.log(that); }; } // good function foo() { return () => { console.log(this); }; }
-
23.6 A base filename should exactly match the name of its default export.
// file 1 contents class CheckBox { // ... } export default CheckBox; // file 2 contents export default function fortyTwo() { return 42; } // file 3 contents export default function insideDirectory() {} // in some other file // bad import CheckBox from './checkBox'; // PascalCase import/export, camelCase filename import FortyTwo from './FortyTwo'; // PascalCase import/filename, camelCase export import InsideDirectory from './InsideDirectory'; // PascalCase import/filename, camelCase export // bad import CheckBox from './check_box'; // PascalCase import/export, snake_case filename import forty_two from './forty_two'; // snake_case import/filename, camelCase export import inside_directory from './inside_directory'; // snake_case import, camelCase export import index from './inside_directory/index'; // requiring the index file explicitly import insideDirectory from './insideDirectory/index'; // requiring the index file explicitly // good import CheckBox from './CheckBox'; // PascalCase export/import/filename import fortyTwo from './fortyTwo'; // camelCase export/import/filename import insideDirectory from './insideDirectory'; // camelCase export/import/directory name/implicit "index" // ^ supports both insideDirectory.js and insideDirectory/index.js
-
23.7 Use camelCase when you export-default a function. Your filename should be identical to your function’s name.
function makeStyleGuide() { // ... } export default makeStyleGuide;
-
23.8 Use PascalCase when you export a constructor / class / singleton / function library / bare object.
const AirbnbStyleGuide = { es6: { }, }; export default AirbnbStyleGuide;
-
23.9 Acronyms and initialisms should always be all uppercased, or all lowercased.
Why? Names are for readability, not to appease a computer algorithm.
// bad import SmsContainer from './containers/SmsContainer'; // bad const HttpRequests = [ // ... ]; // good import SMSContainer from './containers/SMSContainer'; // good const HTTPRequests = [ // ... ]; // also good const httpRequests = [ // ... ]; // best import TextMessageContainer from './containers/TextMessageContainer'; // best const requests = [ // ... ];
-
23.10 You may optionally uppercase a constant only if it (1) is exported, (2) is a
const(it can not be reassigned), and (3) the programmer can trust it (and its nested properties) to never change.Why? This is an additional tool to assist in situations where the programmer would be unsure if a variable might ever change. UPPERCASE_VARIABLES are letting the programmer know that they can trust the variable (and its properties) not to change.
- What about all
constvariables? - This is unnecessary, so uppercasing should not be used for constants within a file. It should be used for exported constants however. - What about exported objects? - Uppercase at the top level of export (e.g.
EXPORTED_OBJECT.key) and maintain that all nested properties do not change.
// bad const PRIVATE_VARIABLE = 'should not be unnecessarily uppercased within a file'; // bad export const THING_TO_BE_CHANGED = 'should obviously not be uppercased'; // bad export let REASSIGNABLE_VARIABLE = 'do not use let with uppercase variables'; // --- // allowed but does not supply semantic value export const apiKey = 'SOMEKEY'; // better in most cases export const API_KEY = 'SOMEKEY'; // --- // bad - unnecessarily uppercases key while adding no semantic value export const MAPPING = { KEY: 'value' }; // good export const MAPPING = { key: 'value' };
- What about all
- 24.1 Accessor functions for properties are not required.
