Top 10 Funny JavaScript Libraries on the Web

Introduction

JavaScript may be the most sought-after programming language when it comes to web app development at the moment, but that doesn’t mean there’s no time to have fun with it. We scoured the web in search of funny JavaScript libraries to brighten your day, and you’ll love what we found.

Funny JavaScript libraries or frameworks?

The title of this article says, “funny JavaScript libraries,” but the fact is that developers often use the term library and framework interchangeably, confusing those who don’t understand the difference between the two terms.

Building a modern software application is similar to building a modern house. Instead of starting with nothing but an idea in your head and a couple of simple tools, you first construct the framing to give the house a supporting structure and shape. You then use an assortment of tools and pre-made building blocks to transform the frame into a finished house.

Likewise, the life of many software applications nowadays starts with a framework, which provides a structure and generic functionality. There are frameworks for desktop apps, web apps, mobile apps, and so on. To develop applications faster and more efficiently, developers also use collections of pre-written code, called libraries, which essentially condense many lines of code into just a few.

To spice things up a bit, this list of the top 10 funny JavaScript libraries on the web also includes a couple of JavaScript tools that don’t require any programming knowledge at all to use, making them highly share-worthy with your friends, colleagues, and social media followers.

1. Brototype

GitHub stars: 1,919
Contributors: 11

Brototype is a funny JavaScript library that’s also quite useful. It can be described as an antidote to the “undefined is not a function” error, which occurs when attempting to call a value a function, where the value is not a function. With Brototype, you can easily test nested members, ensure that multiple nested members exist by passing an array of paths or using a callback, fetch nested members, create nested members, call nested functions, handle exceptions, check for undefined, get a list of object keys, extend objects, and more. Installing Brototype is a piece of cake because this fun but useful library is available via npm.

2. Thanos JS

GitHub stars: 147
Contributors: 4

Have you ever wished to wear the infinity gauntlet and have the power to shape the universe with a snap of your fingers? Thanos JS gives you a taste of this power, allowing you to reduce the file size of your project down to 50% with a simple command. But instead of achieving this impressive feat by some clever JavaScript magic and advanced optimization techniques, Thanos JS simply randomly deletes half of your project files. Needless to say, this JavaScript tool isn’t intended for serious use. It was created as a joke, and that’s all it is. If you have a friend who uses Java and would also experience what it’s like to wield the infinity gauntlet, you can introduce him or her to Thanos.jar.

3. Cowsay

GitHub stars: 529
Contributors: 17

Originally written in Perl by Tony Monroe, Cowsay is a talking cow that can say any words you put into her mouth. Just don’t be disappointed when you find out that Cowsay doesn’t really speak. Instead, it outputs the words you want it to say in the form of text displayed in the terminal or your web browser. What’s the point of a talking cow, you ask? Well, it can make your screenshots more interesting, which is how most people use it. Even if you don’t actually end up using Cowsay all that often, installing it and giving it a try is a rite of passage for Unix users, who have been having fun with it for over 20 years. If you feel like it, you can customize it to display a different animal or extend it to display a random sentence when you open the terminal.

4. FuckItJS

GitHub stars: 3,172
Contributors: 3

All programmers get tired of fixing bugs and pondering the meaning of cryptic error messages. FuckItJS is a JavaScript library that can make all bugs and error messages instantly go away. How? By repeatedly compiling your code, detecting errors, and slicing those lines out of the script through a process known as Eval-Rinse-Reload-And-Repeat. Of course, you won’t really make your application run any better by yanking problematic lines of code out of it like stray nose hair, but it may make you feel better.

5. Elevator.js

GitHub stars: 4,693
Contributors: 12

Elevator.js is a stand-alone funny JavaScript library that lets you add a “back to top” button that behaves like a real elevator, complete with elevator music to make the smooth scrolling feel to the top less boring. Since Elevator.js is a simple library that handles only the audio management and the scroll functionality, you can easily customize it to fit your needs and make it less funny and more useful. To see how it works in its default configuration, visit this online demo and click the button at the bottom of the page.

