Processing 1.0 - Processing Discourse - can anyone explain the This. function ?

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can anyone explain the This. function ? (Read 647 times)

elsamwell

can anyone explain the This. function ?
May 5^th, 2010, 9:26am

hey, i have checked the processing definition, but do still not understand the this. function, so i was wondering if anyone could explain what the this function is used for ?

a quick example of this is:

this.g = g;
this.u = u;

what is this code doing ?

and another example

public class hello {
private start start[];
private int count;

public Start( int count ) {
this.count = count;
start = new Start[count];
for ( int h =0; h < count; h++) {
start[h] = new Start( random( width ), random( height ), random( 10 ));
}

what is this code doing ?

Many thanks in advnace Cheesy

PhiLho

Re: can anyone explain the This. function ?
Reply #1 - May 5^th, 2010, 9:41am

In this (sic) case, it is not a function...

You can find an explanation at this.
In short, it is a reference to the current class instance, the current object.
In the example you show, it is used to distinguish the fields of the class (variables of the class) from the parameter names, since they are identical (by convention).
Some people prefer to decorate either the field names or the parameter names:
public Start(int _count) { count = _count; // ...
or
public Start(int count) { m_count = count; // ...
(m like "member", a naming convention coming from C++...)
for example.

TfGuy44 Full Member Offline Posts: 209	Re: can anyone explain the This. function ? Reply #2 - May 5^th, 2010, 8:10pm I'm glad you answered his question about this.

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