497 lines
15 KiB
Markdown
497 lines
15 KiB
Markdown
libs:
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- lodash
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---
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# Function binding
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When using `setTimeout` with object methods or passing object methods along, there's a known problem: "loosing `this`".
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Suddenly, `this` just stops working right. The situation is typical for novice developers, but happens with experienced ones as well.
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[cut]
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## Loosing "this"
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We already know that in JavaScript it's easy to loose `this`. Once a method is passed somewhere separately from the object -- `this` is lost.
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Here's how it may happen with `setTimeout`:
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```js run
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let user = {
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firstName: "John",
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sayHi() {
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alert(`Hello, ${this.firstName}!`);
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}
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};
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*!*
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setTimeout(user.sayHi, 1000); // Hello, undefined!
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*/!*
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```
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As we can see, the output shows not "John" as `this.firstName`, but `undefined`!
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That's because `setTimeout` got the function `user.sayHi`, separately from the object. The last line can be rewritten as:
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```js
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let f = user.sayHi;
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setTimeout(f, 1000); // lost user context
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```
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The method `setTimeout` in-browser is a little special: it sets `this=window` for the function call (for Node.JS, `this` becomes the timer object, but doesn't really matter here). So for `this.firstName` it tries to get `window.firstName`, which does not exist. In other similar cases as we'll see, usually `this` just becomes `undefined`.
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The task is quite typical -- we want to pass an object method somewhere else (here -- to the scheduler) where it will be called. How to make sure that it will be called in the right context?
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## Solution 1: a wrapper
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The simplest solution is to use an wrapping function:
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```js run
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let user = {
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firstName: "John",
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sayHi() {
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alert(`Hello, ${this.firstName}!`);
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}
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};
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*!*
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setTimeout(function() {
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user.sayHi(); // Hello, John!
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}, 1000);
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*/!*
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```
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Now it works, because it receives `user` from the outer lexical environment, and then calls the method normally.
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The same, but shorter:
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```js
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setTimeout(() => user.sayHi(), 1000); // Hello, John!
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```
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Looks fine, but a slight vulnerability appears in our code structure.
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What is before `setTimeout` triggers (there's one second delay!) `user` changes value? Then, suddenly, the it will call the wrong object!
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```js run
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let user = {
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firstName: "John",
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sayHi() {
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alert(`Hello, ${this.firstName}!`);
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}
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};
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setTimeout(() => user.sayHi(), 1000);
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// ...within 1 second
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user = { sayHi() { alert("Another user in setTimeout!"); } };
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// Another user in setTimeout?!?
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```
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The next solution guarantees that such thing won't happen.
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## Solution 2: bind
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Functions provide a built-in method [bind](mdn:js/Function/bind) that allows to fix `this`.
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The basic syntax is:
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```js
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// more complex syntax will be little later
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let boundFunc = func.bind(context);
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````
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The result of `func.bind(context)` is a special function-like "exotic object", that is callable as function and transparently passes the call to `func` setting `this=context`.
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In other words, calling `boundFunc` is like `func` with fixed `this`.
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For instance, here `funcUser` passes a call to `func` with `this=user`:
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```js run
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let user = {
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firstName: "John"
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};
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function func() {
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alert(this.firstName);
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}
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*!*
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let funcUser = func.bind(user);
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funcUser(); // John
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*/!*
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```
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Here `func.bind(user)` as a "bound variant" of `func`, with fixed `this=user`.
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All arguments are passed to the original `func` "as is", for instance:
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```js run
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let user = {
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firstName: "John"
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};
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function func(phrase) {
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alert(phrase + ', ' + this.firstName);
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}
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// bind this to user
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let funcUser = func.bind(user);
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*!*
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funcUser("Hello"); // Hello, John (argument "Hello" is passed, and this=user)
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*/!*
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```
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Now let's try with an object method:
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```js run
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let user = {
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firstName: "John",
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sayHi() {
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alert(`Hello, ${this.firstName}!`);
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}
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};
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*!*
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let sayHi = user.sayHi.bind(user); // (*)
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*/!*
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sayHi(); // Hello, John!
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setTimeout(sayHi, 1000); // Hello, John!
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```
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In the line `(*)` we take the method `user.sayHi` and bind it to `user`. The `sayHi` is a "bound" function, that can be called alone or passed to `setTimeout` -- doesn't matter, the context will be right.
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Here we can see that arguments are passed "as is", only `this` is fixed by `bind`:
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```js run
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let user = {
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firstName: "John",
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say(phrase) {
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alert(`${phrase}, ${this.firstName}!`);
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}
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};
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let say = user.say.bind(user);
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say("Hello"); // Hello, John ("Hello" argument is passed to say)
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say("Bye"); // Bye, John ("Bye" is passed to say)
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```
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````smart header="Convenience method: `bindAll`"
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If an object has many methods and we plan to actively pass it around, then we could bind them all in a loop:
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```js
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for (let key in user) {
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if (typeof user[key] == 'function') {
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user[key] = user[key].bind(user);
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}
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}
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```
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JavaScript libraries also provide functions for convenient mass binding , e.g. [_.bindAll(obj)](http://lodash.com/docs#bindAll) in lodash.