6. ComcastifyJS

GitHub stars: 1,234
Contributors: 9

Is your website so well optimized that your images load in the blink of an eye? If so, you’re depriving your visitors of the thrill of a long page load. ComcastifyJS is a funny JavaScript library that gives your users a chance to go on a nostalgia trip and experience how images used to load with a dial-up internet connection, or how they would load with an internet connection provided by Comcast. ComcastifyJS is fully configurable, and you can change everything from the color of the box placed over images to the time required to load your images. To see ComcastifyJS in action, visit this website.

7. Fartscroll.js

GitHub stars: 2,745
Contributors: 8

Everyone farts—men, women, children, dogs, cats—and fartscroll.js can make your website fart too. What this funny JavaScript library actually does is insert fart noises as you scroll. To use it, simply insert a single line in your page and initialize it. You can even specify how often your page should fart to suit your own personal farting tastes. While decisively a funny JavaScript library that doesn’t attempt to be truly useful, there’s definitely a way to make it so by swapping the fart noises for something more appropriate, especially when designing a creative website whose goal is to push the boundaries of web design.

8. PenisJS

GitHub stars: 704
Contributors: 7

PenisJS makes comparing variables easy. Instead of using the traditional, boring method for comparing variables in JavaScript, PenisJS uses the global variables “B” and “D,” allowing you to use the awesome command “B==D” to compare 2 variables everywhere. You can simply include PenisJS as a script tag in a browser, but this funny JavaScript library is also compatible with AMD and commonjs. If you like PenisJS, make sure to also visit the GitHub profile of its creator, Edan Kwan, because it contains links to many other funny JavaScript libraries that are worth checking out, such as the sister library of PenisJS, VaginaJS.

9. Easter-egg-collection

GitHub stars: 204
Contributors: 1

This funny JavaScript library contains a large number of Easter eggs that can be triggered simply by typing a specific keyword on a website. For example, the keyword “hi” triggers an animation of a jumping puppy with the word “hi” above its head. The keyword “hangover” triggers an animation of a drunk Garfield walking across the screen, and there are many, many other equally hilarious animations. It doesn’t take more than a beginner-level knowledge of JavaScript to add additional animations to this funny JavaScript library or replace the existing ones with something else. With this library, you can give your visitors a reason to stay on your site a bit longer and explore it to the fullest.

10. Vapor.js

GitHub stars: 1,169
Contributors: 20

Vapor.js may just be the most flexible JavaScript framework in the world. Many frameworks can be restrictive and limit your creativity by forcing you to follow an approach that doesn’t fit your style and way of thinking, but not Vapor.js. The flexibility of this JavaScript framework comes from the fact that it contains exactly zero lines of code. That’s right. Vapor.js is a funny JavaScript framework that anyone can learn in just a few seconds. You should also check Semicolon.js, which is a more secure and reliable version of Vapor.js. As its name suggests, it contains nothing except for a lone semicolon.

Bonus: What the f*ck JavaScript?

GitHub stars: 14,691
Contributors: 42

JavaScript itself can be pretty funny—no additional library or framework required. A great way to explore the funny and quirky side of JavaScript is an installable handbook called What the f*ck JavaScript? Created by Denys Dovhan and inspired by Brian Leroux and his talk WTFJS at dotJS 2012, this handbook contains a list of funny JavaScript examples, each of which explains how it works. The examples help beginners get a deeper dive into JavaScript, while professionals can consider them to be a great reference of the unexpected edges of JavaScript. Many JavaScript developers from around the world have contributed to the handbook, and you can do so too on right on GitHub.

Conclusion

All software developers like to have fun from time to time, and JavaScript developers are no exception. In this article, we listed the top 10 funny JavaScript libraries on the web, but there’s so much more to discover that it would be a shame to stop here. GitHub is the best place to discover funny JavaScript libraries, followed by online communities such as Stack Overflow, Reddit, and Quora.

You can also head over to the npm library and search for packages containing the keywords funny, joke, humor, or troll. At the time of writing this article, there were 117 packages with the keyword funny alone, and we’re sure that you will be able to come up with many other fitting keywords to try.

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