Understanding Immediately Invoked Function Expressions (IIFE) in JavaScript

Mastering the Art of Self-Executing Functions

Max N
3 min readMar 18, 2024

In the world of JavaScript, Immediately Invoked Function Expressions (IIFE) play a crucial role in structuring code and managing scope. Despite their intimidating name, IIFE is a simple yet powerful concept that every JavaScript developer should be familiar with.

In this guide, we’ll dive deep into IIFE, exploring what they are, how they work, and why they’re useful, accompanied by practical code examples.

What is an Immediately Invoked Function Expression (IIFE)?

An Immediately Invoked Function Expression (IIFE) is a JavaScript design pattern that involves defining and executing a function all in one go. Unlike regular functions that are defined and then called separately, IIFE allows you to create a function and immediately execute it within the same expression.

Syntax of an IIFE

The syntax of an IIFE may look a bit unfamiliar at first, but it’s relatively simple:

(function() {
// code to be executed
})();

Let’s break down the components:

  • Enclosing parentheses: The outer parentheses ( )

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Max N

A writer that writes about JavaScript and Python to beginners. If you find my articles helpful, feel free to follow.