Question

the statement:

for( var item in this){
    console.log( item );
}

Is a noop in the global context. However in a function

function foo(){
    for( var item in this){
        console.log( item );
    }
}
foo();

This produces the global environment objects.
What is the reason for this behaviour?

What is the syntax for accessing the objects currently in scope, as in the first sample?

Answer 1

The this is probably pointing to the exports object of node.

So in the first case, the this is right not to point at the window object. In the second case, well, the this is inside a function (which is not a method of an object) so, as you’d expect, it points back to the window.