Expert Developer JavaScript Interview Question:

What is the difference between .call() and .apply()?

Submitted by: Administrator

The function .call() and .apply() are very similar in their usage except a little difference. .call() is used when the number of the function's arguments are known to the programmer, as they have to be mentioned as arguments in the call statement. On the other hand, .apply() is used when the number is not known. The function .apply() expects the argument to be an array.

The basic difference between .call() and .apply() is in the way arguments are passed to the function. Their usage can be illustrated by the given example.

var someObject = {

myProperty : 'Foo',

myMethod : function(prefix, postfix) {

alert(prefix + this.myProperty + postfix);

}

};

someObject.myMethod('<', '>'); // alerts '<Foo>'

var someOtherObject = {

myProperty : 'Bar'

};

someObject.myMethod.call(someOtherObject, '<', '>'); // alerts '<Bar>'

someObject.myMethod.apply(someOtherObject, ['<', '>']); // alerts '<Bar>'
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