The concept of JavaScript context within unidentified functions

I am trying to assign a function as a property of each element in an array and then call it with different arguments. My initial approach was to use an anonymous function like this:

for ( var i = 0; i < object_count; i++ ) {
    objects[i].callback = function(e,x,y){ cb(e,x,y,i) };
}

However, the function is being called with the current value of i. How can I maintain the correct context for each element?

Answer №1

To ensure proper functionality, encasing the assignment in a function or at least on the right-hand side can help:

    objects[i].callback = (function(i) { return function(e, x, y) {
      cb(e, x, y, i);
    })(i);

The initial anonymous function is immediately triggered, transferring the loop variable "i" into an argument (also identified as "i"; some find this approach confusing while others argue it's clearer not to change names, so the choice is yours), which is utilized by the inner anonymous function that gets returned.

An alternative solution involves utilizing a utility function instead of an inline anonymous function. The complexity arises from desiring "i" to be the final parameter of the actual callback function. The Functional JavaScript library offers a useful utility for preloading certain arguments with fixed values, generating a function that permits you to input arguments for the non-fixed parameters. An implementation could resemble this:

  objects[i].callback = (function(e, x, y, i) { return cb(e, x, y, i); }).partial(_, _, _, i);

Whether this method is more favorable or less is subject to personal style and perspective.

edit after indulging in a bit more coffee - upon further review, using "partial()" may have been an unnecessary complication. It appears that positioning "i" as the last parameter for the innermost (actual) function doesn't fundamentally impact the configuration. Therefore, the previous example could also be restructured like this:

   objects[i].callback = (function(i, e, x, y) { return cb(e, x, y, i); }).curry(i);

This alteration is much more straightforward. (Both approaches should suffice, or at least I believe they would. :-)

Answer №2

When writing code, it's important to consider scope and variable contexts.

for (var i = something; ...) {
  a[i] = function() { x(i); }
}

In the above example, the variable i will be the same for all functions since it's defined in the scope of the for loop.

To ensure each function has its own specific variable context, you can utilize an anonymous function like this:

for (var i = something; ...) {
  (function () {        
     var new_i = i;     
     a[i] = function() { x(new_i); }    
  })();
}

By creating a private context within the anonymous function, each function will have its unique variable value stored in new_i.

For further understanding, look into how closures and scope operate in JavaScript.

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