So far we have learned to use pure functions to avoid side effects in a program. Also, we have seen the value in having a function only depend on its input arguments.
This is only the beginning. As its name suggests, functional programming is centered around a theory of functions.
It would make sense to be able to pass them as arguments to other functions, and return a function from another function. Functions are considered <dfn>first class objects</dfn> in JavaScript, which means they can be used like any other object. They can be saved in variables, stored in an object, or passed as function arguments.
Let's start with some simple array functions, which are methods on the array object prototype. In this exercise we are looking at <code>Array.prototype.map()</code>, or more simply <code>map</code>.
The <code>map</code> method iterates over each item in an array and returns a new array containing the results of calling the callback function on each element. It does this without mutating the original array.
When the callback is used, it is passed three arguments. The first argument is the current element being processed. The second is the index of that element and the third is the array upon which the <code>map</code> method was called.
See below for an example using the <code>map</code> method on the <code>users</code> array to return a new array containing only the names of the users as elements. For simplicity, the example only uses the first argument of the callback.
The <code>watchList</code> array holds objects with information on several movies. Use <code>map</code> on <code>watchList</code> to assign a new array of objects with only <code>title</code> and <code>rating</code> keys to the <code>ratings</code> variable. The code in the editor currently uses a <code>for</code> loop to do this, so you should replace the loop functionality with your <code>map</code> expression.
- text: <code>ratings</code> should equal <code>[{"title":"Inception","rating":"8.8"},{"title":"Interstellar","rating":"8.6"},{"title":"The Dark Knight","rating":"9.0"},{"title":"Batman Begins","rating":"8.3"},{"title":"Avatar","rating":"7.9"}]</code>.
testString: assert(JSON.stringify(ratings) === JSON.stringify([{"title":"Inception","rating":"8.8"},{"title":"Interstellar","rating":"8.6"},{"title":"The Dark Knight","rating":"9.0"},{"title":"Batman Begins","rating":"8.3"},{"title":"Avatar","rating":"7.9"}]));
"Actors": "Leonardo DiCaprio, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Ellen Page, Tom Hardy",
"Plot": "A thief, who steals corporate secrets through use of dream-sharing technology, is given the inverse task of planting an idea into the mind of a CEO.",
"Language": "English, Japanese, French",
"Country": "USA, UK",
"Awards": "Won 4 Oscars. Another 143 wins & 198 nominations.",
"Writer": "Jonathan Nolan (screenplay), Christopher Nolan (screenplay), Christopher Nolan (story), David S. Goyer (story), Bob Kane (characters)",
"Actors": "Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Aaron Eckhart, Michael Caine",
"Plot": "When the menace known as the Joker wreaks havoc and chaos on the people of Gotham, the caped crusader must come to terms with one of the greatest psychological tests of his ability to fight injustice.",
"Language": "English, Mandarin",
"Country": "USA, UK",
"Awards": "Won 2 Oscars. Another 146 wins & 142 nominations.",
"Writer": "Bob Kane (characters), David S. Goyer (story), Christopher Nolan (screenplay), David S. Goyer (screenplay)",
"Actors": "Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Liam Neeson, Katie Holmes",
"Plot": "After training with his mentor, Batman begins his fight to free crime-ridden Gotham City from the corruption that Scarecrow and the League of Shadows have cast upon it.",
"Language": "English, Urdu, Mandarin",
"Country": "USA, UK",
"Awards": "Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 15 wins & 66 nominations.",
"Actors": "Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang",
"Plot": "A paraplegic marine dispatched to the moon Pandora on a unique mission becomes torn between following his orders and protecting the world he feels is his home.",
"Language": "English, Spanish",
"Country": "USA, UK",
"Awards": "Won 3 Oscars. Another 80 wins & 121 nominations.",
"Actors": "Leonardo DiCaprio, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Ellen Page, Tom Hardy",
"Plot": "A thief, who steals corporate secrets through use of dream-sharing technology, is given the inverse task of planting an idea into the mind of a CEO.",
"Language": "English, Japanese, French",
"Country": "USA, UK",
"Awards": "Won 4 Oscars. Another 143 wins & 198 nominations.",
"Writer": "Jonathan Nolan (screenplay), Christopher Nolan (screenplay), Christopher Nolan (story), David S. Goyer (story), Bob Kane (characters)",
"Actors": "Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Aaron Eckhart, Michael Caine",
"Plot": "When the menace known as the Joker wreaks havoc and chaos on the people of Gotham, the caped crusader must come to terms with one of the greatest psychological tests of his ability to fight injustice.",
"Language": "English, Mandarin",
"Country": "USA, UK",
"Awards": "Won 2 Oscars. Another 146 wins & 142 nominations.",
"Writer": "Bob Kane (characters), David S. Goyer (story), Christopher Nolan (screenplay), David S. Goyer (screenplay)",
"Actors": "Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Liam Neeson, Katie Holmes",
"Plot": "After training with his mentor, Batman begins his fight to free crime-ridden Gotham City from the corruption that Scarecrow and the League of Shadows have cast upon it.",
"Language": "English, Urdu, Mandarin",
"Country": "USA, UK",
"Awards": "Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 15 wins & 66 nominations.",
"Actors": "Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang",
"Plot": "A paraplegic marine dispatched to the moon Pandora on a unique mission becomes torn between following his orders and protecting the world he feels is his home.",
"Language": "English, Spanish",
"Country": "USA, UK",
"Awards": "Won 3 Oscars. Another 80 wins & 121 nominations.",
