What is the use of bind() in JavaScript?
Bind creates a new function that will force the this inside the function to be the parameter passed to bind().
Here's an example that shows how to use bind to pass a member method around that has the correct this:
var myButton = {
content: 'OK',
click() {
console.log(this.content + ' clicked');
}
};
myButton.click();
var looseClick = myButton.click;
looseClick(); // not bound, 'this' is not myButton - it is the globalThis
var boundClick = myButton.click.bind(myButton);
boundClick(); // bound, 'this' is myButton
Which prints out:
OK clicked
undefined clicked
OK clicked
You can also add extra parameters after the 1st (this) parameter and bind will pass in those values to the original function. Any additional parameters you later pass to the bound function will be passed in after the bound parameters:
// Example showing binding some parameters
var sum = function(a, b) {
return a + b;
};
var add5 = sum.bind(null, 5);
console.log(add5(10));
Which prints out:
15
Check out JavaScript Function bind for more info and interactive examples.
Update: ECMAScript 2015 adds support for => functions. => functions are more compact and do not change the this pointer from their defining scope, so you may not need to use bind() as often. For example, if you wanted a function on Button from the first example to hook up the click callback to a DOM event, the following are all valid ways of doing that:
var myButton = {
... // As above
hookEvent(element) {
// Use bind() to ensure 'this' is the 'this' inside click()
element.addEventListener('click', this.click.bind(this));
}
};
Or:
var myButton = {
... // As above
hookEvent(element) {
// Use a new variable for 'this' since 'this' inside the function
// will not be the 'this' inside hookEvent()
var me = this;
element.addEventListener('click', function() { me.click() });
}
};
Or:
var myButton = {
... // As above
hookEvent(element) {
// => functions do not change 'this', so you can use it directly
element.addEventListener('click', () => this.click());
}
};
The simplest use of bind() is to make a function that, no matter
how it is called, is called with a particular this value.
x = 9;
var module = {
x: 81,
getX: function () {
return this.x;
}
};
module.getX(); // 81
var getX = module.getX;
getX(); // 9, because in this case, "this" refers to the global object
// create a new function with 'this' bound to module
var boundGetX = getX.bind(module);
boundGetX(); // 81
Please refer to this link on MDN Web Docs for more information:
Function.prototype.bind()
bind allows-
set the value of "this" to an specific object. This becomes very helpful as sometimes this is not what is intended.
reuse methods
curry a function
For example, you have a function to deduct monthly club fees
function getMonthlyFee(fee){
var remaining = this.total - fee;
this.total = remaining;
return this.name +' remaining balance:'+remaining;
}
Now you want to reuse this function for a different club member. Note that the monthly fee will vary from member to member.
Let's imagine Rachel has a balance of 500, and a monthly membership fee of 90.
var rachel = {name:'Rachel Green', total:500};
Now, create a function that can be used again and again to deduct the fee from her account every month
//bind
var getRachelFee = getMonthlyFee.bind(rachel, 90);
//deduct
getRachelFee();//Rachel Green remaining balance:410
getRachelFee();//Rachel Green remaining balance:320
Now, the same getMonthlyFee function could be used for another member with a different membership fee. For Example, Ross Geller has a 250 balance and a monthly fee of 25
var ross = {name:'Ross Geller', total:250};
//bind
var getRossFee = getMonthlyFee.bind(ross, 25);
//deduct
getRossFee(); //Ross Geller remaining balance:225
getRossFee(); //Ross Geller remaining balance:200
From the MDN docs on Function.prototype.bind() :
The bind() method creates a new function that, when called, has its
this keyword set to the provided value, with a given sequence of
arguments preceding any provided when the new function is called.
So, what does that mean?!
Well, let's take a function that looks like this :
var logProp = function(prop) {
console.log(this[prop]);
};
Now, let's take an object that looks like this :
var Obj = {
x : 5,
y : 10
};
We can bind our function to our object like this :
Obj.log = logProp.bind(Obj);
Now, we can run Obj.log anywhere in our code :
Obj.log('x'); // Output : 5
Obj.log('y'); // Output : 10
This works, because we bound the value of this to our object Obj.
Where it really gets interesting, is when you not only bind a value for this, but also for its argument prop :
Obj.logX = logProp.bind(Obj, 'x');
Obj.logY = logProp.bind(Obj, 'y');
We can now do this :
Obj.logX(); // Output : 5
Obj.logY(); // Output : 10
Unlike with Obj.log, we do not have to pass x or y, because we passed those values when we did our binding.
