Unicode JavaScript Variables and Functions

By  on  

We all get a kick out of unicode symbols, as we all saw in my Unicode CSS Classes post, and just as we can use them for CSS classes, we can use them for JavaScript variables and functions as well!  Let's say you want to shave a few bytes of post-minified JavaScript byes by setting false equal to a variable.  Why not do so by using a unicode variable?

var ಠ_ಠ = false;

if(someVar === ಠ_ಠ) { // If someVar is false...
	// ...
}

Hilarious.  The evil eyes signal a negative result.  What about saving a few byes on true?  The Beatles once said that "All You Need is Love", so let's use a heart:

var ❤ = true;

if(someVar === ❤) {
	// ...
}

You can do the same with function names.  Functions can be named after unicode symbols:

function ಠ(arg) {
	// ...
}

Of course all of this is a bit ... insane, and you should never use unicode symbols, but nonetheless it's possible.  Imagine starting a new job and seeing those symbols as meaningful variables -- you'd quit immediately!  Hilarious!

Recent Features

  • By
    I’m an Impostor

    This is the hardest thing I've ever had to write, much less admit to myself.  I've written resignation letters from jobs I've loved, I've ended relationships, I've failed at a host of tasks, and let myself down in my life.  All of those feelings were very...

  • By
    5 HTML5 APIs You Didn’t Know Existed

    When you say or read "HTML5", you half expect exotic dancers and unicorns to walk into the room to the tune of "I'm Sexy and I Know It."  Can you blame us though?  We watched the fundamental APIs stagnate for so long that a basic feature...

Incredible Demos

  • By
    Web Notifications API

    Every UI framework has the same set of widgets which have become almost essential to modern sites: modals, tooltips, button varieties, and notifications.  One problem I find is each site having their own widget colors, styles, and more -- users don't get a consistent experience.  Apparently the...

  • By
    Introducing MooTools LinkAlert

    One of my favorite Firefox plugins is called LinkAlert. LinkAlert shows the user an icon when they hover over a special link, like a link to a Microsoft Word DOC or a PDF file. I love that warning because I hate the surprise...

Discussion

  1. I could see this improving minification when processing files with many variables/methods in the same scope (if they don’t use it already, I’m not sure).

  2. Unicode characters are useless for minification, each unicode character uses 2 bytes instead of 1 in utf8. Also, there is no reason not to use unicode in variable names if you properly declare encoding in your html.

    • Actually, some characters take up to 4 bytes, not just 2. The Kannada letter TTHA in the example rakes 3 bytes for example, so “false” was minified from 5 bytes to 7 :P

  3. lol, it’s a funny joke. but I think it may be realize if some protocol is developed in the future. so cool!

Wrap your code in <pre class="{language}"></pre> tags, link to a GitHub gist, JSFiddle fiddle, or CodePen pen to embed!