Get object name from function

[Archos]

If if is passed an object with a method to a function, would be
possible to get the name of that object from the function)

funcTest(array.slice(4,8)) // should get: "array"

 

[Stefan Weiss]

If if is passed an object with a method to a function, would be
possible to get the name of that object from the function)

funcTest(array.slice(4,8)) // should get: "array"

No, that's not possible. array.slice(4,8) will be evaluated first, and
the resulting array will be passed to funcTest.

- stefan

 

[RobG]

If if is passed an object with a method to a function, would be
possible to get the name of that object from the function)

funcTest(array.slice(4,8)) // should get: "array"

In the above, the result of array.slice(...) is a new (anonymous)
array, not the one referenced by *array*.

Further, the called function has no clue about the expression that
created the value. All it has is a reference to it as arguments[0] and
possibly also using the identifier assigned to the first formal
parameter if there is one. It doesn't know that the object referenced
by arguments[0] was created in some other context from *array*.

When an object (such as an array) is assigned to a variable, the value
of the variable is a reference to the object. The object has no clue
about the variables that reference it — there might be two, three or
ten different variables all refencing the same object. What is its
"name" in that case?

 

[Thomas 'PointedEars' Lahn]

No, that's not possible. array.slice(4,8) will be evaluated first, and
the resulting array will be passed to funcTest.

No, a *reference to* the resulting *Array instance* will be passed to
funcTest().

This is important: Objects do _not_ have names; they have *identity*.
Objects are *never* accessed directly in ECMAScript implementations; they
are *referred to*. The same object can be referred to by *several*
properties of *several other* objects (the base object in that network of
objects, properties and references is the Global Object).

Therefore, if you want to manipulate an Array instance and require
additional arguments, pass the reference to that instance, through a
property name if available (variable identifiers are property names), and
the additional arguments:

function funcTest(objRef, arg1, arg2)
{
return objRef.slice(arg1, arg);
}

console.log(funcTest(a, 4, 8));

Since property names are strings, you can even pass the method name:

function funcTest(objRef, methodName, arg1, arg2)
{
return objRef[methodName](arg1, arg);
}

console.log(funcTest(a, "slice", 4, 8));

Or, even more flexible:

function funcTest(objRef, methodName, args)
{
return objRef[methodName].apply(objRef, [].slice.call(arguments, 2));
}

console.log(funcTest(a, "toString"));
console.log(funcTest(a, "push", 42));
console.log(funcTest(a, "slice", 4, 8));
console.log(funcTest(a, "splice", 4, 1, 42));
// …

(`args' is used here for illustration only; the declaration is not needed.)


PointedEars

 

[Dr J R Stockton]

In comp.lang.javascript message <a256bb7e-3683-43d7-a9c9-086f391db492@m2
g2000vbc.googlegroups.com>, Tue, 21 Feb 2012 14:04:38, Archos

If if is passed an object with a method to a function, would be
possible to get the name of that object from the function)

Very readily. If the argument is an Object, just access its name
property.

FuncTest(Ob) { alert(Ob.name) }

funcTest(array.slice(4,8)) // should get: "array"

But, from that, you seem to want its identifier.

That is possible if, and AFAIR only if, the argument is a function that
has been declared in the common manner :

function IDofFunc(Fn) { // Fn is a function; return its name
var A = Fn.toString().match(/function\s+(\w+)\(/)
return A ? A[1] : "anon" }