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Function and FunctionReference documentation #299

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# Function

You are reading a draft of the next documentation and it's in continuous update so
if you don't find what you need please refer to:
[C++ wrapper classes for the ABI-stable C APIs for Node.js](https://nodejs.github.io/node-addon-api/)
The **Function** class provides a set of methods to create a function object in
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"... a set of methods to createfor creating ..."

native code that can later be called from JavaScript. The created function is not
automatically visible from JavaScript, instead it needs to be part of the add-on's
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This is a run-on sentance. Let's have "... from JavaScript. Instead it ..."

module exports or be returned by one of the modules exported functions.
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"module's" instead of "modules"


In addition the `Function` class also provides methods that can be used to call
functions that were created in JavaScript and passed to the native.
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"... to the native add-on", perhaps?


The `Function` class inherits its behavior from the `Object` class (for more info
see: [Object](object.md)).

## Example

```cpp
#include <napi.h>

using namespace Napi;

Value Fn(const CallbackInfo& info) {
Env env = info.Env();
// ...
return String::New(env, "Hello World");
}

Object Init(Env env, Object exports) {
exports.Set(String::New(env, "fn"), Function::New(env, Fn));
}

NODE_API_MODULE(NODE_GYP_MODULE_NAME, Init)
```

The above code can be used from JavaScript as follows:

```js
const addon = require('./addon');
addon.fn();
```

The `Function` class allows to call a JavaScript function object from a native
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Maybe we should rephrase this as "With the Function class it is possible to call..."

add-on with two different methods: `Call` and `MackeCallback`.
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MakeCallback

The API of these two methods are very similar, but they are used in different context.
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"is very similar, ..."

`MakeCallback` method is used to call from native code back into JavaScript after
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"The MakeCallback method..."

returning from an [asynchronous operation](async_operations.md) and in general in
situations which don't have an existing JavaScript function on the stack.
`Call` method is used when there is already a JavaScript function on the stack
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"The Call method..."

(for example when running a native method called from JavaScript).

## Methods

### Constructor

Creates a new empty instance of `Function`.

```cpp
Function();
```

### Constructor

Creates a new instance of the `Function` object.

```cpp
Function(napi_env env, napi_value value);
```

- `[in] env`: The `napi_env` environment in which to construct the Value object.
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"... the Function object." (with backticks around "Function").

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Done!

- `[in] value`: The `napi_value` which is handle for a JavaScript function.
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"...which is a handle..."

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Done!


Returns a non-empty `Function` instance.
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We should really be consistent about whether we say Napi::Value, Napi::Function, Napi::FunctionReference, etc. or Value, Function, or FunctionReference. IMO we should always add the name space in front of the class name. @mhdawson what do you think?

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Ok for me. Is it ok for you @mhdawson ?


### New

Creates an instance of a `Function` object.

```cpp
template <typename Callable>
static Function New(napi_env env, Callable cb, const char* utf8name = nullptr, void* data = nullptr);
```

- `[in] env`: The `napi_env` environment in which to construct the Function object.
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Please put backticks around "Function"

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Done!

- `[in] cb`: Object that implements `Callable`.
- `[in] utf8name`: Null-terminated string to be used as the name of the function.
- `[in] data`: User-provided data context. This will be passed back into the
function when invoked later.

Returns an instance of a `Function` object.

### New

```cpp
template <typename Callable>
static Function New(napi_env env, Callable cb, const std::string& utf8name, void* data = nullptr);
```

- `[in] env`: The `napi_env` environment in which to construct the Function object.
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Backticks around "Function"

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Done!

- `[in] cb`: Object that implements `Callable`.
- `[in] utf8name`: String to be used as the name of the function.
- `[in] data`: User-provided data context. This will be passed back into the
function when invoked later.

Returns an instance of a `Function` object.

### New

Creates a new JavaScript value from one that represents the constructor for the
object.

```cpp
Object New(const std::initializer_list<napi_value>& args) const;
```

- `[in] args`: Initializer list of JavaScript values as `napi_value` representing
the arguments of the contructor function.

Returns a new JavaScript object.

### New

Creates a new JavaScript value from one that represents the constructor for the
object.

```cpp
Object New(const std::vector<napi_value>& args) const;
```

- `[in] args`: Vector of JavaScript values as `napi_value` representing the
arguments of the constructor function.

Returns a new JavaScript object.

### New

Creates a new JavaScript value from one that represents the constructor for the
object.

```cpp
Object New(size_t argc, const napi_value* args) const;
```

- `[in] argc`: The number of the arguments passed to the contructor function.
- `[in] args`: Array of JavaScript values as `napi_value` representing the
arguments of the constructor function.

Returns a new JavaScript object.

### Call

Calls a Javascript function from a native add-on.

```cpp
Value Call(const std::initializer_list<napi_value>& args) const;
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This needs an example, because some people may less familiar with syntax for initializer_list. Especially since this is the most convenient and efficient overload to use for most typical cases.