Variables has local and global scopes. Let's suppose that we have two variables with the same name. One is globally defined and the other is defined inside a function closure and we want to get the variable value which is inside the function closure. In that case we use this bind() method. Please see the simple example below:
var x = 9; // this refers to global "window" object here in the browser
var person = {
x: 81,
getX: function() {
return this.x;
}
};
var y = person.getX; // It will return 9, because it will call global value of x(var x=9).
var x2 = y.bind(person); // It will return 81, because it will call local value of x, which is defined in the object called person(x=81).
document.getElementById("demo1").innerHTML = y();
document.getElementById("demo2").innerHTML = x2();
<p id="demo1">0</p>
<p id="demo2">0</p>
Summary:
The bind() method takes an object as an first argument and creates a new function. When the function is invoked the value of this in the function body will be the object which was passed in as an argument in the bind() function.
How does this work in JS anyway
The value of this in javascript is dependent always depends on what Object the function is called. The value of this always refers to the object left of the dot from where is the function is called. In case of the global scope this is window (or global in nodeJS). Only call, apply and bind can alter the this binding differently. Here is an example to show how the this keyword works:
let obj = {
prop1: 1,
func: function () { console.log(this); }
}
obj.func(); // obj left of the dot so this refers to obj
const customFunc = obj.func; // we store the function in the customFunc obj
customFunc(); // now the object left of the dot is window,
// customFunc() is shorthand for window.customFunc()
// Therefore window will be logged
How is bind used?
Bind can help in overcoming difficulties with the this keyword by having a fixed object where this will refer to. For example:
var name = 'globalName';
const obj = {
name: 'myName',
sayName: function () { console.log(this.name);}
}
const say = obj.sayName; // we are merely storing the function the value of this isn't magically transferred
say(); // now because this function is executed in global scope this will refer to the global var
const boundSay = obj.sayName.bind(obj); // now the value of this is bound to the obj object
boundSay(); // Now this will refer to the name in the obj object: 'myName'
Once the function is bound to a particular this value we can pass it around and even put it on properties on other objects. The value of this will remain the same.
The bind() method creates a new function instance whose this value is bound to the value that was passed into bind().
For example:
window.color = "red";
var o = { color: "blue" };
function sayColor(){
alert(this.color);
}
var objectSayColor = sayColor.bind(o);
objectSayColor(); //blue
Here, a new function called objectSayColor() is created from sayColor() by calling bind() and passing in the object o. The objectSayColor() function has a this value equivalent to o, so calling the function, even as a global call, results in the string “blue” being displayed.
Reference : Nicholas C. Zakas - PROFESSIONAL JAVASCRIPT® FOR WEB DEVELOPERS
I will explain bind theoretically as well as practically
bind in javascript is a method -- Function.prototype.bind . bind is a method. It is called on function prototype. This method creates a function whose body is similar to the function on which it is called but the 'this' refers to the first parameter passed to the bind method. Its syntax is
var bindedFunc = Func.bind(thisObj,optionsArg1,optionalArg2,optionalArg3,...);
Example:--
var checkRange = function(value){
if(typeof value !== "number"){
return false;
}
else {
return value >= this.minimum && value <= this.maximum;
}
}
var range = {minimum:10,maximum:20};
var boundedFunc = checkRange.bind(range); //bounded Function. this refers to range
var result = boundedFunc(15); //passing value
console.log(result) // will give true;
Creating a new Function by Binding Arguments to Values
The bind method creates a new function from another function with one or more arguments bound to specific values, including the implicit this argument.
Partial Application
This is an example of partial application. Normally we supply a function with all of its arguments which yields a value. This is known as function application. We are applying the function to its arguments.
A Higher Order Function (HOF)
Partial application is an example of a higher order function (HOF) because it yields a new function with a fewer number of argument.