-
24.2 Do not use JavaScript getters/setters as they cause unexpected side effects and are harder to test, maintain, and reason about. Instead, if you do make accessor functions, use
getVal()andsetVal('hello').// bad class Dragon { get age() { // ... } set age(value) { // ... } } // good class Dragon { getAge() { // ... } setAge(value) { // ... } }
-
24.3 If the property/method is a
boolean, useisVal()orhasVal().// bad if (!dragon.age()) { return false; } // good if (!dragon.hasAge()) { return false; }
-
24.4 It’s okay to create
get()andset()functions, but be consistent.class Jedi { constructor(options = {}) { const lightsaber = options.lightsaber || 'blue'; this.set('lightsaber', lightsaber); } set(key, val) { this[key] = val; } get(key) { return this[key]; } }
-
25.1 When attaching data payloads to events (whether DOM events or something more proprietary like Backbone events), pass an object literal (also known as a "hash") instead of a raw value. This allows a subsequent contributor to add more data to the event payload without finding and updating every handler for the event. For example, instead of:
// bad $(this).trigger('listingUpdated', listing.id); // ... $(this).on('listingUpdated', (e, listingID) => { // do something with listingID });
prefer:
// good $(this).trigger('listingUpdated', { listingID: listing.id }); // ... $(this).on('listingUpdated', (e, data) => { // do something with data.listingID });
-
26.1 Prefix jQuery object variables with a
$.// bad const sidebar = $('.sidebar'); // good const $sidebar = $('.sidebar'); // good const $sidebarBtn = $('.sidebar-btn');
-
26.2 Cache jQuery lookups.
// bad function setSidebar() { $('.sidebar').hide(); // ... $('.sidebar').css({ 'background-color': 'pink', }); } // good function setSidebar() { const $sidebar = $('.sidebar'); $sidebar.hide(); // ... $sidebar.css({ 'background-color': 'pink', }); }
-
26.4 Use
findwith scoped jQuery object queries.// bad $('ul', '.sidebar').hide(); // bad $('.sidebar').find('ul').hide(); // good $('.sidebar ul').hide(); // good $('.sidebar > ul').hide(); // good $sidebar.find('ul').hide();
- 27.1 Refer to Kangax’s ES5 compatibility table.
- 28.1 This is a collection of links to the various ES6+ features.
- Arrow Functions
- Classes
- Object Shorthand
- Object Concise
- Object Computed Properties
- Template Strings
- Destructuring
- Default Parameters
- Rest
- Array Spreads
- Let and Const
- Exponentiation Operator
- Iterators and Generators
- Modules
-
28.2 Do not use TC39 proposals that have not reached stage 3.
Why? They are not finalized, and they are subject to change or to be withdrawn entirely. We want to use JavaScript, and proposals are not JavaScript yet.
The Standard Library contains utilities that are functionally broken but remain for legacy reasons.
-
29.1 Use
Number.isNaNinstead of globalisNaN. eslint:no-restricted-globalsWhy? The global
isNaNcoerces non-numbers to numbers, returning true for anything that coerces to NaN. If this behavior is desired, make it explicit.// bad isNaN('1.2'); // false isNaN('1.2.3'); // true // good Number.isNaN('1.2.3'); // false Number.isNaN(Number('1.2.3')); // true
-
29.2 Use
Number.isFiniteinstead of globalisFinite. eslint:no-restricted-globalsWhy? The global
isFinitecoerces non-numbers to numbers, returning true for anything that coerces to a finite number. If this behavior is desired, make it explicit.// bad isFinite('2e3'); // true // good Number.isFinite('2e3'); // false Number.isFinite(parseInt('2e3', 10)); // true
-
30.1 Yup.
function foo() { return true; }
- 30.2 No, but seriously:
- Whichever testing framework you use, you should be writing tests!
- Strive to write many small pure functions, and minimize where mutations occur.
- Be cautious about stubs and mocks - they can make your tests more brittle.
- We primarily use
mochaandjestat Airbnb.tapeis also used occasionally for small, separate modules. - 100% test coverage is a good goal to strive for, even if it’s not always practical to reach it.
- Whenever you fix a bug, write a regression test. A bug fixed without a regression test is almost certainly going to break again in the future.
- On Layout & Web Performance
- String vs Array Concat
- Try/Catch Cost In a Loop
- Bang Function
- jQuery Find vs Context, Selector
- innerHTML vs textContent for script text
- Long String Concatenation
- Are JavaScript functions like
map(),reduce(), andfilter()optimized for traversing arrays? - Loading...
