Can JavaScript Functions Retrieve the Original Variable Name of Passed Arguments?

Determining Original Variable Name in Functions

In JavaScript, it may seem intuitive to retrieve the original name of a variable passed to a function. However, this concept poses significant challenges due to the nature of variable scope and value passing.

Value Passing in Functions

When a variable is passed to a function, it's the value that gets transferred, not the variable itself. This means that the function only has access to the value, while the original variable name is lost in the process.

Example:

Consider the following code:

function getVariableName(unknownVariable){
  return unknownVariable.originalName;
}

getVariableName(foo); //returns string "foo";
getVariableName(bar); //returns string "bar";

In this example, the getVariableName function attempts to retrieve the original name of the variable passed to it. However, since the variable's name is not passed along, the function returns the unknownVariable itself as a string, which is the same as the original value.

Impossibility of Original Name Retrieval

As mentioned earlier, it is essentially impossible to retrieve the original variable name in a sane way. This is because:

• Only Values are Passed: Functions receive copies of values, not references to the original variables.
• Variable Scope: Variables are bound to their current scope, and their names are lost when they leave that scope. Passing a value to a function creates a new scope, isolating it from the original variable's scope.

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