Review: Anonymous Functions
Anonymous refers to not having a name or any means of identification. When using an anonymous function in JavaScript, your function will not be named. For example, let x = function() { console.log("I am anonymous"); }; In this case, "x" is the variable assigned to the anonymous function and NOT its actual name.
Self-Executing Anonymous Functions
A common pattern in JavaScript is the self-executing anonymous function. This pattern creates a function expression and then immediately executes the function. This pattern is extremely useful for cases where you want to avoid polluting the global namespace with your code - no variables declared inside of the function are visible outside of it.
Example: A self-executing anonymous function
(function(){
var foo = 'Hello world';
})();
console.log(foo); // undefined!
Source: Rebecca Murphey, https://autotelicum.github.io/Smooth-CoffeeScript/literate/js-intro.html#self-executing-anonymous-functions
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