Reputation: 1654
Can anyone explain to me why "b" returns undefined and how I can get around this problem? Why does the "this" scope get lost when I call prototype functions by reference?
MyClass = function(test) {
this.test = test;
}
MyClass.prototype.myfunc = function() {
return this.test;
}
var a = new MyClass('asd').myfunc();
var b = new MyClass('asd').myfunc;
// Returns "asd" correctly
console.log(a)
// Returns undefined??
console.log(b())
=== EDIT / SOLUTION ===
As plalx writes, the correct solution in my case is to use .bind(). So the result looks like this:
MyClass = function(test) {
this.test = test;
}
MyClass.prototype.myfunc = function() {
return this.test;
}
var a = new MyClass('asd').myfunc();
var b = new MyClass('asd'),
bfunc = b.myfunc.bind(b)
// Returns "asd" correctly
console.log(a)
// Also returns "asd" correctly!
console.log(bfunc())
Upvotes: 2
Views: 1872
Reputation: 1910
Here you are assigning to a variable a result of myfunc() function.
var a = new MyClass('asd').myfunc();
And here, you are asigning to b variable function reference, rather then runing it, and assign result to variable.
var b = new MyClass('asd').myfunc;
And finaly here:
console.log(b())
You trying to log result of function b and in that case b() isn't defined anywhere, only it is assigned reference to function.
Try this:
console.log(b); // It logs [Function]
But besides that, your question is hard to understand.
P.S. Use semicolons!
Upvotes: -1
Reputation: 43748
You need to explicitely bind the this value if you want this behaviour.
var c = new MyClass('asd'),
b = c.myfunc.bind(c);
console.log(b());
By default, this
will point to the leftSide.ofTheDot();
in an invocation, or simply the object on which the function was called.
Note: Calling b();
is the same as window.b();
.
Binding every function to the object instance is possible but rather inefficient because functions will not get shared across instances anymore.
E.g.
function MyClass(someVal) {
var me = this;
me.someVal = someVal;
me.someFn = function () {
return me.someVal;
};
}
Upvotes: 6
Reputation: 8705
The line var b..
. is a function reference and you're not actually calling the function.
Upvotes: -1