Minimize defensive coding. A JavaScript implementation of the Maybe monad.
2.x will be maintained, however, if possible for your repository, you should opt to use TypeScript’s optional chaining, which was introduced in 3.7
npm install --save maybe-baby
yarn add maybe-baby
What if we need the zipCode
of the user below, which lives on the address
object?
const user = {
email: 'foo@bar.com',
address: null,
name: {
first: 'John',
last: null,
middle: null
}
};
Accessing it via dot notation will result in an error:
const zipCode = user.address.zipCode; // Uncaught TypeError: Cannot read property 'zipCode' of undefined
const getZipCode = (user) => {
if (user !== null && user !== undefined) {
if (user.address !== null && user.address !== undefined) {
return user.address.zipCode
}
}
}
Use _.get()
or something similar, but these libraries have large footprints, and most likely won’t be implementing the monadic structure.
Wait for optional chaining to be approved in ECMA, or use babel-plugin-transform-optional-chaining.
Use TypeScript’s optional chaining
maybe-baby
to minimize defensive coding:
import Maybe from 'maybe-baby';
// Use a function getter
const getZipCode = (user) => Maybe.of(() => user.address.zipCode).join();
Now we can safely get the zipCode
without worrying about the shape of the object, or encountering TypeErrors
:
const zipCode = getZipCode(user);
console.log(zipCode); // undefined
Documentation generated via JSDoc.
Breaking changes were introduced in 2.0.0; the following redundant function were removed.
Maybe.of(
) can replicate the behavior of prop
,props
, andpath
.
prop(val: string | number)
const obj = Maybe.of({
foo: {
bar: [123, 456]
}
});
// Incorrect
const bar = obj.prop("foo").join(); // { bar: [123, 456] }
// Correct
Maybe.of(() => obj.join().foo).join(); // { bar: [123, 456] }
// Incorrect
obj
.prop("foo")
.prop("bar")
.prop(1)
.join(); // 456
// Correct
Maybe.of(() => obj.join().foo.bar[1]).join() // 456
props(...args)
const obj = Maybe.of({
foo: 'bar',
baz: [1,2,3]
});
// Incorrect
obj.props('baz', 0).join(); // 1
// Correct
Maybe.of(() => obj.join().baz[0]).join(); // 1
props(val: string)
const obj = Maybe.of({
foo: 'bar',
baz: [1,2,3]
});
// Incorrect
obj.path('baz.0').join() // 1
// Correct
Maybe.of(() => obj.join().baz[0]).join(); // 1
Check out the API below, or the complete documentation.
of(val: unknown | OfTypeFunc<T>)
" class="reference-link">of(val: unknown | OfTypeFunc<T>)
Accepts a value of any type, and returns a monad:
const str = Maybe.of('foo');
const num = Maybe.of(123);
const bool = Maybe.of(true);
const obj = Maybe.of({});
const arr = Maybe.of([]);
const empty = Maybe.of(null);
const undef = Maybe.of(undefined);
Accepts a function, and sets the function’s return value as the monad’s value, returns a monad.
If the function results in an error, the monad’s value is set to
undefined
.
type OfTypeFunc<T> = () => T;
const user = {};
const mZipCode = Maybe.of(() => user.address.zipCode);
console.log(mZipCode.join()); // undefined
isJust(): boolean
" class="reference-link">isJust(): boolean
Returns true
if the value is not null
or undefined
:
Maybe.of(123).isJust(); // true
Maybe.of(null).isJust(); // false
isNothing(): boolean
" class="reference-link">isNothing(): boolean
Returns true
if the value is null
or undefined
:
Maybe.of(123).isNothing(); // false
Maybe.of(null).isNothing(); // true
join(): T
" class="reference-link">join(): T
Returns the value:
Maybe.of(123).join(); // 123
Maybe.of(null).join(); // null
orElse(defaultValue: unknown): Maybe
" class="reference-link">orElse(defaultValue: unknown): Maybe
Chain to the end of a monad to return as the default value if isNothing()
is true
:
Maybe.of(undefined)
.orElse('No Value')
.join(); // 'No Value'
map(transform: (val: T) => T | Maybe<T>): Maybe
" class="reference-link">map(transform: (val: T) => T | Maybe<T>): Maybe
Apply a transformation to the monad, and return a new monad:
const val = 1;
const newVal = Maybe.of(val).map(val => val + 1);
newVal.join(); // 2;
chain(chain: (val: T) => Maybe<T>): Maybe
" class="reference-link">chain(chain: (val: T) => Maybe<T>): Maybe
Chain together functions that return Maybe monads:
function addOne (val) {
return Maybe.of(val + 1);
}
const three = Maybe.of(1)
.chain(addOne)
.chain(addOne);
three.join(); // 3
Credit to James Sinclair for writing The Marvellously Mysterious JavaScript Maybe Monad.