_.delay has no option to bind "this", and instead binds "this" to called function, which is useless

[dgbeck]

_.delay is incompatible with _.bind and _.bindAll.

Since _.delay calls its target function "func" with:

func.apply(func, args);

any object that was previously bound to func using _.bind or _.bindAll will not be "this" when func is called. Many other underscore functions have a special parameter for "this".. why not _.delay? Moreover, it seems totally useless to me to have "this" be a reference to the function itself. Why not just call func directly, instead of using "apply", and then not mess with the value of "this"? Am I missing something? Here is code for the _.delay function for reference purposes:

_.delay = function(func, wait) {
return setTimeout(function(){ return func.apply(func, args); }, wait);
};

apply is needed to unpack the args array into individual arguments when invoking func...but I think the following implementation would certainly be more correct:

_.delay = function(func, wait) {
  // ...
  return setTimeout(function(){ return func.apply(this, args); }, wait);
};

[dgbeck]

Yes, I think that would be more consistent with the rest of the library, and more useful.

Thanks

[jashkenas]

We can make that change -- but how would that possibly allow the value of this to be bound? Perhaps provide a test case?

Erm...whoops. A third context argument would need to be added; my suggestion above isn't useful at all.

[jashkenas]

In that case, I'm going to change it to null.

[jashkenas]

Fixed in: 1366d90

[machineghost]

Quick note for any future readers who are still unsatisfied with:

_(
    _(function() {
        this.doSomething();
   }).bind(this)
).delay(500);

There are several alternative options you can use:

1. Use the chain method (without needing to use the accompanying value method):

_(function() {
    this.doSomething();
}).chain().bind(this).delay(500);

2. Mix-in your own boundDelay method so that you can do:

    _(function() {
        this.doSomething()
    }).boundDelay(this, 500);

That would look something like this (untested) code:

_.mixin({
    boundDelay: function(func, context, delayMs) {
        var boundVersion = _(func).bind(context);
        _(boundVersion).delay(delayMs);
    }
});

3. You can Underscore Grease (https://github.com/machineghost/Underscore-Grease) to chain the two in to:

    _(function() {
        this.doSomething();
   }).bind_(this).delay(500);

[jeff-h]

I don't understand how we can call this "fixed". The various solutions in the comment above all appear very unreadable to me.

The change in 1366d90 simply stops sending an odd context to the called function.

Is there a reason delay can't take a context argument as per #494 (comment) ? That, to me, would be awesome :)

[jridgewell]

There's no reason to change _.delay. If you want a context, bind it beforehand.

_.delay(_.bind(func, context), 500)

[jeff-h]

Thanks! I should have tried that I guess, but assumed wrongly based on the complexity of the above answers that something more complicated was needed.