Javascript Scope of "for" loops - javascript

Alrighty... so there's a couple things going on here. First, I'm trying to create a global object called myScrolls. Second, I'm trying to set the value of that global object inside a jQuery load function. Third, I'm trying to access the myScrolls object outside of the load object.
What am I missing? Do the 'for' loops have limited scope?
Thanks
myScrolls=new Object();
$(window).load(function () {
var projectCount = 5;
for (var i=0;i<=projectCount;i++)
{
var singleProject = 'project_' + i;
myScrolls[singleProject] = new iScroll(singleProject, horizontalPreferences);
}
});
console.log(myScrolls);

You're trying to read the object before the load callback executes.

That $(window).load() function is waiting until after the window loads, and because the console log is not also in that callback, it actually gets executed before the function does. Thus by the time the console statement runs, its actually not populated.
myScrolls=new Object();
$(window).load(function () {
var projectCount = 5;
for (var i=0;i<=projectCount;i++)
{
var singleProject = 'project_' + i;
myScrolls[singleProject] = new iScroll(singleProject, horizontalPreferences);
}
console.log(myScrolls); //this was out of scope when outside of $(window).load()
});

Related

Three.js OBJ and MTL Loaders are not called in loop

I am using the THREE.js OBJ and MTL Loader in an Loop to display different Elements of an 3d animated cake. I need those different Elements because I want the user to be able to change the color of those specific elements (eg. the decor) of the cake.
But whenever I hit a THREE.load function the execution of the iteration of the loop is stopped an it starts with the next (i++). I am new to Javascript. So I am not sure if I am missing an general understanding of loops.
Only in the last gothrough the load function is called and correctly executed. If I use the exact same code without a loop, but rather provide the material-/objectPath hard coded and use several loader everything runs fine.
function draw(currentlySelectedCake){
layerArray = [];
// Load Cake
var i;
for (i = 0; i < currentCakeElements.length; i++){
if(currentCakeElements[i].endsWith(".mtl")){
var materialPath = "uploads/" +currentlySelectedCake + "/" + currentCakeElements[i];
var objectPath = "uploads/" +currentlySelectedCake + "/" + currentCakeElements[i+1];
var cakeLoader = new THREE.MTLLoader();
cakeLoader.load(materialPath, function (materials) {
materials.preload();
// Load the Cake
var objLoader = new THREE.OBJLoader();
objLoader.setMaterials(materials);
objLoader.load(objectPath , function (object) {
layer1 = object.clone();
layer2 = object.clone();
layer3 = object.clone();
layer1.name = "Layer1Part" + i;
layer2.name = "Layer2Part" + i;
layer3.name = "Layer3Part" + i;
layer1.traverse((child) => {
if (child.isMesh) {
child.material = child.material.clone();
}
});
layer2.traverse((child) => {
if (child.isMesh) {
child.material = child.material.clone();
}
});
layer3.traverse((child) => {
if (child.isMesh) {
child.material = child.material.clone();
}
});
layer2.position.y = tortenhoehe;
layer3.position.y = tortenhoehe*2*0.75;
camera.lookAt(layer2.position);
layer1Group.add(layer1);
layer1Group.name = "Layer1";
layer2Group.add(layer2);
layer2Group.name = "Layer2";
layer3Group.add(layer3);
layer3Group.name = "Layer3";
});
layer1Elements.push(layer1Group);
layer2Elements.push(layer2Group);
layer3Elements.push(layer3Group);
});
}
});
}
}
I think this here was my solution. Still in the final process of testing. But looking good so far.
https://www.albertgao.xyz/2016/08/25/why-not-making-functions-within-a-loop-in-javascript/
the variable i and j gets declared first
When the first loop runs, an anonymous function has been created inside the loop
Inside the newly created anonymous function, it referred a variable i which is not in its scope
After the first loop, the value of variable i accumulates to 3 since the loop runs for 3 times.
In the second loop, each function created in the first loop will be invoked.
When it gets invoked, the interpreter will check the value of i, and it found there is no i inside.
Since this anonymous has become a closure, the interpreter will look at its scope chain.
Finally, the interpreter founds the variable i, in the global scope, still within its lexical scope, which is totally legitimate for this anonymous function to refer.
And the value of i is 3. We solved it in step 4.
So, a 3 will be output.
What happens afterwards for the second and third loop is totally the same from step 6~10.

