Skip to main content

Questions tagged [javascript]

For questions about JavaScript's design, or languages which are closely related to JavaScript.

1 vote
1 answer
326 views

In Angular `@if` statement, when referencing the conditional expression's result as a variable, why do you put the `;` before `as`?

Take this example program in modern Angular: @if (user.profile.settings.startDate; as startDate) { {{ startDate }} } Why does there need to be a ...
FlatAssembler's user avatar
0 votes
0 answers
145 views

In Angular control flow, why are `@if` and `@else` preceded by `@`, but the `if` in `@else if` is spelt without a `@` at the beginning?

In new versions of Angular, you do control flow like this: ...
FlatAssembler's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
242 views

In the old Angular, why did `[ngSwitch]` go into square brackets, but `*ngSwitchCase` was preceded by `*`? Wouldn't `*ngSwitch` make more sense?

In the old versions of Angular (before the @if, @for, and @switch), why did ...
FlatAssembler's user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
333 views

Is `WebAssembly` (the object through which WebAssembly and JavaScript programs communicate) considered to be a host object or a native object?

In our front-end developer course at Algebra, we are being taught there are three different types of objects in JavaScript: Native objects - those that are defined by JavaScript itself, such as ...
FlatAssembler's user avatar
16 votes
3 answers
5k views

Why did C++ standard library name the containers map and unordered_map instead of map and ordered_map?

This is something that has slightly annoyed me for a while. A map as a mathematical object (function) is by default "unordered", and the same is for maps as a data structure AKA associative ...
qwr's user avatar
  • 591
1 vote
2 answers
976 views

What is the difference between JS's map and Python's dictionary?

It seems that JS's map and Python's dictionary are equivalent. Is that correct? And if so, why they aren't called the same? Given that JS is newer, why wouldn't the map be called as dictionary as well?...
Ooker's user avatar
  • 175
2 votes
1 answer
598 views

Is it correct that Python does not encourage us to read objects's content? [closed]

After playing around Python a little bit, I feel like Python does not encourage us to read objects's content. Take JavaScript for example: just a simple act of calling an object will list all the ...
Ooker's user avatar
  • 175
3 votes
1 answer
662 views

Why is the ECMAScript specification formatted the way it is? [closed]

The ECMAScript specification and its drafts are very accessible, but they're formatted a bit oddly -- case in point, the current version of the ToBigInt abstract operation uses three fonts: The base (...
Bbrk24's user avatar
  • 9,672
30 votes
1 answer
4k views

Why did JavaScript choose to include a void operator?

In JavaScript, there is an operator void that, given an expression, evaluates it but then ignores the result and evaluates to ...
mousetail's user avatar
  • 9,559
8 votes
1 answer
389 views

Why do many dynamically typed languages identify types with strings?

I noticed in JavaScript and Lua, 'types' i.e., those returned by typeof()/type() are just identified by strings. As such we see ...
CPlus's user avatar
  • 10.5k
12 votes
6 answers
1k views

What do various designers of JavaScript regret or dislike about its design? Given the opportunity, what would they do differently and why?

And are there underlying, unifying patterns to these regrets and how said creators would choose to create a revolutionary (in the sense of being "more than evolutionary" / making significant ...
starball's user avatar
  • 1,890