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Class methods as event handlers in JavaScript?

Asked 2008-10-23T09:21:47.423
34

Is there a best-practice or common way in JavaScript to have class members as event handlers?

Consider the following simple example:

<head>
    <script language="javascript" type="text/javascript">

        ClickCounter = function(buttonId) {
            this._clickCount = 0;
            document.getElementById(buttonId).onclick = this.buttonClicked;
        }

        ClickCounter.prototype = {
            buttonClicked: function() {
                this._clickCount++;
                alert('the button was clicked ' + this._clickCount + ' times');
            }
        }

    </script>
</head>
<body>
    <input type="button" id="btn1" value="Click me" />
    <script language="javascript" type="text/javascript">
        var btn1counter = new ClickCounter('btn1');
    </script>
</body>

The event handler buttonClicked gets called, but the _clickCount member is inaccessible, or this points to some other object.

Any good tips/articles/resources about this kind of problems?

javascript html function class
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1 Answer

49
ClickCounter = function(buttonId) {
    this._clickCount = 0;
    var that = this;
    document.getElementById(buttonId).onclick = function(){ that.buttonClicked() };
}

ClickCounter.prototype = {
    buttonClicked: function() {
        this._clickCount++;
        alert('the button was clicked ' + this._clickCount + ' times');
    }
}

EDIT almost 10 years later, with ES6, arrow functions and class properties

class ClickCounter  {
   count = 0;
   constructor( buttonId ){
      document.getElementById(buttonId)
          .addEventListener( "click", this.buttonClicked );
  }
   buttonClicked = e => {
     this.count += 1;
     console.log(`clicked ${this.count} times`);
   }
}

https://codepen.io/anon/pen/zaYvqq

answered 2008-10-23T09:33:42.470

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