Calling method inside another method in javascript? - javascript

I am having a JavaScript namespace say
A={
CA: function() {
this.B();
},
B: function() {
var test='test';
var result='t1';
C: function() {
this.test='test1';
.....
.....
return 'test1';
}
result=this.C();
return result;
}
}
Now when I am executing such code it is giving that TypeError: this.C is not a function. Can somebody tell me why it is so. I know it is something related with lexical scoping but am unable to understand this.

You have to be careful when you use this to identify anything in Javascript because each time you change scope "this" changes.
Assigning the 'this' reference to it's own variable helps get around this.
var a = new function() {
var self = this;
self.method = function() { alert('hiya'); };
var b = function() {
this.method(); // this isn't 'a' anymore?
self.method(); // but 'self' is still referring to 'a'
};
};

I think the problem is that when this.C() is executed inside the function referred to by B, this refers to the object that contains B, that is, object A. (This assumes B() is called within the context of A)
The problem is, C does not exist on the object A, since it's defined within B. If you want to call a local function C() within B, just use C().
EDIT:
Also, I'm not sure what you've posted is valid JavaScript. Specifically, B should be defined this way, since you can't use the object:property syntax within a function.
B: function()
{
var test='test';
var result='t1';
var C = function()
{
this.test='test1';
return 'test1';
}
result=C();
return result;
}

I am actually surprised that your code doesn't give you error on the 'C:' line.
Anyway, your syntax to define a function is not correct. Define it using the var keyword. Also, notice that I created the 'closure' so that the function C can access 'this'. See the code below:
A={
CA: function()
{
this.B();
},
B: function()
{
var test='test';
var result='t1';
var self = this;
var C = function()
{
self.test='test1';
.....
.....
return 'test1';
}
result=C();
return result;
}
}
If you want to assign C to 'this' object, you can also do:
A={
CA: function()
{
this.B();
},
B: function()
{
var test='test';
var result='t1';
var self = this;
this.C = function()
{
self.test='test1';
.....
.....
return 'test1';
};
result= this.C();
return result;
}
}

Solution for calling methods from another method. (Essentially the pointer "this" must be assigned to a variable and the new variable used in place of this.)
function myfunction(){
var me = this;
me.method1 = function(msg){ alert(msg); }
me.method2 = function(){
me.method1("method1 called from method2");
}
}
var f as new myfunction();
f.method2();
This example shows how one can call a method from within another method or from outside using an instance of the function.

Related

Javascript undefined function inside module

Given the following Javascript example:
var obj = function() {
var _c = function() {
console.log("c")
}
return {
a: function() {
b();
},
b: function() {
console.log("b");
},
c: function() {
_c();
}
}
}();
calling obj.a() gives an error that b is not defined. This error can be solved by changing b() to this.b(). Can anyone help explain why this is necessary while c can access _c?
_c is a local variable that is in scope when _c() is executed. b is not; it is only found on the object itself, so it can be found by this.b.
This confusion is indicative of transplanting object-oriented concepts from other languages to JavaScript. There are no private and public members in JS, and you can't call methods on the same object by leaving the object prefix. There's just local variables (v when var v or let v), global variables (v when no var v or let v) and object properties (obj.prop). A method is object property that contains a function; no more, no less.
Need to use this.b because you are returning an object and 'b' in this context is the property of that object. you need to explicitly stated that using this
While _c is a local function defined inside the closure, you can access access it directly in the return object and does not refer to the return object.
You should not call b() directly.
var obj = function() {
var _c = function() {
console.log("c")
}
return {
b: function() {
console.log("b");
},
a: function() {
this.b();
},
c: function() {
_c();
}
}
}();
obj.a();
Explanation added :
You are calling b() inside a function where b() is defined on the object. So to call the function b() inside any other function, you should call b with reference to the object like
this.b();

