How can I create argument defaults for a function?

[jamesbcox1980]

How can I create argument defaults for a function?

I have this function (the purpose of the lines I included were to set defaults if the user forget to input something simply to prevent an error. I realize there is some lack of logic here):

addHSLink = function (hsElem, hsUrl, hsType, hsTitle, hsWidth, hsHeight) { //hsElem[string], hsUrl[string], hsType[string], hsTitle[string], hsWidth[string/number], hsHeight[string/number]
    var jQElem = $(hsElem);
    if (typeof hsUrl !== 'string') {
        hsUrl = 'http://someurl.com';
    }
    if (typeof hsTitle !== 'string') {
        hsTitle = '';
    }
    if ((typeof hsWidth !== 'string' && isNaN(parseFloat(hsWidth))) || hsWidth !== 'number') {
        hsWidth = 800;
    }
    if ((typeof hsHeight !== 'string' && isNaN(parseFloat(hsHeight))) || hsHeight !== 'number') {
        hsHeight = 600;
    }

    //Some other code
}

I would like to save some programming space and time by finding another way to set defaults

I saw somewhere that you could set a default in the arguments list

function someFunction(aVariable = false) {
//some code
}

but when I try to do this with all my arguments, I get the error:

"Missing ) after formal parameters"

Does that make sense

[Jeff Mott]

Something like this is probably the best you can do.

    // Defaults
    hsUrl = hsUrl || 'http://someurl.com';
    hsTitle = hsTitle || '';
    hsWidth = hsWidth || 800;
    hsHeight = hsHeight || 600;

I saw somewhere that you could set a default in the arguments list

That was probably PHP code you were looking at. JavaScript doesn't do that.

[mrhoo]

Too many arguments to keep track of that way-

addHSLink= function(elem, atts){
    jQ= $(elem), atts= atts || {};
    var props={ href: 'http://someurl.com', width:800, height:600}; // defaults
    for(var p in atts) props[p]= atts[p];
        
    //Some other code, using the defaults (if you do not override them)
    // and any other properties you care to pass in the function call
}

[jamesbcox1980]

Cool thanks. I realized later that I needed to pass an object, so I decided to do it this way.

function addHSLink(hsOptions) {
    var objDefaults = {
        "elem" : "",
        "url" : false,
        "type" : image,
        "title" : "",
        "width" : 800,
        "height" : 600
    }, options;
    for (options in hsOptions) {
        objDefauls[i] = hsOptions[i];
    }
    //some other stuff
}

[jamesbcox1980]

Heh I see we posted at pretty much the same time. Thanks mrhoo. Do you think it's better to initialize the count for the for loop inside the loop's initialization params? I've been taught to initialize all instance variables in a single var line at the top of the function.