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JavaScript

Posted by Rustam Karimov
Rustam Karimov
4,667 Points

can you explain me how "this" works(javascript)?

I don't fully understand how it works...

var setAge = function (newAge) { this.age = newAge; }; var bob = new Object(); bob.age = 30; bob.setAge = setAge; bob.setAge(50)

2 Answers

Steven Parker
Steven Parker
231,275 Points
Steven Parker
Steven Parker
231,275 Points

There's an entire 13-minute workshop for Understanding "this" in JavaScript.

The short version is that it stands for the current context. Within an object method, for example, it would represent the object itself. In an event handler, it would be the element that triggered the event.

I realize the short explanation might not be terribly helpful. But you can always watch that video.

Jim Dennis
Jim Dennis
13,075 Points
Jim Dennis
Jim Dennis
13,075 Points

The JavaScript keyword this refers to the current execution/evaluation context. When defining code after a new operator it refers to the object which is being newly created.

But its semantics are more complicated because of how it can appear in other contexts. Here an explanation of to help with Understanding the "this" keyword in JavaScript.

If you're familiar with Python's use of the "self" parameter then this (in the new context) is similar. But there isn't an equivalent in Python (that I know of) for JavaScript's this as it works in other contexts. Here's a A tour of the differences between JavaScript and Python which touches very briefly on this distinction ... but doesn't go into much detail about the other contexts in which this can be used.