React: "this" is undefined inside a component function

Question

ES6 React.Component doesn't auto bind methods to itself. You need to bind them yourself in constructor. Like this:

constructor (props){
  super(props);
  
  this.state = {
      loopActive: false,
      shuffleActive: false,
    };
  
  this.onToggleLoop = this.onToggleLoop.bind(this);

}

There are a couple of ways.

One is to add this.onToggleLoop = this.onToggleLoop.bind(this); in the constructor.

Another is arrow functions onToggleLoop = (event) => {...}.

And then there is onClick={this.onToggleLoop.bind(this)}.

Write your function this way:

onToggleLoop = (event) => {
    this.setState({loopActive: !this.state.loopActive})
    this.props.onToggleLoop()
}

Fat Arrow Functions

the binding for the keyword this is the same outside and inside the fat arrow function. This is different than functions declared with function, which can bind this to another object upon invocation. Maintaining the this binding is very convenient for operations like mapping: this.items.map(x => this.doSomethingWith(x)).

I ran into a similar bind in a render function and ended up passing the context of this in the following way:

{someList.map(function(listItem) {
  // your code
}, this)}

I've also used:

{someList.map((listItem, index) =>
    <div onClick={this.someFunction.bind(this, listItem)} />
)}

You should notice that this depends on how function is invoked ie: when a function is called as a method of an object, its this is set to the object the method is called on.

this is accessible in JSX context as your component object, so you can call your desired method inline as this method.

If you just pass reference to function/method, it seems that react will invoke it as independent function.

onClick={this.onToggleLoop} // Here you just passing reference, React will invoke it as independent function and this will be undefined

onClick={()=>this.onToggleLoop()} // Here you invoking your desired function as method of this, and this in that function will be set to object from that function is called ie: your component object