How to recognize the JavaScript method(function)

Question

I am writing a Plug-In for VS2008 and I would like to recognize the JavaScript method(function). I have a file - sample.js:`

        function test0()
        {
            var i = 0;
            {
                var j = 0;
            }
            var array = { 1: 2, dd: 10, aaa: 3 };
                    return array;
        }

        function test1()
        {
            var ii = "x";
            {
                var xx = "x" + ii;
            }
            return ii;
        }

`

How to recognize these methods? Use regular expressions?

Nosredna · Accepted Answer · 2009-07-14 00:58:54Z

4

Remember that JavaScript functions can be written a few ways. You showed the "C" style function definition, but there are others.

You'll see a lot of "var test2=function(){}".

You'll also see them as members of objects "test3: function(){}".

And you can use "new," but that's not very popular.

And don't forget that many JavaScript functions are anonymous.

For good measure you should handle the immediate invocation pattern:

(function () {

  // ...

}());

Will the code that you'll see be restricted by some self-imposed rules? If not, you have some parsing to do when you see "function." Especially since "function" could just be a word in some text, and you have a couple different kinds of quotes and a couple kinds of comment styles to unravel to see if it's simply part of a text string or part of a comment.

edited Jul 14, 2009 at 0:58

answered Jul 14, 2009 at 0:52

Nosredna

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3 Comments

Michał Ziober Over a year ago

Thanks for help. But how to identify internal brackets: "{", "}" Sample: function test1() { var ii = "x"; {// this is a problem for me var xx = "x" + ii; }// this is a problem for me return ii; }

Nosredna Over a year ago

Could you edit your original question with a little more detail on your specific question? It's hard to read code in comments.

Michał Ziober Over a year ago

The regular expression that solves my problem: "function\\s*?\([\\w,\\s]*?\)\\s*?{([^{]|({.*?})*|[^}])*?}". A few more changes and everything should work. Thanks for hints.

Andy Chase · Accepted Answer · 2009-07-14 00:46:49Z

0

Since function is a reserved keyword, it's safe to assume that as long as the word function is not in quotes it should be a javascript function.

Regex should work. Remember to check if the word is incased in quotes (which would make it a word a string).

answered Jul 14, 2009 at 0:46

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