javascript-tutorial / javascript-tutorial/en.javascript.info
Proxy and Reflect Article — Arrow Functions or `this` in Class constructor
Nobody has claimed this yet.
- Dominant language
- HTML
- Stars
- 25.5k
- Forks
- 4k
- PR merge metrics
- No merged PRs in 30d
Description
**Source:** https://javascript.info/proxy
**Date Accessed:** 1 March 2022
A serious limitation in ES6 Proxy is the inability to proxy internal use of the `this` context inside a class. In the password example, if we use a class, then the differences in behaviour from using an arrow function vs a method is clear:
```ts
class User {
name = "John";
_password = "***";
checkPassword(value: string) {
return value === this._password;
}
checkPassword2 = (value: string) => {
return value === this._password;
}
};
const user = new Proxy(new User(), {
get(target: any, prop: string) {
if (prop.startsWith('_')) {
throw new Error("Access denied");
}
let value = target[prop];
// Commenting out the workaround
return value; // (typeof value === 'function') ? value.bind(target) : value; // (*)
},
});
console.log(user.checkPassword2('***')); // Arrow function works without the workaround because `this` is the internal context
console.log(user.checkPassword('***')); // Method fails with `Access denied` as expected
```
The point here is that if your class passes `this` somewhere in the constructor then that `this` cannot be proxied. This is a significant limitation of Proxy and should probably be mentioned in the article.
A good write up BTW.
Thanks
Contributor guide
No contributing guide indexed for this repository
First steps
- Read the whole issue, then the project's contributing guide.
- Comment on the issue to say you are picking it up — it saves two people doing the same work.
- Fork the repository and make your change on a branch.
- Open a pull request that references the issue number.
Research direction
Start with the Proxy article at https://javascript.info/proxy and review the password example alongside the reported class and arrow-function behavior. Update the article to explain the limitation involving internal this use and Proxy access; done means the distinction and workaround context are accurately documented.
Written by the indexing model from the issue text.
Assessment
- Tech stack
- javascript
- Domain
- documentation
- Issue type
- Documentation
- Difficulty
- 2/5
- Estimated time
- 1-3 hours
- Activity status
- Stale
- Clarity
- Clearly specified
- Newbie friendliness
- 45/100