Have you ever felt buried under nested if...else
or convoluted
What’s the Buzz about Pattern Matching?
Pattern Matching introduces a match
expression, strikingly similar to switch
, but much smarter. It lets you compare values—including destructuring—and run corresponding code when a pattern aligns.
let response = { status: 200, data: { message: "OK" } };
match (response) {
{ status: 200, data } => console.log("✅ Success:", data.message),
{ status: 404 } => console.log("❌ Not Found"),
{ status: 500 } => console.log("💥 Server Error"),
_ => console.log("ℹ️ Unknown status")
}
- Clearer syntax — every case is self-contained and intuitive.
- Destructuring built-in — no need for separate value extraction.
- No accidental fall-throughs — unlike switch.
- Encourages covering all cases — reducing overlooked branches.
As of now, Pattern Matching is a Stage 3 proposal in the TC39 pipeline — meaning it’s feature-complete but not yet part of official JS engines or browsers.
Example of API response handling becomes elegant and robust:
match (response) {
{ status: 200, data } => handleSuccess(data),
{ status: 404 } => showNotFound(),
_ => showError()
}
In Summary: ES2025’s Pattern Matching promises a smarter, cleaner alternative to traditional control flow. While you wait for native support, Babel offers a smooth path to experimentation. It’s time to start thinking in patterns, not just conditions!