javascript : What is a Callback or Higher-order Function?

What is a Callback or Higher-order Function?

A callback function, also known as a higher-order function, is a function that is passed to another function (let’s call this other function “otherFunction”) as a parameter, and the callback function is called (or executed) inside the otherFunction. A callback function is essentially a pattern (an established solution to a common problem), and therefore, the use of a callback function is also known as a callback pattern.

Consider this common use of a callback function in jQuery:

//Note that the item in the click method's parameter is a function, not a variable.
//The item is a callback function
$("#btn_1").click(function() {
  alert("Btn 1 Clicked");
});

As you see in the preceding example, we pass a function as a parameter to the clickmethod. And the click method will call (or execute) the callback function we passed to it. This example illustrates a typical use of callback functions in JavaScript, and one widely used in jQuery.

Ruminate on this other classic example of callback functions in basic JavaScript:

var friends = ["Mike", "Stacy", "Andy", "Rick"];

friends.forEach(function (eachName, index){
console.log(index + 1 + ". " + eachName); // 1. Mike, 2. Stacy, 3. Andy, 4. Rick
});

Again, note the way we pass an anonymous function (a function without a name) to the forEach method as a parameter.

So far we have passed anonymous functions as a parameter to other functions or methods. Lets now understand how callbacks work before we look at more concrete examples and start making our own callback functions.

https://javascriptissexy.com/understand-javascript-callback-functions-and-use-them/