Question

I like the revealing module pattern. I will have private functions that I would like to make public and return them. But I may also have some local functions within my revealing module pattern that “return this”…

var player = function(){
//my local variable scope...

oplayer.damage = function(){
    if(!this.grace){
        this.shield--;
        if (this.shield == 0){
            return this;
        }
    }
};
      ...

      return {
      damage : oplayer.damage
      }
      }();

Is it ok to “return this” if I am explicitly returning something? (in context to using the revealing module pattern). If not, how can I transform my local function oplayer.damage to be used in a proper context? Thanks for any advice! I’m just trying to wrap my mind around the whole “return this” concept.

Answer 1

It should be fine, because “this” is contextual to execution. Because you’re returning this on a public function which is part of the “cut down” object, then you’ll only get the cut down object. So, I think what you’re trying to do should be fine if you consider the following scenarios:

var test = function(){
   var pri = function(){
       console.log("Private");
   };

   var pub = function(){
       pri();
       console.log("pub");
       return this;
   }

   return {
       pub: pub
   };
}();

console.log(test.pri); //-> undefined
console.log(test.pub); //-> function(){…}
console.log(test.pub()); //-> "Private" "pub" [Object {…}]
console.log(test.pub().pri); //-> "Private" "pub" undefined