JavaScript Reference

A quick reference for JavaScript keywords, functions, and objects. Find what you need to build dynamic web applications.


The `function` Keyword

The function keyword is used to define a function in JavaScript. Functions are one of the fundamental building blocks in JavaScript, a set of statements that performs a task or calculates a value.

To use a function, you must define it somewhere in the scope from which you wish to call it.

Example

functions.js
// Function declaration
function greet(name) {
  return "Hello, " + name + "!";
}

// Function expression
const farewell = function(name) {
  return "Goodbye, " + name + "!";
};

// Arrow function
const double = (x) => x * 2;

console.log(greet("World")); // Output: Hello, World!
console.log(double(5));      // Output: 10

Syntax

Ways to define a function:

SyntaxDescription
function functionName(parameters) { ... }The standard function declaration.
const functionName = function(parameters) { ... }A function expression, often assigned to a variable.
const functionName = (parameters) => { ... }An arrow function expression, providing a shorter syntax.