Binding Multiple Arguments
You can use bind to transform functions with multiple arguments into new functions.
function multiply(x, y) {
return x * y;
}
let multiplyBy10 = multiply.bind(null, 10);
console.log(multiplyBy10(5));
Converting from Instance Method to Static Function
In the most common use case, when called with one argument the bind method will create a new function that has the this value bound to a specific value. In effect this transforms an instance method to a static method.
function Multiplier(factor) {
this.factor = factor;
}
Multiplier.prototype.multiply = function(x) {
return this.factor * x;
}
function ApplyFunction(func, value) {
return func(value);
}
var mul = new Multiplier(5);
// Produces garbage (NaN) because multiplying "undefined" by 10
console.log(ApplyFunction(mul.multiply, 10));
// Produces expected result: 50
console.log(ApplyFunction(mul.multiply.bind(mul), 10));
Implementing a Stateful CallBack
The following example shows how using binding of this can enable an object method to act as a callback that can easily update the state of an object.
function ButtonPressedLogger()
{
this.count = 0;
this.onPressed = function() {
this.count++;
console.log("pressed a button " + this.count + " times");
}
for (let d of document.getElementsByTagName("button"))
d.onclick = this.onPressed.bind(this);
}
new ButtonPressedLogger();
<button>press me</button>
<button>no press me</button>
As mentioned, Function.bind() lets you specify the context that the function will execute in (that is, it lets you pass in what object the this keyword will resolve to in the body of the function.
A couple of analogous toolkit API methods that perform a similar service:
jQuery.proxy()
Dojo.hitch()
Bind Method
A bind implementation might look something like so:
Function.prototype.bind = function () {
const self = this;
const args = [...arguments];
const context = args.shift();
return function () {
return self.apply(context, args.concat([...arguments]));
};
};
The bind function can take any number of arguments and return a new function.
The new function will call the original function using the JS Function.prototype.apply method.The apply method will use the first argument passed to the target function as its context (this), and the second array argument of the apply method will be a combination of the rest of the arguments from the target function, concat with the arguments used to call the return function (in that order).
An example can look something like so:
function Fruit(emoji) {
this.emoji = emoji;
}
Fruit.prototype.show = function () {
console.log(this.emoji);
};
const apple = new Fruit('🍎');
const orange = new Fruit('🍊');
apple.show(); // 🍎
orange.show(); // 🍊
const fruit1 = apple.show;
const fruit2 = apple.show.bind();
const fruit3 = apple.show.bind(apple);
const fruit4 = apple.show.bind(orange);
fruit1(); // undefined
fruit2(); // undefined
fruit3(); // 🍎
fruit4(); // 🍊
/**
* Bind is a method inherited from Function.prototype same like call and apply
* It basically helps to bind a function to an object's context during initialisation
*
* */
window.myname = "Jineesh";
var foo = function(){
return this.myname;
};
//IE < 8 has issues with this, supported in ecmascript 5
var obj = {
myname : "John",
fn:foo.bind(window)// binds to window object
};
console.log( obj.fn() ); // Returns Jineesh
Consider the Simple Program listed below,
//we create object user
let User = { name: 'Justin' };
//a Hello Function is created to Alert the object User
function Hello() {
alert(this.name);
}
//since there the value of this is lost we need to bind user to use this keyword
let user = Hello.bind(User);
user();
//we create an instance to refer the this keyword (this.name);
Simple Explanation:
bind() create a new function, a new reference at a function it returns to you.
In parameter after this keyword, you pass in the parameter you want to preconfigure. Actually it does not execute immediately, just prepares for execution.
You can preconfigure as many parameters as you want.
Simple Example to understand bind:
function calculate(operation) {
if (operation === 'ADD') {
alert('The Operation is Addition');
} else if (operation === 'SUBTRACT') {
alert('The Operation is Subtraction');
}
}
addBtn.addEventListener('click', calculate.bind(this, 'ADD'));
subtractBtn.addEventListener('click', calculate.bind(this, 'SUBTRACT'));
The bind function creates a new function with the same function body as the function it is calling .It is called with the this argument .why we use bind fun. : when every time a new instance is created and we have to use first initial instance then we use bind fun.We can't override the bind fun.simply it stores the initial object of the class.
setInterval(this.animate_to.bind(this), 1000/this.difference);
function.prototype.bind() accepts an Object.
It binds the calling function to the passed Object and the returns
the same.
When an object is bound to a function, it means you will be able to
access the values of that object from within the function using
'this' keyword.
