whole_func_string: function _extend(a, b) {
      forEach(b, (bVal, key) => {
          let type = typeForExtend(a);
          switch(type) {
              case types.array:
              case types.object:
                  if (a[key] === undefined || a[key] === null)
                      a[key] = b[key];
                  else if (isExtendable(a[key], b[key]))
                      _extend(a[key], b[key]);
                  break;
              case types.set:
                  if (!a.has(bVal))
                      a.add(bVal);
                  break;
              case types.map:
                  if (!a.has(key))
                      a.set(key, bVal);
                  else {
                      let aVal = a.get(key);
                      if (aVal === undefined || aVal === null)
                          a.set(key, bVal);
                      else if (isExtendable(aVal, bVal))
                          _extend(aVal, bVal);
                  }
                  break;
          }
      });
      return a;
  }
func_code_string: function _extend(a, b) {
      forEach(b, (bVal, key) => {
          let type = typeForExtend(a);
          switch(type) {
              case types.array:
              case types.object:
                  if (a[key] === undefined || a[key] === null)
                      a[key] = b[key];
                  else if (isExtendable(a[key], b[key]))
                      _extend(a[key], b[key]);
                  break;
              case types.set:
                  if (!a.has(bVal))
                      a.add(bVal);
                  break;
              case types.map:
                  if (!a.has(key))
                      a.set(key, bVal);
                  else {
                      let aVal = a.get(key);
                      if (aVal === undefined || aVal === null)
                          a.set(key, bVal);
                      else if (isExtendable(aVal, bVal))
                          _extend(aVal, bVal);
                  }
                  break;
          }
      });
      return a;
  }
func_documentation_string: Internal extend call.
  Performance abstraction to bypass all the argument shenanigans,
  as we know we will only be extending two items at a time internally.
  
  @param {any} a The item on which to extend the second.
  @param {any} b The item to extend onto the first.
  @returns {any} The reference to the first item.