```

- `[in] args`: Initializer list of JavaScript values as `napi_value` representing
the arguments of the function.

Returns a Value representing the JavaScript object returned by the function.
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"Returns a Napi::Value representing the JavaScript value..." we shouldn't say "JavaScript object" because that has a special meaning.

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@NickNaso NickNaso Jul 18, 2018

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You're right. Sorry.
Done.

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NP 🙂 Weird though ... github hasn't updated to show that 😕

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Oh, I see - you fixed the ones below, but you missed this one. NP, but please say "`Napi::Value`" rather than merely "`Value`" – that is, please use the name space with the type name.


### Call

Calls a Javascript function from a native add-on.

```cpp
Value Call(const std::vector<napi_value>& args) const;
```

- `[in] args`: Vector of JavaScript values as `napi_value` representing the
arguments of the function.

Returns a `Value` representing the JavaScript value returned by the function.

### Call

Calls a Javascript function from a native add-on.
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"JavaScript"


```cpp
Value Call(size_t argc, const napi_value* args) const;
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Hmmm, come to think of it, should the return type not also be given as Napi::Value? I thought we had agreed to be explicit about the name space.

```

- `[in] argc`: The number of the arguments passed to the function.
- `[in] args`: Array of JavaScript values as `napi_value` representing the
arguments of the function.

Returns a `Value` representing the JavaScript value returned by the function.

### Call

Calls a Javascript function from a native add-on.

```cpp
Value Call(napi_value recv, const std::initializer_list<napi_value>& args) const;
```

- `[in] recv`: The `this` object passed to the called function.
- `[in] args`: Initializer list of JavaScript values as `napi_value` representing
the arguments of the function.

Returns a `Value` representing the JavaScript value returned by the function.

### Call

Calls a Javascript function from a native add-on.

```cpp
Value Call(napi_value recv, const std::vector<napi_value>& args) const;
```

- `[in] recv`: The `this` object passed to the called function.
- `[in] args`: Vector of JavaScript values as `napi_value` representing the
arguments of the function.

Returns a `Value` representing the JavaScript value returned by the function.

### Call

Calls a Javascript function from a native add-on.

```cpp
Value Call(napi_value recv, size_t argc, const napi_value* args) const;
```

- `[in] recv`: The `this` object passed to the called function.
- `[in] argc`: The number of the arguments passed to the function.
- `[in] args`: Array of JavaScript values as `napi_value` representing the
arguments of the function.

Returns a `Value` representing the JavaScript value returned by the function.

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I'm surprised we don't have overloads which accept an array of Napi::Value items 😕

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So do I, what do you think if I open an issue about that? Just to remember this and maybe after the documentation I can try to work on that.

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From what I recall, these were my reasons for not adding such an overload:

  1. Function arguments are almost always specified inline with the function call, not prepared ahead of time as an array.
  2. Such an overload would be less efficient. The underlying napi_call_function() takes an array of napi_value. So converting from an array of Napi::Value to that would require allocating a new array and copying each of the (non-contiguous) napi_value elements into the array.
  3. The implicit conversion operator napi_value means it's usually just as convenient to create a vector or std::initializer_list of napi_value instead of Napi::Value. And it's more efficient because it uses less memory by not needlessly duplicating the env value.

But I can understand why the lack of such an overload could be unexpected, given the pattern of most other wrapper functions that take Napi::Value types directly.

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Good points. Thanks for sharing this.

### MakeCallback

Calls a Javascript function from a native add-on after an asynchronous operation.

```cpp
Value MakeCallback(napi_value recv, const std::initializer_list<napi_value>& args) const;
```

- `[in] recv`: The `this` object passed to the called function.
- `[in] args`: Initializer list of JavaScript values as `napi_value` representing
the arguments of the function.

Returns a `Value` representing the JavaScript value returned by the function.

### MakeCallback

Calls a Javascript function from a native add-on after an asynchronous operation.

```cpp
Value MakeCallback(napi_value recv, const std::vector<napi_value>& args) const;
```

- `[in] recv`: The `this` object passed to the called function.
- `[in] args`: List of JavaScript values as `napi_value` representing the
arguments of the function.

Returns a `Value` representing the JavaScript value returned by the function.

### MakeCallback

Calls a Javascript function from a native add-on after an asynchronous operation.

```cpp
Value MakeCallback(napi_value recv, size_t argc, const napi_value* args) const;
```

- `[in] recv`: The `this` object passed to the called function.
- `[in] argc`: The number of the arguments passed to the function.
- `[in] args`: Array of JavaScript values as `napi_value` representing the
arguments of the function.

Returns a `Value` representing the JavaScript value returned by the function.

## Operator

```cpp
Value operator ()(const std::initializer_list<napi_value>& args) const;
```

- `[in] args`: Initializer list of JavaScript values as `napi_value`.

Returns a `Value` representing the JavaScript value returned by the function.
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