It can also be said as,
function.prototype.bind() is used to provide/change the context of a
function.
let powerOfNumber = function(number) {
let product = 1;
for(let i=1; i<= this.power; i++) {
product*=number;
}
return product;
}
let powerOfTwo = powerOfNumber.bind({power:2});
alert(powerOfTwo(2));
let powerOfThree = powerOfNumber.bind({power:3});
alert(powerOfThree(2));
let powerOfFour = powerOfNumber.bind({power:4});
alert(powerOfFour(2));
Let us try to understand this.
let powerOfNumber = function(number) {
let product = 1;
for (let i = 1; i <= this.power; i++) {
product *= number;
}
return product;
}
Here, in this function, this corresponds to the object bound to the function powerOfNumber. Currently we don't have any function that is bound to this function.
Let us create a function powerOfTwo which will find the second power of a number using the above function.
let powerOfTwo = powerOfNumber.bind({power:2});
alert(powerOfTwo(2));
Here the object {power : 2} is passed to powerOfNumber function using bind.
The bind function binds this object to the powerOfNumber() and returns the below function to powerOfTwo. Now, powerOfTwo looks like,
let powerOfNumber = function(number) {
let product = 1;
for(let i=1; i<=2; i++) {
product*=number;
}
return product;
}
Hence, powerOfTwo will find the second power.
Feel free to check this out.
bind() function in Javascript
The bind() method creates a new function that, when called, has its this keyword set to the provided value, with a given sequence of arguments preceding any provided when the new function is called.
An example for the first part
grabbed from react package useSt8
import { useState } from "react"
function st8() {
switch(arguments.length) {
case 0: return this[0]
case 1: return void this[1](arguments[0])
default: throw new Error("Expected 0 or 1 arguments")
}
}
function useSt8(initial) {
// this in st8 will be something like [state, setSatate]
return st8.bind(useState(initial))
}
// usage
function Counter() {
const count = useSt8(0);
return (
<>
Count: {count()}
<button onClick={() => count(0)}>Reset</button>
<button onClick={() => count(prevCount => prevCount + 1)}>inc</button>
</>
);
}
An example for the second part
const add = (a, b) => a+b
someThis = this
// new function with this value equal to someThis
add5 = add.bind(someThis, 5)
add5(10) // 15
// we don't use this in add decelartion so this will work too.
add10 = add.bind(null, 10)
add10(5) // 15
Here's the simplest possible explanation:
Say you have a function
function _loop(n) { console.log("so: " + n) }
obviously you can call it like _loop(69) as usual.
Rewrite like this:
var _loop = function() { console.log("so: " + this.n) }
Notice there are now
no arguments as such
you use "this. " to get to the named arguments
You can now call the function like this:
_loop.bind( {"n": 420} )
That's it.
Most typical use case:
A really typical use is when you need to add an argument to a callback.
Callbacks can't have arguments.
So just "rewrite" the callback as above.
Simple example
function lol(second, third) {
console.log(this.first, second, third);
}
lol(); // undefined, undefined, undefined
lol('1'); // undefined, "1", undefined
lol('1', '2'); // undefined, "1", "2"
lol.call({first: '1'}); // "1", undefined, undefined
lol.call({first: '1'}, '2'); // "1", "2", undefined
lol.call({first: '1'}, '2', '3'); // "1", "2", "3"
lol.apply({first: '1'}); // "1", undefined, undefined
lol.apply({first: '1'}, ['2', '3']); // "1", "2", "3"
const newLol = lol.bind({first: '1'});
newLol(); // "1", undefined, undefined
newLol('2'); // "1", "2", undefined
newLol('2', '3'); // "1", "2", "3"
const newOmg = lol.bind({first: '1'}, '2');
newOmg(); // "1", "2", undefined
newOmg('3'); // "1", "2", "3"
const newWtf = lol.bind({first: '1'}, '2', '3');
newWtf(); // "1", "2", "3"
Another usage is that you can pass binded function as an argument to another function which is operating under another execution context.
var name = "sample";
function sample(){
console.log(this.name);
}
var cb = sample.bind(this);
function somefunction(cb){
//other code
cb();
}
somefunction.call({}, cb);
In addition to what have been said, the bind() method allows an object to borrow a method from another object without making a copy of that method. This is known as function borrowing in JavaScript.
i did not read above code but i learn something in simple so want to share here about bind method after bind method we can use it as any normal method.
