What is the reason for utilizing the object name in the object's method rather than using "this"?

Looking at the code snippet above, you can see that store.nextId and store.cache are used in the add method. It makes me wonder why not use this instead?

var store = {
  nextId: 1,

  cache: {},

  add: function(fn) {
    if (!fn.id) {
      fn.id = this.nextId++;
      return !!(this.cache[fn.id] = fn);
    }
  }
};

I appreciate all the responses to my query!

Answer №1

When using the store keyword, it has a slightly different meaning compared to using this. If you treat store.add like a regular function, for example passing it as an argument to another function, using store will make the function refer back to the original store, while using this would make it refer to the global object.

A tradeoff of using the add method is that it will always reference the object currently identified by the variable store, not necessarily the object originally identified by that variable. To benefit from both approaches, one can utilize an immediately-invoked function expression:

var store = (function () {
    var store = {
        ...  // same code as previously defined, but 'store' now refers to 
             // the local variable which remains unchanged
    };
    return store;
})();

It's possible that the code author didn't have a specific use case in mind and simply found it clearer to reference store as store even within its methods.

Answer №2

It is possible that the coder had a valid rationale for this implementation, however, at first glance, it appears to be careless and unsophisticated coding.

In my opinion, functions nested within a JS object should not rely on the external variable name (or names) used to reference that object.

If the code utilized this, it would enable the following scenario:

var storeCopy = store;
store = null;
storeCopy.add(...);      // still functional

By internally referencing store, the code loses its ability to be broken down into modular components for reuse.

Answer №3

When dealing with methods on a names variable that is in scope, both this and store are suitable options.

I personally opt for this because it offers greater portability -- allowing you to easily move the object definition or rename store without needing to modify any code within it.

Occasionally, there may be situations where using a global name is necessary. For instance, when creating a function to be assigned as an event handler that will be bound to a different object. In such cases, if you require a reference back to store, utilizing its global name or a closure reference is recommended for better portability.

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