What is the point of the "Types" section of the guide?

[Zamiell]

Greetings,

The second section of the guide is "References", which is a prescription to use "const" over "var". This section showcases a "bad" code example and a "good" code example. So far, so good.

The first section of the guide is "Types", which, as far as I can tell, doesn't offer any prescriptions at all. It is simply educating the reader on the how variables work in the JavaScript programming language. Furthermore, the section does not show any "bad" code examples or "good" code examples.

Is there a particular reason that this section is included in the style guide? It seems notably out of place - every other section seems to impart a specific coding prescription. There is a time and a place to teach JavaScript newbies the basics on how the language works, and it doesn't seem like it should be in a style guide.

[ljharb]

• https://github.com/airbnb/javascript#types--primitives

Symbols and BigInts cannot be faithfully polyfilled, so they should not be used when targeting browsers/environments that don’t support them natively.

But yes, I agree, the guide is a mixture of instruction and guidelines, and that's OK.

[zeabdelkhalek]

Agree, I think this guide should be a best practice notes not a JS Tutorial !!!

[ghost]

I also think this part should be removed from the style guide, as it has nothing to do with the style guide of your JS guide itself

[bitcooker]

The objective of this style guide is indeed to provide specific coding prescriptions to ensure consistency and best practices across codebase. The inclusion of the "Types" section without prescriptive guidance does seem to deviate from this goal.

If the "Types" section is meant to provide foundational knowledge essential for understanding subsequent prescriptions, its presence can be justified by making this intent clear.

Possibly :

• Add an Introduction: Briefly explain that the "Types" section is foundational and necessary for understanding the context of other prescriptions in the guide.
• Provide Contextual Examples: Even if not explicitly prescribing "good" or "bad" practices, include examples that highlight common pitfalls or best practices related to JavaScript types.