The main concept behind all this methods is Function burrowing. call vs apply vs bind
Function borrowing allows us to use the methods of one object on a different object without having to make a copy of that method and maintain it in two separate places. It is accomplished through the use of . call() , apply() , or .bind() , all of which exist to explicitly set this on the method we are borrowing
- Call invokes the function immediately and allows you to pass in arguments one by one.
- Apply invokes the function immediately and allows you to pass in arguments as an array.
- Bind returns a new function, and you can invoke/call it anytime you want by invoking a function.
Below is an example of all this methods:
let name = {
firstname : "Shiva",
lastname : "Singam",
}
printFullName = function(hometown,company){
console.log(this.firstname + " " + this.lastname +", " + hometown + ", " + company)
}
CALL :
The first argument example name inside call method is always a reference to (this) variable and latter will be function variable
printFullName.call(name,"Hyderabad","Solugenix");
Shiva Singam, Hyderabad, Solugenix
APPLY : call vs apply vs bind
Apply method is same as the call method the only difference is that, the function arguments are passed in Array list
printFullName.apply(name, ["Hyderbad","Solugenix"]);
Shiva Singam, Hyderabad, Solugenix
BIND :
Bind method is same as call except that ,the bind returns a function that can be used later by invoking it (does’nt call it immediately).
let printMyName = printFullName.bind(name,"Hyderabad","Solugenix");
printMyName();
Shiva Singam, Hyderabad, Solugenix
Advantages:
call
, apply
, and bind
are three methods available in JavaScript that allow you to manipulate the this
keyword and pass arguments to functions. Here are some of the advantages of using call
, apply
, and bind
:
- Method borrowing: By using
call
orapply
, you can borrow a method from one object and use it on another object. This can be useful in situations where you need to reuse a method on multiple objects, but don’t want to define the method separately for each object. - Explicitly setting the
this
keyword: By usingcall
orapply
, you can explicitly set the value of thethis
keyword inside a function. This can be especially useful in object-oriented programming, where you want to call a method on an object and ensure that thethis
keyword refers to that object. - Passing arguments to functions: The
call
andapply
methods allow you to pass arguments to a function as an array or list of values, respectively. This can be useful in situations where you need to pass a variable number of arguments to a function or where the arguments are stored in an array. - Creating new functions with a fixed
this
value: Thebind
method creates a new function with a fixedthis
value, which can be useful when you need to create a new function that is bound to a specific object. This can be especially helpful when you need to pass a function as a callback or event handler. - Reusing functions: By using
call
orapply
, you can reuse a function with different arguments andthis
values. This can help reduce code duplication and make your code more modular and maintainable. - Compatibility with other libraries:
call
,apply
, andbind
are widely used in the JavaScript community and are supported by many libraries and frameworks. By understanding these methods, you can better understand how other libraries and frameworks work and use them more effectively. - Function composition: By using
bind
, you can compose functions together and create new functions that have fixed arguments andthis
values. This can be useful in situations where you need to create complex functions that build on existing functions. - Functional programming:
call
,apply
, andbind
are commonly used in functional programming, which is a programming paradigm that emphasizes immutability and the use of functions to perform operations. By understanding these methods, you can better understand and use functional programming concepts and techniques. - Currying:
bind
can be used for currying which is the process of transforming a function that takes multiple arguments into a series of functions that each take a single argument. This technique can be useful for creating reusable code and for creating functions that can be partially applied. - Debugging:
call
,apply
, andbind
can also be useful for debugging. By usingconsole.log
andcall
orapply
, you can log the arguments passed to a function and thethis
value at any point in the function’s execution. This can help you identify and fix errors more easily.
call vs apply vs bind call vs apply vs bind
- Call invokes the function immediately and allows you to pass in arguments one by one.
- Apply invokes the function immediately and allows you to pass in arguments as an array.
- Bind returns a new function, and you can invoke/call it anytime you want by invoking a function.