Arrow functions vs. bind()

[2016-02-24] dev, javascript, esnext, coding
(Ad, please don’t block)

ES6 arrow functions are often a compelling alternative to Function.prototype.bind().

Extracting methods  

If an extracted method is to work as a callback, you must specify a fixed this, otherwise it will be invoked as a function (and this will be undefined or the global object). For example:

obj.on('anEvent', console.log.bind(console))

An alternative is to use an arrow function:

obj.on('anEvent', x => console.log(x))

this via parameters  

The following code demonstrates a neat trick: For some methods, you don’t need bind() for a callback, because they let you specify the value of this, via an additional parameter. filter() is one such method:

const as = new Set([1, 2, 3]);
const bs = new Set([3, 2, 4]);
const intersection = [...as].filter(bs.has, bs);
    // [2, 3]

However, this code is easier to understand if you use an arrow function:

const as = new Set([1, 2, 3]);
const bs = new Set([3, 2, 4]);
const intersection = [...as].filter(a => bs.has(a));
    // [2, 3]

Partial evaluation  

bind() enables you to do partial evaluation, you can create new functions by filling in parameters of an existing function:

function add(x, y) {
    return x + y;
}
const plus1 = add.bind(undefined, 1);

Again, I find an arrow function easier to understand:

const plus1 = y => add(1, y);

Further reading