Accessing a JavaScript / jQuery Instance only once

I have a jQuery function which is called on several events (button click, change etc.)
This function is called in the documentReadyFunction and is feeded with start values..
everytime I call this function, parameters will be passed to the function.
My problem is: I don't want to create a new Object each time I call the function, because if I set a variable which decides if a part of the function is beeing executed or not, will be always overwritten..
What do I have to do, to access the first created instance instead of creating always a new one with every function call..
Down below is a simplyfied version of my function.. Maybe you understand my problem better then.
$.fn.doSomething = function(param1) {
var localParam = param1;
var amIcalledMoreThanOnce = parseInt(0, 10);
if (param1 == 1) {
amIcalledMoreThanOnce = amIcalledMoreThanOnce + 1;
if (amIcalledMoreThanOnce == 1) {
$('#run').val(amIcalledMoreThanOnce);
// fill form fields with URL parameters
// This shall be executed only once after getting the URL vals
} else {
// set the localParam to 0 to exit this loop and reach the outter else..
localParam = 0;
$.fn.doSomething(localParam);
}
} else {
$('#run').val(amIcalledMoreThanOnce);
// use the User Input Data not the URL Params
}
};
$.fn.doSomething(1);
$.fn.doSomething(1);
<script src="https://ajax.googleapis.com/ajax/libs/jquery/1.12.0/jquery.min.js"></script>
<input type="number" id="run">
you can use this pattern:
var nameOfYourFunction = (function() {
var initializedOnlyOnce = {};
return function() {
//use initializedOnlyOnce here.
}
})();
here what you see is; you create and run a function immediately when the code is run. The outer function immediately returns the inner function and it's assigned to nameOfYourFunction. Then you can use the nameOfYourFunction(); just as any other function. However any varible declared in the outer function will be available to the nameOfYourFunction() and initializedOnlyOnce will never be initialized again.

javascript: save a variable's value between calls?

I have some code that looks like this:
createEntity = function (imageSource, baseX, baseY) {
tmpIndex = images.length;
images[tmpIndex] = new Image();
entities[tmpIndex] = new Entity;
images[tmpIndex].onload = function () {
entities[tmpIndex].ready = true;
// How do I get the line above to use the value of tmpIndex
// that existed when it was created?
// That is to say, I want the images[1].onload function to
// change entities[1].ready, not entities[4].ready
// (assuming I created 5 objects sequentially
// before any images finished loading)
}
images[tmpIndex].src = imageSource;
entities[tmpIndex].x = baseX;
entities[tmpIndex].y = baseY;
}
createEntity("images/background.png", 0, 0);
createEntity("images/pawn1.png",0,0);
createEntity("images/pawn2.png",30,30);
createEntity("images/pawn3.png",60,60);
createEntity("images/pawn4.png",90,90);
The problem is that when I load all 5 images sequentially, as the above code shows, my onload function triggers with the current value of tmpIndex, not the one that existed when the function was created. Is there a simple way to make it so that the entities[somenumber].ready is toggled appropriately?
You need to declare tmpIndex as a local variable. To do this change
tmpIndex = images.length;
to
var tmpIndex = images.length;
Why does tmpIndex have to be visible outside of createEntity function? If it doesn't, just declare it inside your function, like this: var tmpIndex = images.length;
Your onload callback will be able to read its value even after the createEntity function has finished executing because will keep a reference to the scope where it was created.
Every execution scope is different, so every time you call createEntity you create different scope and a different onload callback function which stores a reference to that execution scope, and therefore is able to consume variables defined there.
Exactly. Here's a working JSfiddle example catching onerror instead on onload : http://jsfiddle.net/bdn2775k/1/
Here's the revelant part :
//Don't forget to declare a local variable !
var tmpIndex = images.length;

