When do you use the this keyword?
There are several usages of this keyword in C#.
- To qualify members hidden by similar name
- To have an object pass itself as a parameter to other methods
- To have an object return itself from a method
- To declare indexers
- To declare extension methods
- To pass parameters between constructors
- To internally reassign value type (struct) value.
- To invoke an extension method on the current instance
- To cast itself to another type
- To chain constructors defined in the same class
You can avoid the first usage by not having member and local variables with the same name in scope, for example by following common naming conventions and using properties (Pascal case) instead of fields (camel case) to avoid colliding with local variables (also camel case). In C# 3.0 fields can be converted to properties easily by using auto-implemented properties.
How does the this keyword work, and when should it be used?
this
is a keyword in JavaScript that is a property of an execution context. Its main use is in functions and constructors.
The rules for this
are quite simple (if you stick to best practices).
Technical description of this
in the specification
The ECMAScript standard defines this
via the abstract operation (abbreviated AO) ResolveThisBinding:
The [AO] ResolveThisBinding […] determines the binding of the keyword
this
using the LexicalEnvironment of the running execution context. [Steps]:
- Let envRec be GetThisEnvironment().
- Return ? envRec.GetThisBinding().
Global Environment Records, module Environment Records, and function Environment Records each have their own GetThisBinding method.
The GetThisEnvironment AO finds the current running execution context’s LexicalEnvironment and finds the closest ascendant Environment Record (by iteratively accessing their [[OuterEnv]] properties) which has a this binding (i.e. HasThisBinding returns true). This process ends in one of the three Environment Record types.
The value of this
often depends on whether code is in strict mode.
The return value of GetThisBinding reflects the value of this
of the current execution context, so whenever a new execution context is established, this
resolves to a distinct value. This can also happen when the current execution context is modified. The following subsections list the five cases where this can happen.
You can put the code samples in the AST explorer to follow along with specification details.
1. Global execution context in scripts
This is script code evaluated at the top level, e.g. directly inside a <script>
:
<script>
// Global context
console.log(this); // Logs global object.
setTimeout(function(){
console.log("Not global context");
});
</script>
When in the initial global execution context of a script, evaluating this
causes GetThisBinding to take the following steps:
The GetThisBinding concrete method of a global Environment Record envRec […] [does this]:
- Return envRec.[[GlobalThisValue]].
The [[GlobalThisValue]] property of a global Environment Record is always set to the host-defined global object, which is reachable via globalThis
(window
on Web, global
on Node.js; Docs on MDN). Follow the steps of InitializeHostDefinedRealm to learn how the [[GlobalThisValue]] property comes to be.
2. Global execution context in modules
Modules have been introduced in ECMAScript 2015.
This applies to modules, e.g. when directly inside a <script type="module">
, as opposed to a simple <script>
.
When in the initial global execution context of a module, evaluating this
causes GetThisBinding to take the following steps:
The GetThisBinding concrete method of a module Environment Record […] [does this]:
- Return undefined.
In modules, the value of this
is always undefined
in the global context. Modules are implicitly in strict mode.
3. Entering eval code
There are two kinds of eval
calls: direct and indirect. This distinction exists since the ECMAScript 5th edition.
- A direct
eval
call usually looks likeeval(
…);
or(eval)(
…);
(or((eval))(
…);
, etc.).1 It’s only direct if the call expression fits a narrow pattern.2 - An indirect
eval
call involves calling the function referenceeval
in any other way. It could beeval?.(
…)
,(
…, eval)(
…)
,window.eval(
…)
,eval.call(
…,
…)
, etc. Givenconst aliasEval1 = eval; window.aliasEval2 = eval;
, it would also bealiasEval1(
…)
,aliasEval2(
…)
. Separately, givenconst originalEval = eval; window.eval = (x) => originalEval(x);
, callingeval(
…)
would also be indirect.
See chuckj’s answer to “(1, eval)('this') vs eval('this') in JavaScript?” and Dmitry Soshnikov’s ECMA-262-5 in detail – Chapter 2: Strict Mode (archived) for when you might use an indirect eval()
call.
PerformEval executes the eval
code. It creates a new declarative Environment Record as its LexicalEnvironment, which is where GetThisEnvironment gets the this
value from.
Then, if this
appears in eval
code, the GetThisBinding method of the Environment Record found by GetThisEnvironment is called and its value returned.
