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Higher-Order Function (Computer Science)

In programming, a function is called a Higher-Order Function, if any of the following applies:

  1. it takes another function as an argument
  2. its return value is a function

JavaScript Example​

In JavaScript, map() is a Higher-Order Function:


const data = [1, 2, 3];

const f = x => {return x => x + 1};

data.map(f).map((x, index) => x(data[index])); // [2, 3, 4]

f also serves as a Higher-Order Function since it returns a function itself.