Javascript Closures and self-executing anonymous functions

I was asked the below question during an interview, and I still couldn't get my head around it, so I'd like to seek your advice.
Here's the question:
var countFunctions = [];
for(var i = 0; i < 3; i++){
countFunctions[i] = function() {
document.getElementById('someId').innerHTML = 'count' + i;
};
}
//The below are executed in turns:
countFunctions[0]();
countFunctions[1]();
countFunctions[2]();
When asked what would be the output of the above, I said count0,count1 and count2 respectively. Apparently the answer was wrong, and that the output should all be count3, because of the concept of closures (which I wasn't aware of then). So I went through this article and realized that I should be using closure to make this work, like:
var countFunctions = [];
function setInner(i) {
return function(){
document.getElementById('someId').innerHTML = 'count' + i;
};
}
for(var i = 0; i < 3; i++){
countFunctions[i] = setInner(i);
}
//Now the output is what was intended:
countFunctions[0]();//count0
countFunctions[1]();//count1
countFunctions[2]();//count2
Now that's all well and good, but I remember the interviewer using something simpler, using a self-executing function like this:
var countFunctions = [];
for(var i = 0; i < 3; i++) {
countFunctions[i] = (function(){
document.getElementById('someId').innerHTML = 'count' + i;
})(i);
}
The way I understand the above code, we are skipping the declaration of a separate function and simply calling and executing the function within the for loop.
But when I ran the below:
countFunctions[0];
countFunctions[1];
countFunctions[2];
It didn't work, with all the output being stuck at count2.
So I tried to do the below instead:
for(var i = 0; i < 3; i++) {
countFunctions[i] = function(){
document.getElementById('someId').innerHTML = 'count' + i;
};
}
, and then running countFunctions[0](), countFunctions[1]() and countFunctions[2](), but it didn't work. The output is now being stuck at count3.
Now I really don't get it. I was simply using the same line of code as setInner(). So I don't see why this doesn't work. As a matter of fact, I could have just stick to the setInner kind of code structure, which does work, and is more comprehensive. But then I'd really like to know how the interviewer did it, so as to understand this topic a little better.
The relevant articles to read here are JavaScript closure inside loops – simple practical example and http://benalman.com/news/2010/11/immediately-invoked-function-expression/ (though you seem to have understood IEFEs quite well - as you say, they're "skipping the declaration of a separate function and simply calling and executing the function").
What you didn't notice is that setInner does, when called, return the closure function:
function setInner(i) {
return function() {
document.getElementById('someId').innerHTML = 'count' + i;
};
}
// then do
var countFunction = setInner("N"); // get the function
countFunction(); // call it to assign the innerHTML
So if you translate it into an IEFE, you still need to create (and return) the function that will actually get assigned to countFunctions[i]:
var countFunctions = [];
for(var i = 0; i < 3; i++) {
countFunctions[i] = (function(i){
return function() {
document.getElementById('someId').innerHTML = 'count' + i;
};
})(i);
}
Now, typeof countFunctions[0] will be "function", not "undefined" as in your code, and you can actually call them.
Take a look at these four functions:
var argument = 'G'; //global
function passArgument(argument){
alert(argument); //local
}
function noArguments(){
alert(argument); //global
}
function createClosure_1(argument){
return function (){
alert(argument); //local
};
}
function createClosure_2(argument){
var argument = argument; //local
return function (){
alert(argument); //local
};
}
passArgument('L'); //L
noArguments(); //G
createClosure_1('L') //L
createClosure_2('L') //L
alert(argument) //G
I think, first function is obvious.
In function noArguments you reference the global argument value;
The third and fourth functions do the same thing. They create a local argument variable that doesn't change inside them and return a function that references that local variable.
So, what was in the first and the last code snippet of your question is a creation of many functions like noArguments,
that reference global variable i.
In the second snippet your setInner works like createClosure_1. Within your loop you create three closures, three local variables inside them. And when you call functions inside countFunctions, they get the value of the local variable that was created inside the closure when they were created.
In the third one you assign the result of the execution of those functions to array elements, which is undefined because they don't return anything from that functions.