Learning ES6+
Read This
Tools
- Code Style Linters
- Neutrino Preset - @neutrinojs/airbnb
Other Style Guides
- Google JavaScript Style Guide
- Google JavaScript Style Guide (Old)
- jQuery Core Style Guidelines
- Principles of Writing Consistent, Idiomatic JavaScript
- StandardJS
Other Styles
- Naming this in nested functions - Christian Johansen
- Conditional Callbacks - Ross Allen
- Popular JavaScript Coding Conventions on GitHub - JeongHoon Byun
- Multiple var statements in JavaScript, not superfluous - Ben Alman
Further Reading
- Understanding JavaScript Closures - Angus Croll
- Basic JavaScript for the impatient programmer - Dr. Axel Rauschmayer
- You Might Not Need jQuery - Zack Bloom & Adam Schwartz
- ES6 Features - Luke Hoban
- Frontend Guidelines - Benjamin De Cock
Books
- JavaScript: The Good Parts - Douglas Crockford
- JavaScript Patterns - Stoyan Stefanov
- Pro JavaScript Design Patterns - Ross Harmes and Dustin Diaz
- High Performance Web Sites: Essential Knowledge for Front-End Engineers - Steve Souders
- Maintainable JavaScript - Nicholas C. Zakas
- JavaScript Web Applications - Alex MacCaw
- Pro JavaScript Techniques - John Resig
- Smashing Node.js: JavaScript Everywhere - Guillermo Rauch
- Secrets of the JavaScript Ninja - John Resig and Bear Bibeault
- Human JavaScript - Henrik Joreteg
- Superhero.js - Kim Joar Bekkelund, Mads Mobæk, & Olav Bjorkoy
- JSBooks - Julien Bouquillon
- Third Party JavaScript - Ben Vinegar and Anton Kovalyov
- Effective JavaScript: 68 Specific Ways to Harness the Power of JavaScript - David Herman
- Eloquent JavaScript - Marijn Haverbeke
- You Don’t Know JS: ES6 & Beyond - Kyle Simpson
Blogs
- JavaScript Weekly
- JavaScript, JavaScript...
- Bocoup Weblog
- Adequately Good
- NCZOnline
- Perfection Kills
- Ben Alman
- Dmitry Baranovskiy
- nettuts
Podcasts
This is a list of organizations that are using this style guide. Send us a pull request and we'll add you to the list.
- 123erfasst: 123erfasst/javascript
- 3blades: 3Blades
- 4Catalyzer: 4Catalyzer/javascript
- Aan Zee: AanZee/javascript
- Adult Swim: adult-swim/javascript
- Airbnb: airbnb/javascript
- AltSchool: AltSchool/javascript
- Apartmint: apartmint/javascript
- Ascribe: ascribe/javascript
- Avalara: avalara/javascript
- Avant: avantcredit/javascript
- Axept: axept/javascript
- BashPros: BashPros/javascript
- Billabong: billabong/javascript
- Bisk: bisk
- Bonhomme: bonhommeparis/javascript
- Brainshark: brainshark/javascript
- CaseNine: CaseNine/javascript
- Cerner: Cerner
- Chartboost: ChartBoost/javascript-style-guide
- Coeur d'Alene Tribe: www.cdatribe-nsn.gov
- ComparaOnline: comparaonline/javascript
- Compass Learning: compasslearning/javascript-style-guide
- DailyMotion: dailymotion/javascript
- DoSomething: DoSomething/eslint-config
- Digitpaint digitpaint/javascript
- Drupal: www.drupal.org
- Ecosia: ecosia/javascript
- Evernote: evernote/javascript-style-guide
- Evolution Gaming: evolution-gaming/javascript
- EvozonJs: evozonjs/javascript
- ExactTarget: ExactTarget/javascript
- Expensify Expensify/Style-Guide
- Flexberry: Flexberry/javascript-style-guide
- Gawker Media: gawkermedia
- General Electric: GeneralElectric/javascript
- Generation Tux: GenerationTux/javascript
- GoodData: gooddata/gdc-js-style
- GreenChef: greenchef/javascript
- Grooveshark: grooveshark/javascript
- Grupo-Abraxas: Grupo-Abraxas/javascript
- Happeo: happeo/javascript
- Honey: honeyscience/javascript
- How About We: howaboutwe/javascript
- Huballin: huballin
- HubSpot: HubSpot/javascript
- Hyper: hyperoslo/javascript-playbook
