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JS Functions

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JS JSON

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JS Examples

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JS References

JavaScript Objects HTML DOM Objects


JavaScript Object Methods


Example

var person = {
  firstName: "John",
  lastName : "Doe",
  id       : 5566,
  fullName : function() {
    return this.firstName + " " + this.lastName;
  }
};
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The this Keyword

In a function definition, this refers to the "owner" of the function.

In the example above, this is the person object that "owns" the fullName function.

In other words, this.firstName means the firstName property of this object.

Read more about the this keyword at JS this Keyword.


JavaScript Methods

JavaScript methods are actions that can be performed on objects.

A JavaScript method is a property containing a function definition.

Property Value
firstName John
lastName Doe
age 50
eyeColor blue
fullName function() {return this.firstName + " " + this.lastName;}

Methods are functions stored as object properties.


Accessing Object Methods

You access an object method with the following syntax:

objectName.methodName()

You will typically describe fullName() as a method of the person object, and fullName as a property.

The fullName property will execute (as a function) when it is invoked with ().

This example accesses the fullName() method of a person object:

Example

name = person.fullName();
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If you access the fullName property, without (), it will return the function definition:

Example

name = person.fullName;
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Using Built-In Methods

This example uses the toUpperCase() method of the String object, to convert a text to uppercase:

var message = "Hello world!";
var x = message.toUpperCase();

The value of x, after execution of the code above will be:

HELLO WORLD!

Adding a Method to an Object

Adding a new method to an object is easy:

Example

person.name = function () {
  return this.firstName + " " + this.lastName;
};
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