Reaching an Object's Property

In my application I have an object with several properties that get set in various places in the application.
In one of my prototype functions I have a function that runs in intervals to update a timer, and in that function the property (this.)theTime should be set. The problem is that this doesn't happen, and I guess the reason is that this.theTime points to the function itself instead of the object.
Below is two versions of my code, and neither of them works. Any tips for me?
// 1.
function changeTime() {
this.theTime = setTime(time);
time.setSeconds(time.getSeconds()+1);
p1.html(this.theTime);
}
interval = setInterval(changeTime(), 1000 );
// 2.
function changeTime(theTime) {
theTime = setTime(time);
time.setSeconds(time.getSeconds()+1);
p1.html(theTime);
}
interval = setInterval( function() { changeTime(this.theTime); }, 1000 );
...
Too make it more clear, the function above updates a timer (eg. 00:00:01 -> 00:00:02) every second, and I want this.theTime to be updated with the time.
When the timer stops (which happens in another prototype function) I want to be able to see what time the timer stopped on, but as it is now this.theTime is the default value, which means that the function above doesn't update the objects property. Instead this.theTime in the function above must be a local variable.
NOTE: setTime() is another function that exists in the same prototype function as the function above.
Well when you use this in some function this is referencing to the object which actually the function is. Here:
function myF() {
this.var = 'hey';
}
You can reach var using this (myF as a constructor function):
var obj = new myF();
alert(obj.var);
Or here:
function myF2() {
if (typeof this.var === 'undefined') {
this.var = 0;
} else {
this.var += 1;
}
alert(this.var);
}
Here var again is a property of myF2 (which as I said is not just a function because in JavaScript functions are objects).
Each time you call myF2 this.var is going to be incremented and alerted (just in the first call it's going to be initialized).
In the second function (anonymous function using in the second setInterval) you're doing the same.
One solution is to make theTime global in both cases so you don't need to use:
this.theTime
So the result can be something like this:
var theTime = 0, interval;
function changeTime() {
theTime += 1;
document.body.innerHTML = theTime;
setInterval
}
interval = setInterval(changeTime, 1000 );
http://jsfiddle.net/u3EuC/
You can verify easily by writting a
debugger;
to set a breakpoint in your functions. Then it may be pretty easy to find your problem.
You are correct in your assumption that there's something wrong with your this keyword. this in JavaScript is a bit tricky, so using it in functions (especially with setTimeout or setInterval is risky.
What you want to do is save the value of this when you create the function.
Here's more information: http://justin.harmonize.fm/index.php/2009/09/an-introduction-to-javascripts-this/
Maybe these comments will direct you to the right way
var theTime; // global variable
function changeTime() {
theTime = setTime(time); // theTime is global variable declared above (accesible from anywhere)
// var myTime = setTime(time); // myTime is local variable
time.setSeconds(time.getSeconds()+1);
p1.html(theTime);
}
interval = setInterval(changeTime, 1000 ); // no braces
Jason, after your clarification, I believe it is better to provide you whole new answer trying to explain this statement in JS as good (and simple) as possible. I hope it helps.
<html>
<body>
<div id="output1"></div>
<div id="output2"></div>
<script>
// theTime is undefined in global scope
function obj(target) {
var theTime = 0;
var that = this; // var means "private"
this.changeTime = function() { // here "this" points to obj and means "public"
theTime++; // no var => outer scope = obj scope
// here "this" points to changeTime function, not to obj!
// "that" points to obj, you may use that.theTime
document.getElementById(target).innerHTML = theTime;
}
}
var o1 = new obj("output1");
var o2 = new obj("output2");
setInterval(o1.changeTime,1000); // update output1 content every second
setInterval(o2.changeTime,500); // update output2 content twice a second
</script>
</body>
</html>

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