Lodash _.stubString() Method

What You’ll Learn

By the end of this tutorial, you’ll use Lodash’s _.stubString() as a named “always empty string” function—for defaults, fallbacks, and functional callbacks.

What Is _.stubString()?

_.stubString is a zero-argument function that always returns the empty string ''. Call it as _.stubString() when you need '' right now, or pass _.stubString (without parentheses) when another API wants a function that produces empty strings—similar to writing () => ''.

It sits in Lodash’s stub helper family alongside _.stubObject() and _.stubTrue()—small building blocks for readable functional code.

📝 Syntax

Invoke with no arguments:

_.stubString()

Syntax Rules

• _.stubString — the function reference (pass to callbacks).
• _.stubString() — call it to get '' immediately.
• Ignores arguments — _.stubString('hello', 42) still returns ''.
• Length zero — _.stubString().length === 0.
• Primitive string — returns '', not null or undefined.

import stubString from "lodash/stubString";



stubString();

// ''

Examples Gallery

Practical _.stubString() patterns with copy-ready code, sample output, and interactive Try It Yourself labs.

const empty = _.stubString();



console.log(empty);

console.log(typeof empty);

console.log(empty.length);

console.log(empty === '');

// (empty line)

// "string"

// 0

// true

(empty)

string

0

true

console.log(_.stubString());

console.log(_.stubString('hello'));

console.log(_.stubString(1, true, {}));

// (empty)

// (empty)

// (empty)

(empty)

(empty)

(empty)

function greet(name = _.stubString()) {

  return "Hello, " + name + "!";

}



console.log(greet());

console.log(greet("Ada"));

// Hello, !

// Hello, Ada!

Hello, !

Hello, Ada!

function getLabel(apiResult) {

  const label = apiResult && apiResult.label;

  return label || _.stubString();

}



console.log(getLabel({ label: "Save" }));

console.log(getLabel(null));

// Save

// (empty string)

Save

(empty)

const slots = _.times(3, _.stubString);



console.log(slots);

console.log(slots.every(function (s) { return s === ''; }));

// ["", "", ""]

// true

['', '', '']

true

// Immediate empty string

console.log(_.stubString());



// ES default — also common

function fn(x = '') { return x; }



// Equivalent fixed return

const emptyFn = _.constant('');

console.log(emptyFn() === _.stubString());



// Arrow equivalent of stubString

console.log(typeof (() => '')() === 'string');

// true for all '' producers

(empty)

true

true

📝 Notes

• Returns the string primitive ''—not null or undefined.
• Strings are immutable—unlike objects, there is no “fresh reference” concern.
• Pass _.stubString without parentheses when an API expects a zero-arg producer function.
• return text || _.stubString() treats empty string as falsy—use nullish coalescing (??) if '' is valid data.
• Part of the stub helper family—next: _.stubTrue().
• Previous in the series: _.stubObject().

💡 Best Practices