setTimeout and this with bind() method in JavaScript class

Solution with the bind() method

setTimeout() can be used to call a function after a specified time, and to auto-call a function multiple times, if it is added inside it. But, setTimeout() causes javascript to use the global scope, and this can be a problem when it is used inside a class, because it cannot be used with the special word this.

For example, in the following code, setTimeout() not works as we expect.

<h4>Example this in setTimeout()</h4>

<div id="swprop"></div>
<script>
// defines a class function
class className {
 constructor(){
 this.prop = 0;
 }

 // method
 metName() {
 document.getElementById('swprop').innerHTML = this.prop; // shows prop value in #swprop

 // adds one unit to prop to each call, and auto-calls this function every 0.5 sec., till prop reaches 10
 this.prop++;
 if(this.prop < 10) setTimeout('this.metName()', 500);
 }
}

// creates an object of className, and accesses metName()
var objTest = new className();
objTest.metName();
</script>

If you test the above code with Chrome browser, in JavaScript Console will appear this error:

TypeError: this.metName is not a function

Which means the script looks for metName() in the Window object. The "this" we used in setTimeout() is scoping via itself.

Solution with the bind() method

The solution is to apply the bind(val) method, which has its this keyword set to the provided value (val).
- So, in setTimeout() use this syntax:

setTimeout(this.methodName.bind(this), milliseconds);

Applying this solution in the code above, the following example will work.

<h4>Example bind() method in setTimeout()</h4>

<div id="swprop"></div>
<script>
// defines a class function
class className {
 constructor(){
 this.prop = 0;
 }

 // method
 metName() {
 document.getElementById('swprop').innerHTML = this.prop; // shows prop value in #swprop

 // adds one unit to prop to each call, and auto-calls this function every 0.5 sec., till prop reaches 10
 this.prop++;
 if(this.prop < 10) setTimeout(this.metName.bind(this), 500);
 }
}

// creates an object of className, and accesses metName()
var objTest = new className();
objTest.metName();
</script>

<<-setTimeout and setInterval in .. -- Rotate HTML objects, Div, ..->>

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setTimeout and this with bind() method in JavaScript class

Javascript Course

Solution with the bind() method

Daily Test with Code Example

HTML

CSS

JavaScript

PHP-MySQL

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