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````
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## Partial application
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Till now we were only talking about binding `this`. Now let's make a step further.
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We can bind not only `this`, but also arguments. That's rarely done, but sometimes can be handy.
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The full syntax of `bind`:
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```js
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let bound = func.bind(context, arg1, arg2, ...);
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```
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It allows to bind context as `this` and starting arguments of the function.
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For instance, we have a multiplication function `mul(a, b)`:
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```js
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function mul(a, b) {
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return a * b;
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}
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```
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Let's use `bind` to create a function `double` on its base:
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```js run
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*!*
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let double = mul.bind(null, 2);
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*/!*
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alert( double(3) ); // = mul(2, 3) = 6
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alert( double(4) ); // = mul(2, 4) = 8
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alert( double(5) ); // = mul(2, 5) = 10
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```
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The call to `mul.bind(null, 2)` creates a new function `double` that passes calls to `mul`, fixing `null` as the context and `2` as the first argument. Further arguments are passed "as is".
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That's called [partial function application](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Partial_application) -- we create a new function by fixing some parameters of the existing one.
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Please note that here we actually don't use `this` here. But `bind` requires it, so we must put in something like `null`.
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The function `triple` in the code below triples the value:
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```js run
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*!*
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let triple = mul.bind(null, 3);
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*/!*
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alert( triple(3) ); // = mul(3, 3) = 9
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alert( triple(4) ); // = mul(3, 4) = 12
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alert( triple(5) ); // = mul(3, 5) = 15
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```
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Why do we usually make a partial function?
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Here our benefit is that we created an independent function with a readable name (`double`, `triple`). We can use it and don't write the first argument of every time, cause it's fixed with `bind`.
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In other cases, partial application is useful when we have a very generic function, and want a less universal variant of it for convenience.
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For instance, we have a function `send(from, to, text)`. Then, inside a `user` object we may want to use a partial variant of it: `sendTo(to, text)` that sends from the current user.
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### Going partial without context
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What if we'd like to fix some arguments, but not bind `this`?
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The native `bind` does not allow that. We can't just omit the context and jump to arguments.
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Fortunately, a `partial` function for binding only arguments can be easily implemented.
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Like this:
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```js run
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*!*
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function partial(func, ...argsBound) {
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return function(...args) { // (*)
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return func.call(this, ...argsBound, ...args);
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}
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}
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*/!*
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// Usage:
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let user = {
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firstName: "John",
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say(time, phrase) {
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alert(`[${time}] ${this.firstName}: ${phrase}!`);
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}
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};
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// add a partial method that says something now by fixing the first argument
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user.sayNow = partial(user.say, new Date().getHours() + ':' + new Date().getMinutes());
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user.sayNow("Hello");
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// Something like:
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// [10:00] Hello, John!
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```
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The result of `partial(func[, arg1, arg2...])` call is a wrapper `(*)` that calls `func` with:
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- Same `this` as it gets (for `user.sayNow` call it's `user`)
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- Then gives it `...argsBound` -- arguments from the `partial` call (`"10:00"`)
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- Then gives it `...args` -- arguments given to the wrapper (`"Hello"`)
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So easy to do it the spread operator, right?
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Also there's a ready [_.partial](https://lodash.com/docs#partial) implementation from lodash library.
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## Currying
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Sometimes people mix up partial function application mentioned above with another thing named "currying". That's another interesting technique of working with functions that we just have to mention here.
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[Currying](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Currying) is translating a function from callable as `f(a, b, c)` into callable as `f(a)(b)(c)`.
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Let's make `curry` function that performs currying for binary functions. In other words, it translates `f(a, b)` into `f(a)(b)`:
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```js run
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*!*
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function curry(func) {
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return function(a) {
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return function(b) {
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return func(a, b);
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};
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};
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}
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*/!*
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// usage
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function sum(a, b) {
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return a + b;
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}
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let carriedSum = curry(sum);
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alert( carriedSum(1)(2) ); // 3
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```
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As you can see, the implementation is a series of wrappers.
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- The result of `curry(func)` is a wrapper `function(a)`.
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- When it is called like `sum(1)`, the argument is saved in the Lexical Environment, and a new wrapper is returned `function(b)`.
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- Then `sum(1)(2)` finally calls `function(b)` providing `2`, and it passes the call to the original multi-argument `sum`.
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More advanced implementations of currying like [_.curry](https://lodash.com/docs#curry) from lodash library do something more sophisticated. They return a wrapper that allows a function to be called normally when all arguments are supplied *or* returns a partial otherwise.
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```js
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function curry(f) {
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return function(..args) {
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// if args.length == f.length (as many arguments as f has),
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// then pass the call to f
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// otherwise return a partial function that fixes args as first arguments
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};
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}
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```
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### Currying? What for?
