How can I avoid using this snippet in Javascript closures?

Question

I use this snippet in Javascript like 100 times a day to have a closure on the enclosing object:

Class.prototype.Method = function(arg){
    var Ta = this;
    var e = function(){
        Ta.doSomething(arg);
    };
};

it there a way to avoid the Ta variable and still refere to the "outer" (is this word correct?) object?

Answer 1

I don't know that I'd advocate this as superior, but you could use ".bind()":

var e = function() {
  this.doSomething(arg);
}.bind(this);

That ensures that the this value inside function "e" will always be the this value of the surrounding context. The .bind() function is available in newer browsers, or via a polyfill like the one on the MDC site.

I rather like keeping those local variables around, especially in complicated functions that set up event handlers and stuff like that; it helps clarify the relationships between layers of code.