About javascript prototype

A strange problems about javascript prototype :
(function(w){
if(!w)
return;
var TestJS = function(){
};
TestJS.prototype = {
data:{},
initData:function(){
this.data={
val_name_1 : 1,
val_name_2 : 2,
val_name_3 : "hello-3"
};
console.log(this.data);
return this;
},
TestChildJS:{
initChild:function(){
console.log(TestJS);
console.log(TestJS.data);
console.log(new TestJS().data.val_name_1);
console.log(TestJS.data.val_name_1);
}
}
};
window.TestJS = new TestJS();
})(window);
why 'TestChildJS' can not get 'val_name_1'?
TestJS.initData();
console.log(TestJS.TestChildJS.initChild());
console pic
so I have to write my code like that:
(function(w){
if(!w)
return;
var TestJS = function(){
};
TestJS.prototype = {
data:{},
initData:function(){
this.data={
val_name_1 : 1,
val_name_2 : 2,
val_name_3 : "hello-3"
};
console.log(this.data);
this.TestChildJS.initParentData(this);
return this;
},
TestChildJS:{
parentData:{},
initParentData:function(parent){
this.parentData = parent.data;
return this;
},
initChild:function(){
console.log(this.parentData);
}
}
};
window.TestJS = new TestJS();
})(window);
How to use the first way can get the content of the second way?
why 'TestChildJS' can not get 'val_name_1'?
when:
TestJS.initData();
is run, it adds a data property to the TestJS object (the one assigned by window.TestJS = new TestJS()). That property isn't inherited by any other object.
When:
console.log(new TestJS().data.val_name_1);
is run, the object returned by new TestJS() has not had it's initData method called yet, so it doesn't have a data property and it doesn't inherit it from the constructor (because the property is directly on the constructor itself, not its prototype).
Note also that assigning a new object to this.data creates a property directly on the instance, so adding to this.data is modifying the instance's data object, not the one on the constructor's prototype.
The patterns in your code (especially the second one) seem unnecessarily convoluted.
It has to do with the scope of the IIFE. A variable declared inside a closure shadows any outer variable with the same name. Since after the IIFE executes you no longer have access to its scope, TempJS inside it will always be a function constructor -- not an instantiated object.
Consider this example:
var i;
var func = (function(){
i = 1;
return function() {
console.log(i)
};
})();
func(i); // 1
i = 2;
func(i); // 2
If I re-declare the i variable inside the closure, look what happens:
var i = 1;
var func = (function(){
var i = 1;
return function() {
console.log(i)
};
})();
func(i); // 1
i = 2;
func(i); // 1
So one solution to your problem would be to declare TestJS once before the IIFE.
var TestJS;
(function(w){
if(!w)
return;
TestJS = function(){
};
// ...
TestChildJS:{
initChild:function(){
console.log(TestJS.data.val_name_1);
}
// ...
window.TestJS = new TestJS();
})(window);
TestJS.initData();
console.log(TestJS.TestChildJS.initChild()); // 1
Notice that I removed console.log(new TestJS().data.val_name_1);. TestJS is no longer a constructor function, so that line will throw.
Another solution is to assign the empty function expression to window.TestJS inside the closure, instead of var TestJS. Doing so will not create a local TestJS name and will therefore prevent the ambiguity.

JavaScript variable visibility in handler

I am a little bit confused on how this works, let me post you an example code:
someClass = function() {
this.a = 10;
this.Foo = function() {
console.log(this.a); // will output "10"
setTimeout(this.Bar, 1);
}
this.Bar = function() {
console.log(this.a); // undefined
}
}
var instance = new someClass();
instance.Foo();
My understanding is that this.a is not visible in function Bar if it is called from setTimeout (or some other "handler" type of thing.)
What is the common/correct way of solving that?
(I am trying this in Node.js btw)
Thank you.
The problem is that the scope (this) is lost when you pass a function to setTimeout.
Here's the easiest way to fix it, store this as a reference through a closure and use that instead.
// This uses _me_ everywhere for consistency, but the only place that really needs it
// is within the Bar method. But consistency in this case makes your code more change-
// proof, say if someone calls setTimeout(instance.Foo, 1)
someClass = function() {
var me = this;
me.a = 10;
me.Foo = function() {
console.log(me.a); // will output "10"
// setTimeout will cause me.Bar to be called with window as the context
setTimeout(me.Bar, 1);
}
me.Bar = function() {
// so we avoid using _this_ in here
console.log(me.a); // 10
}
}
A slightly more elegant way is to use Function.bind
someClass = function() {
this.a = 10;
this.Foo = function() {
console.log(this.a); // will output "10"
// the bind call will force it to use the first argument as `this`
setTimeout(this.Bar.bind(this), 1);
}
this.Bar = function() {
console.log(this.a); // undefined
}
}
When passing the function this.Bar as an argument to another function, you need to bind this.Bar to the context you'd like it to be executed with.
If you're using a JS library like jQuery or Underscore.js they already come with that functionality:
setTimeout(_.bind(this.Bar, this), 1);
Here's a simple implementation of a bind function:
var bind = function(scope, fn) {
return function() {
return fn.apply(scope, arguments);
};
}
Update:
As #generalhenry pointed out, node.js already comes with a bind function in (Function.prototype.bind), so you can do this without adding a custom bind function nor an external library:
setTimeout(this.Bar.bind(this), 1);

Javascript callbacks and "this" [duplicate]