- InterCity Group: intercitygroup/javascript-style-guide
- Jam3: Jam3/Javascript-Code-Conventions
- JeopardyBot: kesne/jeopardy-bot
- JSSolutions: JSSolutions/javascript
- Kaplan Komputing: kaplankomputing/javascript
- KickorStick: kickorstick
- Kinetica Solutions: kinetica/javascript
- LEINWAND: LEINWAND/javascript
- Lonely Planet: lonelyplanet/javascript
- M2GEN: M2GEN/javascript
- Mighty Spring: mightyspring/javascript
- MinnPost: MinnPost/javascript
- MitocGroup: MitocGroup/javascript
- ModCloth: modcloth/javascript
- Money Advice Service: moneyadviceservice/javascript
- Muber: muber
- National Geographic: natgeo
- Nimbl3: nimbl3/javascript
- NullDev: NullDevCo/JavaScript-Styleguide
- Nulogy: nulogy/javascript
- Orange Hill Development: orangehill/javascript
- Orion Health: orionhealth/javascript
- OutBoxSoft: OutBoxSoft/javascript
- Peerby: Peerby/javascript
- Pier 1: Pier1/javascript
- Qotto: Qotto/javascript-style-guide
- Razorfish: razorfish/javascript-style-guide
- reddit: reddit/styleguide/javascript
- React: facebook.github.io/react/contributing/how-to-contribute.html#style-guide
- REI: reidev/js-style-guide
- Ripple: ripple/javascript-style-guide
- Sainsbury’s Supermarkets: jsainsburyplc
- SeekingAlpha: seekingalpha/javascript-style-guide
- Shutterfly: shutterfly/javascript
- Sourcetoad: sourcetoad/javascript
- Springload: springload
- StratoDem Analytics: stratodem/javascript
- SteelKiwi Development: steelkiwi/javascript
- StudentSphere: studentsphere/javascript
- SwoopApp: swoopapp/javascript
- SysGarage: sysgarage/javascript-style-guide
- Syzygy Warsaw: syzygypl/javascript
- Target: target/javascript
- Terra: terra
- TheLadders: TheLadders/javascript
- The Nerdery: thenerdery/javascript-standards
- Tomify: tomprats
- Traitify: traitify/eslint-config-traitify
- T4R Technology: T4R-Technology/javascript
- UrbanSim: urbansim
- VoxFeed: VoxFeed/javascript-style-guide
- WeBox Studio: weboxstudio/javascript
- Weggo: Weggo/javascript
- Zillow: zillow/javascript
- ZocDoc: ZocDoc/javascript
This style guide is also available in other languages:
Brazilian Portuguese: armoucar/javascript-style-guide
Bulgarian: borislavvv/javascript
Catalan: fpmweb/javascript-style-guide
Chinese (Simplified): lin-123/javascript
Chinese (Traditional): jigsawye/javascript
French: nmussy/javascript-style-guide
German: timofurrer/javascript-style-guide
Italian: sinkswim/javascript-style-guide
Japanese: mitsuruog/javascript-style-guide
Korean: ParkSB/javascript-style-guide
Russian: leonidlebedev/javascript-airbnb
Spanish: paolocarrasco/javascript-style-guide
Thai: lvarayut/javascript-style-guide
Turkish: eraycetinay/javascript
Ukrainian: ivanzusko/javascript
Vietnam: dangkyokhoang/javascript-style-guide
- Find us on gitter.
(The MIT License)
Copyright (c) 2012 Airbnb
Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy of this software and associated documentation files (the 'Software'), to deal in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions:
The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in all copies or substantial portions of the Software.
THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED 'AS IS', WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM, OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE SOFTWARE.
We encourage you to fork this guide and change the rules to fit your team’s style guide. Below, you may list some amendments to the style guide. This allows you to periodically update your style guide without having to deal with merge conflicts.