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jugheadyong

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Javascript Recursive Object Method

Dear Experts,

My object "RotatingBanner" has one function "RotateBanner()".

These are declared below:
******************************************
function RotateBanner()
{
      if (!document.images) return;

      if (this.nowIsFirstPass == 1)
      {
            this.nowIsFirstPass = 0;
      }
      else
      {
            if (this.nowRotationMode == 0)
            {
                  while (this.current == this.old)
                  {
                        this.current = Math.floor(Math.random()*this.banners.length);
                  }
            }

            if (this.nowRotationMode == 1)
            {
                  this.current = this.current + 1;

                  if (this.current >= this.banners.length)
                  {
                        this.current = 0;
                  }
            }
      }

      this.old = this.current;


      document.images[this.imageName].src = this.banners[this.current];

      for (nowNumber = 0; nowNumber < document.links.length; nowNumber++)
      {
            if(document.links[nowNumber].name == this.anchorName)
            {
                  document.links[nowNumber].href = this.bannerLinks[this.current];
            }
      }


      setTimeout('this.Rotate()',this.rotateFrequency);
}



function RotatingBanner(inputImageName, inputAnchorName, inputBannerArray, inputBannerLinkArray, inputRotationMode, inputTimeout)
{
      this.old = 0;
      this.current = 0;
      nowRotationMode = inputRotationMode; // 0 = random, 1 = sequential
      this.nowIsFirstPass = 1;
      this.banners = inputBannerArray;
      this.bannerLinks = inputBannerLinkArray;
      this.imageName = inputImageName;
      this.anchorName = inputAnchorName;
      this.rotateFrequency = inputTimeout;
      this.Rotate = RotateBanner;

}
********************************************************
The object is instantiated by this code:
********************************************************
<a name="endorsementlink" href="test.html" target="_blank"><img src="" name="endorsement" border=0></a>
      <script language="javascript">
      var endorsements = new Array(
            '/commons/endorsements_ACCAPremierPlus.gif',
            '/commons/logo_Singapore_Quality.gif'
      );

      var endorsementLinks = new Array(
            'http://www.accaglobal.com/colleges/registrationscheme/benefits',
            'http://www.spring.gov.sg/'
      );


var nowEndorsements = new RotatingBanner('endorsement', 'endorsementlink', endorsements, endorsementLinks, 1, 3000);
nowEndorsements.Rotate();
</script>
********************************************************

The problem I have is with the timeout statement in the object's method:
      setTimeout('this.Rotate()',this.rotateFrequency);

If I do :
      setTimeout('this.RotateBanner()',this.rotateFrequency);
                The method will be called, but not with the same instance of the object (thus, all variables are undefined).

If I do:
      setTimeout('this.Rotate()',this.rotateFrequency);
                The browser complains that the function is undefined.

I need the instanced object to continue to call its own internal method.

How then, should this be done?

Yours Sincerely,
Jonah.

Avatar of ahoffmann
ahoffmann
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your "this" dos no longer exist when the setTimout calls the function 'cause the namespace of this "this" (the surrounding function) allready exited and destroyed "this".
You should use a global variable.

Anyway that's strange 'cause the garbage collector should not destroy things if the ref counter is > 0 (like for "this" in this case).
ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION
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Basilisci

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Avatar of vbandaru
vbandaru

I believe Basilisci is right,. Here is an excellent article on closures..

http://developer.mozilla.org/en/docs/A_re-introduction_to_JavaScript#Closures
Avatar of jugheadyong

ASKER

Outstanding, Basilisci !  

And thanks for the link to the closures, vbandaru.  I have learnt something new about Javascript today.