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JavaScript Introduction to jQuery Hello, jQuery! Filtering Matched Elements

Omar Hamza
PLUS
Omar Hamza
Courses Plus Student 1,985 Points
Posted by Omar Hamza
Omar Hamza
Courses Plus Student 1,985 Points

What is the function's "this" keyword?

I just want to understand function's "this" keyword because it has not been taught in the previous courses. Thank you.

David Moody
David Moody
19,302 Points
David Moody
David Moody
19,302 Points

Here is the video from Treehouse about the "this" keyword. You see it in JavaScript and Java:

https://teamtreehouse.com/library/understanding-this-in-javascript

1 Answer

Steven Sullivan
Steven Sullivan
11,616 Points
Steven Sullivan
Steven Sullivan
11,616 Points

'this' typically refers to a particular use of a previously declared variable.

What it's doing, is telling you that the instance of this variable is specific to this function, but may have a different value in another function. It's THIS functions instance of the variable I made earlier.

For example, if you had:

var word;

function test() {
this.word = testword;
}

What this does it change THAT FUNCTIONS var word, instead of changing the global var word.