Programming FundamentalsIntermediate
Decorator
PronunciationDEK-uh-ray-ter
Definition
A function that wraps another function to add behavior, such as logging or permission checks, without editing the original code.
Where you hear it
Python (@login_required), TypeScript frameworks like NestJS, and middleware talk.
Examples
Add
@login_requiredso only signed-in users can open the page.We wrote a decorator that logs how long each call takes.
Common mistake
In Python, forgetting functools.wraps, which makes the wrapped function lose its name and docstring.
Keep exploring
More in Programming Fundamentals