headdesk-2.js

(function(bug){

    buggyfunction = function(msg){
        // summary: Alert some message.
        // msg: String|Object
        //      If string, just show this message. If object,
        //      use obj.message for display, and hide
        //      obj.delay ms
        var delay;
        if(typeof msg == "string"){
            msg = msg;
        }else{
            msg = msg.message;
            delay = msg.delay || 0;
        }
        
        delay && setTimeout(hidedialog, delay);
        showdialog(msg);
        
    };

    buggyfunction("Test"); // alerts now.
    buggyfunction({ message:"Test", delay:4000 }); // alerts now. should wait 4s
    
})();

// ignore the fact we _could_ just !== "string" and do the object stuff. There's
// other logic in that inital if() and other goodness that needs to happen, 
// which is why it worked out in the flow it did. The bug is glaringly obvious
// and largely unrelated to that msg = msg; line that otherwise seems 
// unnecessary. 
//
// i hate myself after spotting why no matter what I pass a { delay:..} ends
// up being 0. Thank you, debugger; I'm an idiot.
//