I have a JavaScript class:

function Person(n){
  // ...
}

Outside of the class, I have the following code:

Person.prototype.shower = function(){ this.dirtFactor=2 }

What does this in the above code refer to? Does it refer to prototype, or to the Person class?

I have a JavaScript class:

function Person(n){
  // ...
}

Outside of the class, I have the following code:

Person.prototype.shower = function(){ this.dirtFactor=2 }

What does this in the above code refer to? Does it refer to prototype, or to the Person class?

• javascript

5 Answers 5

The meaning of this depends on how you call the function, not how you define it.

Assuming you do something like:

var bob = new Person('whatever n is');
bob.shower();

Then this will be bob (which will be an instance of Person).

Okay, basics first: when you write function Person(o) { ... }, you are not declaring a class -- JavaScript does not class based, but object based. This statement simply declares a function (which incidentally, are objects as well).

Next, when you create an object like this:

var mellon = new Person('Mellon');

you are creating an object, whose constructor (of sorts) is Person.

Now, read this carefully: since mellon's constructor is Person, all methods in Person's prototype will be available in the object.

So if you write:

Person.prototype.shower = function(){ this.dirtFactor=2 }  

then the method mellon.shower() will be available.

I remend going through Mozilla's intro to OOP in Javascript for some details on this topic.

So to answer your question: this refers to the object with which the method shower was invoked. In the above case, it would be mellon.

It refers to the instance of the person

So when you do a
var Mike = new Person();

then this is Mike

Example

<input type="text" id="field" value="Bla" />
<script>
document.getElementById('field').onfocus=function() { 
  alert(this.value)
}
</script>

will alert the value of the field the function is assigned to

It reffers to a instance of Person class

   var instance = new Person( ... );

   instance.shower(); // Here will be this.dirtFactor assigned to instance.dirtFactor

This refers to the object upon which shower is called. Specifically, you will eventually end up doing

 p = new Person(n);

This will execute the Person function and create a new, empty object which will be accessible as this in the constructor. That object will then be given a link to Person.prototype and any attribute references that fail on p will look on Person.prototype to see if it's found there.

If it's called on p, using p.shower(), then this will return to p. The point is though that there aren't instances and classes in javascript. Person.prototype is one object and all objects that are constructed by Person will share a reference to it.

Removing prototypes all together, you can just do

 person = {'shower': function () { 
     this.dirtFactor = 2; }
 }

 person.shower();
 console.log(person.dirtFactor);

and you will see that this still refers to the object upon which you called the method.