# multiline
> Multiline strings in JavaScript
Latest version **2.0.0** (published 2018-10-14) · MIT license · 0 weekly downloads
> **Deprecated.** This package is deprecated.
## Install
```sh
npm install multiline
pnpm add multiline
yarn add multiline
bun add multiline
```
## Health
**Score 10/100 (F)** — status: deprecated.
Negative: deprecated.
## Facts
| | |
|---|---|
| Version | 2.0.0 |
| Published | 2018-10-14 |
| First published | 2014-03-05 |
| Weekly downloads | 0 |
| License | MIT |
| TypeScript types | none |
| Module format | CommonJS |
| Node | >=0.10.0 |
| Dependencies | 1 |
| Unpacked size | 8.7 KB |
| Known vulnerabilities | 0 |
| Install scripts | no |
| GitHub stars | 1403 |
| Author | Sindre Sorhus |
| Maintainers | sindresorhus |
| Keywords | browser, multiline, multi-line, multiple, line, comment, string, str, text, comment |
## Links
- npm: https://www.npmjs.com/package/multiline
- Repository: https://github.com/sindresorhus/multiline
- Homepage: https://github.com/sindresorhus/multiline#readme
- Issues: https://github.com/sindresorhus/multiline/issues
- npm.io page: https://npm.io/package/multiline
## Dependencies (1)
- [strip-indent](https://npm.io/package/strip-indent.md) ^2.0.0
## Alternatives
- [@opentelemetry/exporter-zipkin](https://npm.io/package/@opentelemetry/exporter-zipkin.md) — 14.8M weekly downloads
- [pusher-js](https://npm.io/package/pusher-js.md) — 2.0M weekly downloads
- [browserify](https://npm.io/package/browserify.md) — 1.7M weekly downloads
- [sqs-consumer](https://npm.io/package/sqs-consumer.md) — 1.7M weekly downloads
- [@sanity/eventsource](https://npm.io/package/@sanity/eventsource.md) — 930.8K weekly downloads
## Recent versions
- 2.0.0 (latest) — 2018-10-14
- 1.0.2 — 2015-01-10
- 1.0.1 — 2014-10-03
- 1.0.0 — 2014-08-17
- 0.3.4 — 2014-04-30
- 0.3.3 — 2014-04-29
- 0.3.2 — 2014-04-06
- 0.3.1 — 2014-04-06
- 0.3.0 — 2014-03-29
- 0.2.0 — 2014-03-10
- 0.1.0 — 2014-03-05
## README
# multiline [](https://travis-ci.org/sindresorhus/multiline)
> Multiline strings in JavaScript
No more string concatenation or array join!
*Use ES2015 [template literals](https://developer.mozilla.org/en/docs/Web/JavaScript/Reference/template_strings) instead whenever possible.*
#### Before
```js
const str = '' +
'' +
'' +
' ' +
' ❤ unicorns
' +
' ' +
'' +
'';
```
#### After
```js
const str = multiline(()=>{/*
❤ unicorns
*/});
```
## How
It works by wrapping the text in a block comment, anonymous function, and a function call. The anonymous function is passed into the function call and the contents of the comment extracted.
Even though it's [slower than string concat](http://jsperf.com/multiline), that shouldn't realistically matter as you can still do 2 million of those a second. Convenience over micro performance always.
## Install
```
$ npm install multiline
```
## Usage
Everything after the first newline and before the last will be returned as seen below:
```js
const str = multiline(()=>{/*
❤ unicorns
*/});
```
Which outputs:
```
❤ unicorns
```
### Strip indent
You can use `multiline.stripIndent()` to be able to indent your multiline string without preserving the redundant leading whitespace.
```js
const str = multiline.stripIndent(()=>{/*
❤ unicorns
*/});
```
Which outputs:
```
❤ unicorns
```
### String substitution
`console.log()` supports [string substitution](http://nodejs.org/docs/latest/api/console.html#console_console_log_data):
```js
const str = 'unicorns';
console.log(multiline(()=>{/*
I love %s
*/}), str);
//=> 'I love unicorns'
```
## Use cases
- [CLI help output](https://github.com/sindresorhus/pageres/blob/cb85922dec2b962c7b45484023c9ba43a9abf6bd/cli.js#L14-L33)
- [Test fixtures](https://twitter.com/TooTallNate/status/465392558000984064)
- [Queries](https://github.com/freethejazz/twitter-to-neo4j/blob/a41b6c2e8480d4b9943640a8aa4b6976f07083bf/cypher/queries.js#L15-L22) - *here an example in Cypher, the query language for Neo4j*
- [CLI welcome message](https://github.com/yeoman/generator-jquery/blob/4b532843663e4b5ce7d433d351e0a78dcf2b1e20/app/index.js#L28-L40) - *here in a Yeoman generator*
Have one? [Let me know.](https://github.com/sindresorhus/multiline/issues/new)
## Experiment
I've also done an [experiment](experiment.js) where you don't need the anonymous function. It's too fragile and slow to be practical though.
It generates a callstack and extracts the contents of the comment in the function call.
```js
const str = multiline(/*
❤ unicorns
*/);
```
## FAQ
### But JS already has multiline strings with `\`?
```js
const str = 'foo\
bar';
```
This is not a multiline string. It's line-continuation. It doesn't preserve newlines, which is the main reason for wanting multiline strings.
You would need to do the following:
```js
const str = 'foo\n\
bar';
```
But then you could just as well concatenate:
```js
const str = 'foo\n' +
'bar';
```
## Browser
While it does work fine in the browser, it's mainly intended for use in Node.js. Use at your own risk.
```
$ npm install multiline
```
With Webpack, Browserify, or something similar.
### Compatibility
- Latest Chrome
- Firefox >=17
- Safari >=4
- Opera >=9
- Internet Explorer >=6
### Minification
Even though minifiers strip comments by default there are ways to preserve them:
- Uglify: Use `/*@preserve` instead of `/*` and enable the `comments` option
- Closure Compiler: Use `/*@preserve` instead of `/*`
- YUI Compressor: Use `/*!` instead of `/*`
You also need to add `console.log` after the comment so it's not removed as dead-code.
The final result would be:
```js
const str = multiline(function(){/*!@preserve
❤ unicorns
*/console.log});
```
## License
MIT © [Sindre Sorhus](https://sindresorhus.com)
---
_Source: https://npm.io/package/multiline · Machine-readable twin of the npm.io package page. Health data is recomputed on every publish._