This question already has answers here:
How to access the correct `this` inside a callback
(13 answers)
Closed 6 years ago.
I have the following Javascript code, and I'm trying to get a callback to work as shown below. I want to see an alert with "123" in it.
var A = function(arg){
this.storedArg = arg;
this.callback = function(){ alert(this.storedArg); }
}
var B = function() {
this.doCallback = function(callback){ callback(); }
}
var pubCallback = function(){ alert('Public callback') };
var a = new A(123);
var b = new B();
b.doCallback(pubCallback); // works as expected
b.doCallback(a.callback); // want 123, get undefined
I understand what is happening but I'm not sure how to fix it. How can I get a callback function that references my a object? In my case, I can make changes to A but not B.
So what you want is to pass the context to the doCallBack.
E.g.
doCallBack = function (callback, callee) {
callback.apply(callee);
}
So then you would do:
b.doCallBack(a.callback, a);
If you cannot modify the B then you can use closure inside A:
var A = function (arg) {
var self = this;
this.storedArg = arg;
this.callback = function () { alert(self.storedArg); }
}
You can create a variable that holds the wanted scope for this by putting it into variable that
var A = function(arg){
this.storedArg = arg;
var that = this; // Add this!
this.callback = function(){ alert(that.storedArg); }
}
Working demo here: http://jsfiddle.net/vdM5t/
I understand what is happening (during the 2nd callback, "this" is b and not a)
No, JS is no class-based language where something could happen. If function(){ alert(this.storedArg); is just called as callback(); (like in b.doCallback), the this keyword points to the global object (window).
To get around that, you'd have to change A to
var A = function(arg){
var that = this; // store reference to the current A object
this.storedArg = arg;
this.callback = function(){
alert(that.storedArg); // and use that reference now instead of "this"
};
}
If you don't expect the storedArg property to change, you could even make it more simple:
var A = function(arg){
this.storedArg = arg;
this.callback = function(){
alert(arg); // just use the argument of the A function,
// which is still in the variable scope
};
}
You need to pass the context you want the callback to execute in:
var B = function() {
this.doCallback = function(callback, context) {
callback.apply(context);
};
};
b.doCallback(a.callback, a); // 123
http://jsfiddle.net/a9N66/
Because inside A.callback function, this does not refer to A but to window object.
var A = function(arg){
this.storedArg = arg;
this.callback = function(){ alert(this.storedArg); }
-----------------------------------^-----------------
}
You can try this,
var A = function(arg){
this.storedArg = arg;
var that = this;
this.callback = function(){ alert(that.storedArg); }
}
var B = function() {
this.doCallback = function(callback){ callback(); }
}
var pubCallback = function(){ alert('Public callback') };
var a = new A(123);
var b = new B();
b.doCallback(pubCallback); // works as expected
b.doCallback(a.callback); // alerts 123
When you do this:
b.doCallback(a.callback);
that just calls a's callback function without telling it to use a for this; so the global object is used for this.
One solution is to wrap that callback up:
b.doCallback(function() { a.callback(); });
Other solutions include binding the callback to a, using jQuery.proxy() (which is just a fancy way of doing my first solution), or passing in a to doCallback and invoking callback on a using apply.

Passing Scope from one function to another

I have an object litrel that has 2 anonymous functions defined as such:
obj = {
funcA : function(){
var a = 'a';
},
funcB : function(){
// but how do you access the scope in 'funcA' to access variable 'a'?
console.log(a)
}
}
I do not want to pass any variables just the scope of 'funcA' - thoughts?
JavaScript scope doesn't work like that because it has (only) function scope (except when using the let keyword).
What you could do is...
obj = {
a: 0,
funcA: function() {
this.a = 'a';
},
funcB: function() {
console.log(this.a);
}
};
jsFiddle.
You can use the a closure with the module pattern to get access to variables in an outer scope. More than one function can accesses the variable:
var obj = (function() {
var a;
return {
setA: function(value) {
a = value;
return a;
},
getA: function(value) {
return a;
},
multiplyA: function(value) {
a = a * value;
return a;
}
};
}());
alert( obj.setA(5) ); // 5
alert( obj.multiplyA(2) ); // 10
alert( obj.getA() ); // 10
See Douglas Crockford's article on Private Members in JavaScript. In this way, functions can share a common variable object on their scope chain. You still can't reference it or pass it to another function, but you might be able to get the functionality you want.
Does this code do what you want? If not, I'm really curious as to why.
obj = {
funcA : function(){
this.a = 'a';
alert(this.a);
},
funcB : function(){
// but how do you access the scope in 'funcA' to access variable 'a'?
alert(this.a);
}
}
obj.funcA();
obj.funcB();
What is the difference between accessing the actual scope of a separate function and setting members on the parent object as I have done?
Also, since there isn't a way of passing scope, are you just going to use something similar to this code instead?

Categories