This content originally appeared on DEV Community and was authored by Muskan Chhatrasal
When a JS program is ran, a global execution context is created.
The execution context is created in two phases.
1. Memory creation phase - JS will allocate memory to
variables and functions.
2. Code execution phase.
Let's consider the below example and its code execution steps:
var n = 2;
function square(num){
var ans = num*num;
return ans;
}
var square2 = square(n);
var square4 = square(4);
The very first thing which JS does is memory creation phase, so it goes to line one of the above code snippet, and allocates a memory space for variable 'n' and then goes to line two, and allocates a memory space for function 'square'. When allocating memory for n it stores 'undefined', a special value for 'n'. For 'square', it stores the whole code of the function inside its memory space. Then, as square2 and square4 are variables as well, it allocates memory and stores 'undefined' for them, and this is the end of first phase i.e. memory creation phase.
So O/P will look something like
Execution Context Phase 1
Now, in 2nd phase i.e. code execution phase, it starts going through the whole code line by line. As it encounters var n=2, it assigns 2 to 'n'. Until now, the value of 'n' was undefined. For function, there is nothing to execute. As these lines were already dealt with in memory creation phase.
Coming to line 6 i.e. var square2 = square(n), here functions are a bit different than any other language. A new execution context is created altogether. Again in this new execution context, in memory creation phase, we allocate memory to num and ans the two variables. And undefined is placed in them. Now, in code execution context, first 2 is assigned to num. Then
var ans = num*num will store 4 in ans. After that, return ans returns the control of program back to where this function was invoked from.
Execution Context Phase 2
When return keyword is encountered, it returns the control to the called line and also the function context is deleted. Same thing will be repeated for square4 and then after that is finished, the global execution context will be destroyed. So the final diagram before deletion would look something like:
Execution Context Phase 2
JavaScript manages code execution context creation and deletion with the help of Call Stack.
Call Stack
Call stack is a mechanism to keep track of its place in script that calls multiple function.
Call stack maintains the order of execution of execution contexts. It is also known as Program Stack, Control Stack, Runtime Stack, Machine stack, Execution Context Stack.
This content originally appeared on DEV Community and was authored by Muskan Chhatrasal
Muskan Chhatrasal | Sciencx (2021-09-19T09:59:19+00:00) How JS is executed & Call Stack. Retrieved from https://www.scien.cx/2021/09/19/how-js-is-executed-call-stack/
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