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The JavaScript exception "duplicate formal argument x" or "duplicate argument names not allowed in this context" occurs when a function creates two or more parameter bindings with the same name, and the function is not a non-strict function with only simple parameters.
Having two formal parameters of the same name is likely a mistake—the second occurrence would cause the first occurrence to be inaccessible through the parameter name. In legacy JavaScript, this was allowed. Therefore, to not break existing code, this is only an error if the code is guaranteed to not be legacy—either because it is in strict mode or it uses modern parameter syntax (rest, default, or destructured parameters).
This page was last modified on Jul 8, 2025 by MDN contributors.
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