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JavaScript•Objects, Classes, and Advanced Patterns

this in JavaScript Objects

Concept visual

this in JavaScript Objects

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this in an Object Method When used in an object method, this refers to the object. In the example on top of this page, this refers to the person object. Because the fullName method is a method of the person object.

Example

const person
= {
firstName: "John", lastName : "Doe", id       : 5566, fullName : function() {
return this.firstName + " " +
this.lastName;
}
};

Object Method Binding

In these examples, this is the person object

Example

const person
= {
firstName  : "John", lastName   : "Doe", id         : 5566, myFunction : function() {
return this
;
}
};

Example

const person
= {
firstName: "John", lastName : "Doe", id       : 5566, fullName : function() {
return this.firstName + " " +
this.lastName;
}
};

i.e. this.firstName is the firstName property of this (the person object).

Explicit Function Binding

The call()

and apply() methods are predefined JavaScript methods. They can both be used to call an object method with another object as argument.

See Also:

The Function call() Method

The Function apply() Method

The Function bind() Method

The example below calls person1.fullName with person2 as an argument, this refers to person2, even if fullName is a method of person1:

Example

const person1 = {
fullName: function() {
return this.firstName + " " + this.lastName;
}
}
const person2 = {
firstName:"John", lastName: "Doe",
}
// Return "John Doe":
person1.fullName.call(person2);

Function Borrowing

With the bind()

method, an object can borrow a method from another object. This example creates 2 objects (person and member). The member object borrows the fullname method from the person object:

Example

const person = {
firstName:"John", lastName: "Doe", fullName: function () {
return this.firstName + " " + this.lastName;
}
}
const member = {
firstName:"Hege", lastName: "Nilsen",
}
let fullName = person.fullName.bind(member);

What is this

? In JavaScript, the this keyword refers to an object. The this keyword refers to different objects depending on how it is used:

Alone, this refers to the global object.
In a function, this refers to the global object.

In a function, in strict mode, this is undefined. In an object method, this refers to the object. In an event, this refers to the element that received the event. In methods like call(), apply() and bind(), this can refer to any object. this is not a variable. this is a keyword. You cannot change the value of this.

This

Precedence

Use the following precedence of order to determine which object this refers to:

Order

Object

Because

bind() this is in a function being called using bind()

apply() this is in a function being called using apply()

call() this is in a function being called using call()

Object method this is in an object function (method)

Global scope this is in a function in the global scope

Advanced Chapters:

JavaScript Object Definitions

JavaScript Object Advanced this

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JS Temporal Differences

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JavaScript Temporal Conversion