In Javascript, the difference between defining a variable using "this.varName" and "var varName" lies in the scope of the variable

Excuse my JS ignorance, but here's a question:

In JS, I've noticed functions that define variables inside them like this:

 function functionName(){
     this.something = "";
 };

I'm wondering if something is considered a local variable. Why is it declared as this.something = '' instead of var something = ''? What exactly is the difference between these two declarations?

Answer №1

This code snippet assigns the attribute something to the object referenced by this. The context of this depends on how the function specified in functionName is called, typically when it's constructed using the new keyword:

var foo = new functionName();
console.log(foo.something);

If you were to declare a variable something within the function, it would not be accessible outside, preventing you from accessing foo.something like in the example provided.

Answer №2

let someVariable

represents a local variable that is confined within the boundaries of the current block

this.someProperty

refers to an instance variable that is owned by the object and can be accessed by all methods within that object.

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