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Advanced currying allows both to keep the function callable normally and to get partials easily. To understand the benefits we definitely need a worthy real-life example.
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For instance, we have the logging function `log(date, importance, message)` that formats and output the information. In real projects such functions also have many other useful features like: sending it over the network or filtering:
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```js
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function log(date, importance, message) {
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alert(`[${date.getHours()}:${date.getMinutes()}] [${importance}] ${message}`);
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}
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```
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Let's curry it!
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```js
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log = _.curry(log);
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```
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After that `log` still works the normal way:
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```js
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log(new Date(), "DEBUG", "some debug");
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```
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...But also can be called in the curried form:
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```js
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log(new Date())("DEBUG")("some debug"); // log(a)(b)(c)
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```
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Let's get a convenience function for today's logs:
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```js
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// todayLog will be the partial of log with fixed first argument
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let todayLog = log(new Date());
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// use it
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todayLog("INFO", "message"); // [HH:mm] INFO message
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```
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And now a convenience function for today's debug messages:
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```js
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let todayDebug = todayLog("DEBUG");
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todayDebug("message"); // [HH:mm] DEBUG message
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```
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So:
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1. We didn't loose anything after currying: `log` is still callable normally.
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2. We were able to generate partial functions that are convenient in many cases.
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### Advanced curry implementation
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In case you're interested, here's the "advanced" curry implementation that we could use above.
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```js run
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function curry(func) {
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return function curried(...args) {
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if (args.length >= func.length) {
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return func.apply(this, args);
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} else {
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return function(...args2) {
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return curried.apply(this, args.concat(args2));
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}
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}
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};
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}
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function sum(a, b, c) {
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return a + b + c;
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}
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let curriedSum = curry(sum);
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// still callable normally
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alert( curried(1, 2, 3) ); // 6
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// get the partial with curried(1) and call it with 2 other arguments
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alert( curried(1)(2,3) ); // 6
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// full curried form
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alert( curried(1)(2)(3) ); // 6
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```
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The new `curry` may look complicated, but it's actually pretty easy to understand.
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The result of `curry(func)` is the wrapper `curried` that looks like this:
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```js
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// func is the function to transform
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function curried(...args) {
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if (args.length >= func.length) { // (1)
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return func.apply(this, args);
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} else {
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return function pass(...args2) { // (2)
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return curried.apply(this, args.concat(args2));
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}
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}
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};
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```
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When we run it, there are two branches:
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1. Call now: if passed `args` count is the same as the original function has in its definition (`func.length`) or longer, then just pass the call to it.
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2. Get a partial: otherwise, `func` is not called yet. Instead, another wrapper `pass` is returned, that will re-apply `curried` providing previous arguments together with the new ones. Then on a new call, again, we'll get either a new partial (if not enough arguments) or, finally, the result.
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For instance, let's see what happens in the case of `sum(a, b, c)`. Three arguments, so `sum.length = 3`.
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For the call `curried(1)(2)(3)`:
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1. The first call `curried(1)` remembers `1` in its Lexical Environment, and returns a wrapper `pass`.
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2. The wrapper `pass` is called with `(2)`: it takes previous args (`1`), concatenates them with what it got `(2)` and calls `curried(1, 2)` with them together.
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As the argument count is still less than 3, `curry` returns `pass`.
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3. The wrapper `pass` is called again with `(3)`, for the next call `pass(3)` takes previous args (`1`, `2`) and adds `3` to them, making the call `curried(1, 2, 3)` -- there are `3` arguments at last, they are given to the original function.
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If that's still not obvious, just trace the calls sequence in your mind or on the paper.
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```smart header="Fixed-length functions only"
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The currying requires the function to have a known fixed number of arguments.
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```
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```smart header="A little more than currying"
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By definition, currying should convert `sum(a, b, c)` into `sum(a)(b)(c)`.
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But most implementations of currying in JavaScript are advanced, as described: they also keep the function callable in the multi-argument variant.
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```
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## Summary
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- Method `func.bind(context, ...args)` returns a "bound variant" of function `func` that fixes the context `this` and first arguments if given.
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We may need to fix a context for passing an object method somewhere to be called. For example, to `setTimeout`.
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- When we fix some arguments of an existing function, the resulting (less universal) function is called *a partial*. We saw other ways of making partials than `bind`.
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Partials are convenient when we don't want to repeat the same argument over and over again. Like if we have a `send(from, to)` function, and `from` should always be the same for our task, we can get a partial and go on with it.
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- *Currying* is a transform that makes `f(a,b,c)` callable as `f(a)(b)(c)`. JavaScript implementations usually both keep the function callable normally and return the partial if arguments count is not enough.
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Currying is great when we want easy partials. As we've seen in the logging example: the universal function `log(date, importance, message)` after currying gives us partials when called with one argument like `log(date)` or two arguments `log(date, importance)`.
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