<pre> note: do not use arrow function it will show error undefined </pre>
let solarSystem = {
sun: 'red',
moon : 'white',
sunmoon : function(){
let dayNight = this.sun + ' is the sun color and present in day and '+this.moon + ' is the moon color and prenet in night';
return dayNight;
}
}
let work = function(work,sleep){
console.log(this.sunmoon()); // accessing the solatSystem it show error undefine sunmmon untill now because we can't access directly for that we use .bind()
console.log('i work in '+ work +' and sleep in '+sleep);
}
let outPut = work.bind(solarSystem);
outPut('day','night')
bind is a function which is available in java script prototype, as the name suggest bind is used to bind your function call to the context whichever you are dealing with for eg:
var rateOfInterest='4%';
var axisBank=
{
rateOfInterest:'10%',
getRateOfInterest:function()
{
return this.rateOfInterest;
}
}
axisBank.getRateOfInterest() //'10%'
let knowAxisBankInterest=axisBank.getRateOfInterest // when you want to assign the function call to a varaible we use this syntax
knowAxisBankInterest(); // you will get output as '4%' here by default the function is called wrt global context
let knowExactAxisBankInterest=knowAxisBankInterest.bind(axisBank); //so here we need bind function call to its local context
knowExactAxisBankInterest() // '10%'
If I have this ES6 function declaration and invocation:
function myFunction (arg1, arg2 = "bob") {
console.log("arguments", arguments);
}
myFunction(1);
...the console.log() statement shows only one argument with a value of "1". "bob" is nowhere to be seen. Is this expected and/or desired behavior? I would expect that default values would be available in the arguments object. If not, is there a way to dynamically get all arguments + defaults in some other manner?
Thanks in advance!
Yes, this is expected and desired. The arguments object is a list of the values that were passed into the function, nothing else.
It is not implicily linked to the parameter variables (that get assigned the default values), like it was in sloppy mode.
Is there a way to dynamically get all arguments + defaults in some other manner?
No. What parameters you have and whether they have default initialisers is static, you don't need to do anything here dynamically. You can do Object.assign([], arguments, [arg1, arg2]) for your example function.
As you know by now, there is no native method to get both "passed arguments AND defaults where arguments are not passed". But there is a workaround:
This function (that I found here) gets all parameters of a given function:
function getArgs(func) {
var args = func.toString().match(/function\s.*?\(([^)]*)\)/)[1];
return args.split(',').map(function(arg) {
return arg.replace(/\/\*.*\*\//, '').trim();
}).filter(function(arg) {
return arg;
});
};
So, combining this function with the arguments of your function myFunction, we can get an array that has what you want:
function myFunction (arg1, arg2 = "bob") {
var thisArguments = arguments;
console.log(getArgs(myFunction, thisArguments));
};
function getArgs(func, argums) {
var args = func.toString().match(/function\s.*?\(([^)]*)\)/)[1];
var argsArray = args.split(',').map(function(arg) {
return arg.replace(/\/\*.*\*\//, '').trim();
}).filter(function(arg) {
return arg;
});
for(var i = 0; i < argsArray.length; i++){
argsArray[i] += " (default)";
}
var defaults = argsArray.slice(argums.length);
argums = Array.prototype.slice.call(argums);
return argums.concat(defaults);
};
Now, we can see the information in the console calling myFunction:
1. Passing more arguments than parameters
This will return only the arguments.
myFunction("foo", "bar", "baz");
//returns: ["foo", "bar", "baz"]
2. Passing less arguments than parameters
Will return the arguments and the remainder parameters as default, as you want (I added "default" to each string).
myFunction("foo");
//returns ["foo", "arg2 = "bob" (default)"]
3. Passing no arguments
This will return all the parameters.