And the created declarative Environment Record depends on whether the eval
call was direct or indirect:
- In a direct eval, it will be based on the current running execution context’s LexicalEnvironment.
- In an indirect eval, it will be based on the [[GlobalEnv]] property (a global Environment Record) of the Realm Record which executed the indirect eval.
Which means:
- In a direct eval, the
this
value doesn’t change; it’s taken from the lexical scope that calledeval
. - In an indirect eval, the
this
value is the global object (globalThis
).
What about new Function
? — new Function
is similar to eval
, but it doesn’t call the code immediately; it creates a function. A this binding doesn’t apply anywhere here, except when the function is called, which works normally, as explained in the next subsection.
4. Entering function code
Entering function code occurs when calling a function.
There are four categories of syntax to invoke a function.
- The EvaluateCall AO is performed for these three:3
- Normal function calls
- Optional chaining calls
- Tagged templates
- And EvaluateNew is performed for this one:3
- Constructor invocations
The actual function call happens at the Call AO, which is called with a thisValue determined from context; this argument is passed along in a long chain of call-related calls. Call calls the [[Call]] internal slot of the function. This calls PrepareForOrdinaryCall where a new function Environment Record is created:
A function Environment Record is a declarative Environment Record that is used to represent the top-level scope of a function and, if the function is not an ArrowFunction, provides a
this
binding. If a function is not an ArrowFunction function and referencessuper
, its function Environment Record also contains the state that is used to performsuper
method invocations from within the function.
In addition, there is the [[ThisValue]] field in a function Environment Record:
This is the
this
value used for this invocation of the function.
The NewFunctionEnvironment call also sets the function environment’s [[ThisBindingStatus]] property.
[[Call]] also calls OrdinaryCallBindThis, where the appropriate thisArgument is determined based on:
- the original reference,
- the kind of the function, and
- whether or not the code is in strict mode.
Once determined, a final call to the BindThisValue method of the newly created function Environment Record actually sets the [[ThisValue]] field to the thisArgument.
Finally, this very field is where a function Environment Record’s GetThisBinding AO gets the value for this
from:
The GetThisBinding concrete method of a function Environment Record envRec […] [does this]:
[…]
3. Return envRec.[[ThisValue]].
Again, how exactly the this value is determined depends on many factors; this was just a general overview. With this technical background, let’s examine all the concrete examples.
Arrow functions
When an arrow function is evaluated, the [[ThisMode]] internal slot of the function object is set to “lexical” in OrdinaryFunctionCreate.
At OrdinaryCallBindThis, which takes a function F:
- Let thisMode be F.[[ThisMode]].
- If thisMode is lexical, return NormalCompletion(
undefined
).
[…]
which just means that the rest of the algorithm which binds this is skipped. An arrow function does not bind its own this value.
So, what is this
inside an arrow function, then? Looking back at ResolveThisBinding and GetThisEnvironment, the HasThisBinding method explicitly returns false.
The HasThisBinding concrete method of a function Environment Record envRec […] [does this]:
- If envRec.[[ThisBindingStatus]] is lexical, return false; otherwise, return true.
So the outer environment is looked up instead, iteratively. The process will end in one of the three environments that have a this binding.
This just means that, in arrow function bodies, this
comes from the lexical scope of the arrow function, or in other words (from Arrow function vs function declaration / expressions: Are they equivalent / exchangeable?):
Arrow functions don’t have their own
this
[…] binding. Instead, [this identifier is] resolved in the lexical scope like any other variable. That means that inside an arrow function,this
[refers] to the [value ofthis
] in the environment the arrow function is defined in (i.e. “outside” the arrow function).
Function properties
In normal functions (function
, methods), this
is determined by how the function is called.
This is where these “syntax variants” come in handy.
Consider this object containing a function:
const refObj = {
func: function(){
console.log(this);
}
};
Alternatively:
const refObj = {
func(){
console.log(this);
}
};
In any of the following function calls, the this
value inside func
will be refObj
.1
refObj.func()
refObj["func"]()
refObj?.func()
refObj.func?.()
refObj.func``
If the called function is syntactically a property of a base object, then this base will be the “reference” of the call, which, in usual cases, will be the value of this
. This is explained by the evaluation steps linked above; for example, in refObj.func()
(or refObj["func"]()
), the CallMemberExpression is the entire expression refObj.func()
, which consists of the MemberExpression refObj.func
and the Arguments ()
.
