Space after function name is wrong?

Question

I was using JSLint and I got an error for putting a space after the function name. Why is that bad?

function coolness () {
    var hi = "this";
}

ERROR: Problem at line 1 character 19: Unexpected space between 'coolness' and '('.

Answer 1

According to Crockford,

For named functions, DO NOT insert space between function name and parentheses:

function doStuff() {
  //stuff here
}

For anonymous functions, DO insert space between function keyword and parentheses:

function () {
  //stuff here
}

Answer 2

JSLint is not a JavaScript syntax checker as much as it is a JavaScript style checker. The style guidelines it uses are those written by Douglas Crockford.

Some people do not agree with his style decisions, some people do. They are not law and you are not required to follow them. Alternative JS linters such as JSHint exist.

The particular rule you are running into is here:

There should be no space between the name of a function and the (left parenthesis) of its parameter list.

JavaScript is not whitespace-sensitive. You can add this space if it makes you feel better. (It is not standard, however.)