myFunction();
//returns ["arg1 (default)", "arg2 = "bob" (default)"]
This is the fiddle: https://jsfiddle.net/gerardofurtado/25jxrkm8/1/
In C++, you have a bind function that allows you to bind parameters to functions. When you call the function, it will be called with those parameters. Similarly, MySQL has an ability to bind parameters to queries where it will substitute question marks with the variable. In Javascript and jQuery, the bind function has a confusingly different meaning. It makes the passed parameter the this variable, which is not at all what I want. Here's an example of what I want to achieve:
var outerVariable;
var callbacks = [
some_object.event,
some_object.differentEvent.bind(outerVariable)
];
// func() will automatically have outerVariable in scope
$.map(callbacks, function(func) { func(); });
I don't think there is an easy way to use bind without playing around with this, if you want to bind arguments only you may be better writing a wrapper
function bindArgs(fn) {
var slice = Array.prototype.slice,
bound_args = slice.call(arguments, 1);
return function () {
var args = slice.call(arguments, 0);
return fn.apply(this, bound_args.concat(args));
}
}
Now
function foo(a, b) {
console.log(this, a, b);
}
var bar = bindArgs(foo, 'bar');
var obj = {baz: bar};
obj.baz('baz'); // logs obj, "bar", "baz"
Do this instead:
var callbacks = [
some_object.event,
some_object.differentEvent.bind(some_object, outerVariable)
];
The only difference between the C++ and JavaScript bind is that the JavaScript bind takes one extra argument: thisArg, which will bind the keyword this for the bound function to whatever you pass in. If you do not want to re-bind the this-argument, then pass null as the first parameter, and the rest should look familiar to the C++ variant you speak of:
function add(a, b) {
return a + b
}
var three = add(1, 2)
var makeThree = add.bind(null, 1, 2)
three = makeThree()
I'm trying to understand the difference between curry vs bind.
The implementation of bind is :
/*1*/ Function.prototype.bind = function ()
/*2*/ {
/*3*/ var fn = this,
/*4*/ args = Array.prototype.slice.call(arguments);
/*5*/ var object = args.shift();
/*6*/ return function ()
/*7*/ {
/*8*/ return fn.apply(object,
/*9*/ args.concat(Array.prototype.slice.call(arguments)))
/*10*/ };
/*11*/ }
The implementation of curry is :
/*1*/ Function.prototype.curry = function ()
/*2*/ {
/*3*/ var fn = this,
/*4*/ args = Array.prototype.slice.call(arguments);
/*5*/ return function ()
/*6*/ {
/*7*/ return fn.apply(this,
/*8*/ args.concat(Array.prototype.slice.call(arguments)));
/*9*/ };
/*10*/ };
I already know that curry is not an internal function (unlike bind which is in IE9+). But still:
Why do I hear people keep talking about curry , While they can simply use bind operation ?
The only difference is the context which is actually found only at the bind function.
differences
Example :
Let's say I have this function :
function add(x,y,z)
{
return x+y+z;
}
I could do it with curry :
alert(add.curry(2).curry(1)(4)) //7
But I could also do it with :
alert(add.bind(undefined,2).bind(undefined,1)(4)) //7
I don't understand why this curry term function exists while it is possible to add a dummy context to the bind function.
What am I missing ?
bind forces you to attach a context to the function, while by using curry, you can delay the specification of function context until invoking the curried function, useful in many cases.
consider the following example (not the perfect one, just to illustrate the idea):
function Query(sessionKey, dataBuilder) {
this.sessionKey = sessionKey;
this.url = "http://www.example.com/search";
this.dataBuilder = dataBuilder
this.search = function (term) {
$.ajax({
type: "POST",
url: this.url,
data: this.dataBuilder(term);
})
}
}
function dataBuilder(entity, query) {
var payload = JSON.stringify({
'entity': entity,
'searchTerm': query
'session': this.sessionKey // will be always undefined if bind(undefined,...) is used
});
return payload
}
var bindEx= dataBuilder.bind(undefined, "username");
var curryEx= dataBuilder.curry("username");
var usernameQuery = new Query("id1234",bindEx); // won't work, this.sessionKey will be undefined
usernameQuery = new Query("id1234",curryEx); // will work, this.sessionKey will be id1234 in the DataBuilder
There is a difference in intention.
Currying is to reduce the number of arguments, usually to avoid calling a function a lot with the same initial arguments. For example:
var celsiusToKelvin = add.curry(273.15);
bind() is to make sure that a function is attached to an object. It also happens to offer a currying facility, so yes you can use bind() to curry(), but if you want to curry, curry() has fewer arguments and shows your intention.
I'd think it has something to do with compatibility with older browsers as bind is only available since ECMAScript 5.
See this for a list of .bind() support: http://kangax.github.io/es5-compat-table/
Also from what I've heard, most people still use curry because it looks cleaner as it doesn't need that extra undefined in the arguments.
I know that inside the function it is this.
var func = function {
return this.f === arguments.callee;
// => true, if bound to some object
// => false, if is bound to null, because this.f === undefined
}
var f = func; // not bound to anything;
var obj = {};
obj1.f = func; // bound to obj1 if called as obj1.f(), but not bound if called as func()
var bound = f.bind(obj2) // bound to obj2 if called as obj2.f() or as bound()
Edited:
You can't actually call obj2.f() as f doesn't become a property of obj2
edit end.