But also, refObj.func
and refObj
play three roles, each:
- they’re both expressions,
- they’re both references, and
- they’re both values.
refObj.func
as a value is the callable function object; the corresponding reference is used to determine the this
binding.
The optional chaining and tagged template examples work very similarly: basically, the reference is everything before the ?.()
, before the ``
, or before the ()
.
EvaluateCall uses IsPropertyReference of that reference to determine if it is a property of an object, syntactically. It’s trying to get the [[Base]] property of the reference (which is e.g. refObj
, when applied to refObj.func
; or foo.bar
when applied to foo.bar.baz
). If it is written as a property, then GetThisValue will get this [[Base]] property and use it as the this value.
Note: Getters / Setters work the same way as methods, regarding this
. Simple properties don’t affect the execution context, e.g. here, this
is in global scope:
const o = {
a: 1,
b: this.a, // Is `globalThis.a`.
[this.a]: 2 // Refers to `globalThis.a`.
};
Calls without base reference, strict mode, and with
A call without a base reference is usually a function that isn’t called as a property. For example:
func(); // As opposed to `refObj.func();`.
This also happens when passing or assigning methods, or using the comma operator. This is where the difference between Reference Record and Value is relevant.
Note function j
: following the specification, you will notice that j
can only return the function object (Value) itself, but not a Reference Record. Therefore the base reference refObj
is lost.
const g = (f) => f(); // No base ref.
const h = refObj.func;
const j = () => refObj.func;
g(refObj.func);
h(); // No base ref.
j()(); // No base ref.
(0, refObj.func)(); // Another common pattern to remove the base ref.
EvaluateCall calls Call with a thisValue of undefined here. This makes a difference in OrdinaryCallBindThis (F: the function object; thisArgument: the thisValue passed to Call):
- Let thisMode be F.[[ThisMode]].
[…]
- If thisMode is strict, let thisValue be thisArgument.
- Else,
- If thisArgument is undefined or null, then
- Let globalEnv be calleeRealm.[[GlobalEnv]].
- […]
- Let thisValue be globalEnv.[[GlobalThisValue]].
- Else,
- Let thisValue be ! ToObject(thisArgument).
- NOTE: ToObject produces wrapper objects […].
[…]
Note: step 5 sets the actual value of this
to the supplied thisArgument in strict mode — undefined
in this case. In “sloppy mode”, an undefined or null thisArgument results in this
being the global this value.
If IsPropertyReference returns false, then EvaluateCall takes these steps:
- Let refEnv be ref.[[Base]].
- Assert: refEnv is an Environment Record.
- Let thisValue be refEnv.WithBaseObject().
This is where an undefined thisValue may come from: refEnv.WithBaseObject() is always undefined, except in with
statements. In this case, thisValue will be the binding object.
There’s also Symbol.unscopables
(Docs on MDN) to control the with
binding behavior.
To summarize, so far:
function f1(){
console.log(this);
}
function f2(){
console.log(this);
}
function f3(){
console.log(this);
}
const o = {
f1,
f2,
[Symbol.unscopables]: {
f2: true
}
};
f1(); // Logs `globalThis`.
with(o){
f1(); // Logs `o`.
f2(); // `f2` is unscopable, so this logs `globalThis`.
f3(); // `f3` is not on `o`, so this logs `globalThis`.
}
and:
"use strict";
function f(){
console.log(this);
}
f(); // Logs `undefined`.
// `with` statements are not allowed in strict-mode code.
Note that when evaluating this
, it doesn’t matter where a normal function is defined.
.call
, .apply
, .bind
, thisArg, and primitives
Another consequence of step 5 of OrdinaryCallBindThis, in conjunction with step 6.2 (6.b in the spec), is that a primitive this value is coerced to an object only in “sloppy” mode.
To examine this, let’s introduce another source for the this value: the three methods that override the this binding:4
Function.prototype.apply(thisArg, argArray)
Function.prototype.
{call
,bind
}(thisArg, ...args)
.bind
creates a bound function, whose this binding is set to thisArg and cannot change again. .call
and .apply
call the function immediately, with the this binding set to thisArg.
