Discussion on: JavaScript Function Irquiry

[Carl Anderson]

It'll probably be helpful to step away from code here and think of it in terms of spoken language.

In coding, functions are broadly "actions" -- sections of code that do something. In spoken language, this would be a verb.

If you think about verbs, they work with or without an object.

• Without an object -- "I laugh."
• With an object -- "I laugh at jokes."

When it comes to functions being verbs, objects are your parameters. Importantly, they change the way the verb works.

function laugh(target) {
    console.log(`HAHAHAHA`);
    if (target) {
        console.log(`That ${target} is very funny`);
    }
}

However, even within a verb taking an object, there are variations. Sometimes a very has to take an object: "I pick" doesn't make sense unless you have an object, like "the apple". Other times, it can't take an object, like "I die".

function pick(target) {
    if (!target) throw new Error("What are you even talking about?");

    console.log(`Now I have a ${target}`);
}

function die() {
    console.log('Et tu?');
}

---

To ground this in the example you provided about choosing an icon - you can express it like this: I choose the icon for _____

The obvious candidate for a parameter is the weather type we're looking for, and moving the selection code inside of it.

function chooseIcon(type) {
    // There's only two weather conditions, right?
    if (type === 'cloudy') { return 'cloudy.jpg'; }
    else { return 'sunny.jpg' }
}