The question is: how to find the object, that the function is bound to, outside of this function?
I want to achieve this:
function g(f) {
if (typeof(f) !== 'function') throw 'error: f should be function';
if (f.boundto() === obj)
// this code will run if g(obj1.f) was called
doSomething(f);
// ....
if (f.boundto() === obj2)
// this code will run if g(obj2.f) or g(bound) was called
doSomethingElse(f);
}
and partial application without changing the object that the function is bound to:
function partial(f) {
return f.bind(f.boundto(), arguments.slice(1));
}
Consensus:
You can't do it. Takeaway: use bind and this with great care :)
Partial Application
You can do partial application:
// This lets us call the slice method as a function
// on an array-like object.
var slice = Function.prototype.call.bind(Array.prototype.slice);
function partial(f/*, ...args */) {
if (typeof f != 'function')
throw new TypeError('Function expected');
var args = slice(arguments, 1);
return function(/* ...moreArgs */) {
return f.apply(this, args.concat(slice(arguments)));
};
}
What Object is this Function Bound To?
Additionally, there's a pretty straight-forward solution to the first part of your question. Not sure if this is an option for you, but you can pretty easily monkey-patch things in JS. Monkey-patching bind is totally possible.
var _bind = Function.prototype.apply.bind(Function.prototype.bind);
Object.defineProperty(Function.prototype, 'bind', {
value: function(obj) {
var boundFunction = _bind(this, arguments);
boundFunction.boundObject = obj;
return boundFunction;
}
});
Just run that before any other scripts get run, and any script which uses bind, it will automatically add a boundObject property to the function:
function f() { }
var o = { };
var g = f.bind(o);
g.boundObject === o; // true
(Note: I'm assuming you're in an ES5 environment above due to the fact that you're using bind.)
A function in javascript is not technically bound to anything. It may be declared as a property of an object as in:
var obj = {
fn: function() {}
}
obj.fn();
But, if you get the function into it's own variable by itself, it is not bound to any particular object.
For example, if you did this:
var obj = {
fn: function() {}
}
var func = obj.fn;
func();
Then, when you call func() which in turn executes the fn() function, it will have no association with obj at all when it is called. Associating an object with a function is done by the caller of the function. It is not a property of the function.
If one were to use fn.bind(obj), that creates a new function that just internally executes a call to obj.fn(). It doesn't magically add any new capabilities to javascript. In fact, you can see a polyfill for .bind() to see how it works here on MDN.
If you are expecting this to always be a particular object no matter how a function is called, that is not how javascript works. Unless a function is actually a shim that forces an association with a hard-wird object when it's called (what .bind() does), then a function doesn't have a hard-wired association. The association is done by the caller based on how it calls the function. This is different than some other languages. For example, in C++, you can't call a function without having the right object to associate with it at call time. The language simply won't resolve the function call and you get a compile error.
If you are branching on types in javascript, then you are probably not using the object-oriented capabilities of the language properly or to your best advantage.
Instead of binding the function func to the objects, why not try treating func as an object, that can hold obj1 and obj2 as its properties?
For example:
var func = function {
this.object; // Could be obj1 or obj2
return this.f === arguments.callee;
// => true, if this.object is not null
}
var f = func;
f.object = obj1; // or func.object = obj2;
You can also write a function that handles whether or not the object is obj1 or obj2:
function g(f) {
if (typeof(f) !== 'function') throw 'error: f should be function';
if (f.object === obj)
// this code will run if g(f) was called
doSomething(f);
if (f.object === obj2)
// this code will run if g(f) or g(bound) was called
doSomethingElse(f);
}
The reason is that you want to treat obj1 and obj2 as a property of the function f. However, when you bind, you are adding the function as a property of either obj1 or obj2. It's possible to bind the function to multiple objects, so it doesn't make sense to look for THE one object to which you bound the function; because you're adding the function as a subset of the object.
In this case, since you want to treat the object as a subset of the function, it might make sense to add a property into the function that can hold obj1 or obj2.
If you are the one doing the bind, you can add a field to the function to record the this for later testing.
var that = "hello";
var xyz = function () { console.log(this); }.bind(that);
xyz.that = that;
// xyz is callable as in xyz(), plus you can test xyz.that without calling