.call
and .apply
map directly to Call, using the specified thisArg. .bind
creates a bound function with BoundFunctionCreate. These have their own [[Call]] method which looks up the function object’s [[BoundThis]] internal slot.
Examples of setting a custom this value:
function f(){
console.log(this);
}
const myObj = {},
g = f.bind(myObj),
h = (m) => m();
// All of these log `myObj`.
g();
f.bind(myObj)();
f.call(myObj);
h(g);
For objects, this is the same in strict and non-strict mode.
Now, try to supply a primitive value:
function f(){
console.log(this);
}
const myString = "s",
g = f.bind(myString);
g(); // Logs `String { "s" }`.
f.call(myString); // Logs `String { "s" }`.
In non-strict mode, primitives are coerced to their object-wrapped form. It’s the same kind of object you get when calling Object("s")
or new String("s")
. In strict mode, you can use primitives:
"use strict";
function f(){
console.log(this);
}
const myString = "s",
g = f.bind(myString);
g(); // Logs `"s"`.
f.call(myString); // Logs `"s"`.
Libraries make use of these methods, e.g. jQuery sets the this
to the DOM element selected here:
$("button").click(function(){
console.log(this); // Logs the clicked button.
});
Constructors, classes, and new
When calling a function as a constructor using the new
operator, EvaluateNew calls Construct, which calls the [[Construct]] method. If the function is a base constructor (i.e. not a class extends
…{
…}
), it sets thisArgument to a new object created from the constructor’s prototype. Properties set on this
in the constructor will end up on the resulting instance object. this
is implicitly returned, unless you explicitly return your own non-primitive value.
A class
is a new way of creating constructor functions, introduced in ECMAScript 2015.
function Old(a){
this.p = a;
}
const o = new Old(1);
console.log(o); // Logs `Old { p: 1 }`.
class New{
constructor(a){
this.p = a;
}
}
const n = new New(1);
console.log(n); // Logs `New { p: 1 }`.
Class definitions are implicitly in strict mode:
class A{
m1(){
return this;
}
m2(){
const m1 = this.m1;
console.log(m1());
}
}
new A().m2(); // Logs `undefined`.
super
The exception to the behavior with new
is class extends
…{
…}
, as mentioned above. Derived classes do not immediately set their this value upon invocation; they only do so once the base class is reached through a series of super
calls (happens implicitly without an own constructor
). Using this
before calling super
is not allowed.
Calling super
calls the super constructor with the this value of the lexical scope (the function Environment Record) of the call. GetThisValue has a special rule for super
calls. It uses BindThisValue to set this
to that Environment Record.
class DerivedNew extends New{
constructor(a, a2){
// Using `this` before `super` results in a ReferenceError.
super(a);
this.p2 = a2;
}
}
const n2 = new DerivedNew(1, 2);
console.log(n2); // Logs `DerivedNew { p: 1, p2: 2 }`.
5. Evaluating class fields
Instance fields and static fields were introduced in ECMAScript 2022.
When a class
is evaluated, ClassDefinitionEvaluation is performed, modifying the running execution context. For each ClassElement:
- if a field is static, then
this
refers to the class itself, - if a field is not static, then
this
refers to the instance.
Private fields (e.g. #x
) and methods are added to a PrivateEnvironment.
Static blocks are currently a TC39 stage 3 proposal. Static blocks work the same as static fields and methods: this
inside them refers to the class itself.
Note that in methods and getters / setters, this
works just like in normal function properties.
class Demo{
a = this;
b(){
return this;
}
static c = this;
static d(){
return this;
}
// Getters, setters, private modifiers are also possible.
}
const demo = new Demo;
console.log(demo.a, demo.b()); // Both log `demo`.
console.log(Demo.c, Demo.d()); // Both log `Demo`.
1: (o.f)()
is equivalent to o.f()
; (f)()
is equivalent to f()
. This is explained in this 2ality article (archived). Particularly see how a ParenthesizedExpression is evaluated.
2: It must be a MemberExpression, must not be a property, must have a [[ReferencedName]] of exactly "eval", and must be the %eval% intrinsic object.
3: Whenever the specification says “Let ref be the result of evaluating X.”, then X is some expression that you need to find the evaluation steps for. For example, evaluating a MemberExpression or CallExpression is the result of one of these algorithms. Some of them result in a Reference Record.
4: There are also several other native and host methods that allow providing a this value, notably Array.prototype.map
, Array.prototype.forEach
, etc. that accept a thisArg as their second argument. Anyone can make their own methods to alter this
like (func, thisArg) => func.bind(thisArg)
, (func, thisArg) => func.call(thisArg)
, etc. As always, MDN offers great documentation.
Just for fun, test your understanding with some examples
For each code snippet, answer the question: “What is the value of this
at the marked line? Why?”.
To reveal the answers, click the gray boxes.
if(true){
console.log(this); // What is `this` here?
}globalThis
. The marked line is evaluated in the initial global execution context.const obj = {};
function myFun(){
return { // What is `this` here?
"is obj": this === obj,
"is globalThis": this === globalThis
};
}
obj.method = myFun;
console.log(obj.method());
When should you use the this keyword in C++?
While this is a totally subjective question, I think the general C++ community prefers not to have
this->
. Its cluttering, and entirely not needed.Some people use it to differentiate between member variables and parameters. A much more common practice is to just prefix your member variables with something, like a single underscore or an
m
, orm_
, etc.That is much easier to read, in my opinion. If you need
this->
to differentiate between variables, you're doing it wrong. Either change the parameter name (fromx
tonewX
) or have a member variable naming convention.Consistency is preferred, so instead of forcing
this->
on yourself for the few cases you need to differentiate (note in initializer lists this is completely well-defined:x(x)
, where the memberx
is initialized by the parameterx
), just get better variable names.This leaves the only time I use
this
: when I actually need the address of the instance, for whatever reason.Should I use this keyword when I want to refer to instance variables within a method?
No, only use
this
when you have a name conflict such as when a method parameter has the same name as an instance field that it is setting.It can be used at other times, but many of us feel that it simply adds unnecessary verbiage to the code.
Java - when to use 'this' keyword
but Java is clever enough to know what is happening if I change the statement in the constructor to
bar = bar;
FALSE! It compiles but it doesn't do what you think it does!
As to when to use it, a lot of it is personal preference. I like to use
this
in my public methods, even when it's unnecessary, because that's where the interfacing happens and it's nice to assert what's mine and what's not.As reference, you can check the Oracle's Java Tutorials out about this.subject ;-)
http://docs.oracle.com/javase/tutorial/java/javaOO/thiskey.html
Use of this keyword in C++
Yes, it is not required and is usually omitted. It might be required for accessing variables after they have been overridden in the scope though:
Person::Person() {
int age;
this->age = 1;
}Also, this:
Person::Person(int _age) {
age = _age;
}It is pretty bad style; if you need an initializer with the same name use this notation:
Person::Person(int age) : age(age) {}
More info here: https://en.cppreference.com/w/cpp/language/initializer_list
when using this keyword inside method or constructor, does it matter the this keyword is on the left or the right of = sign
It does indeed matter. In Java the variable on the left is receiving the value of the variable on the right.
So in your example:
class Point {
public int x = 0; // line 1
public int y = 0; // line 2
public Point(int x, int y) { // line 3
x = this.x; // line 4
this.y = y; // line 5
}
}x =this.x
is saying "take the value of x from line 1 and put that value into the x from line 3. so here your parameter x which was passed in (line 3) to create your object will now be set equal to 0 (because that's what created on line 1). This is probably not what you want.this.y = y
is saying "take the value from the y parameter passed in (line 3) and put that value into the y created on line 2. so your parameter y that was passed in will overwrite the 0 that you instantiated your y variable to on line 2.One tip for remembering this that I learnt back in college was to think of the
=
as an arrow that always points to the left/receiver.Therefore you have:
x <--- this.x (note the direction the arrow is going)
this.y <--- y (the left is always the the receiver of the value)
Finally, I would suggest that you don't get too caught up in the code and remember to always think of the bigger picture.
You are creating a class named Point.
Why? Because you need an object to use.
What do you need to create this object? X and Y coordinates.
Would your class know these automatically? No, therefore they are being passed in as constructor parameters.
Now that you have them, how do you get the rest of the members (i.e other methods/variables) of your class to know they are there? You have to assign their values to something that
this
class/object will know about. And that is why you use thethis
keyword.Hope this helps. Stick with it. You'll get better with time. ;-)
Use of this keyword in java
this
is an alias or a name for the current instance inside the instance.
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