Javascript闭包（Closure）

原文连接

闭包（closure）是Javascript语言的一个难点，也是它的特色，很多高级应用都要依靠闭包实现。

下面就是我的学习笔记，对于Javascript初学者应该是很有用的。

一、变量的作用域

要理解闭包，首先必须理解Javascript特殊的变量作用域。

变量的作用域无非就是两种：全局变量和局部变量。

Javascript语言的特殊之处，就在于函数内部可以直接读取全局变量。

　　var n=999;

　　function f1(){
　　　　alert(n);
　　}

　　f1(); // 999

另一方面，在函数外部自然无法读取函数内的局部变量。

　　function f1(){
　　　　var n=999;
　　}

　　alert(n); // error

这里有一个地方需要注意，函数内部声明变量的时候，一定要使用var命令。如果不用的话，你实际上声明了一个全局变量！

　　function f1(){
　　　　n=999;
　　}

　　f1();

　　alert(n); // 999

二、如何从外部读取局部变量？

出于种种原因，我们有时候需要得到函数内的局部变量。但是，前面已经说过了，正常情况下，这是办不到的，只有通过变通方法才能实现。

那就是在函数的内部，再定义一个函数。

　　function f1(){

　　　　var n=999;

　　　　function f2(){
　　　　　　alert(n); // 999
　　　　}

　　}

在上面的代码中，函数f2就被包括在函数f1内部，这时f1内部的所有局部变量，对f2都是可见的。但是反过来就不行，f2内部的局部变量，对f1就是不可见的。这就是Javascript语言特有的"链式作用域"结构（chain scope），子对象会一级一级地向上寻找所有父对象的变量。所以，父对象的所有变量，对子对象都是可见的，反之则不成立。

既然f2可以读取f1中的局部变量，那么只要把f2作为返回值，我们不就可以在f1外部读取它的内部变量了吗！

　　function f1(){

　　　　var n=999;

　　　　function f2(){
　　　　　　alert(n);
　　　　}

　　　　return f2;

　　}

　　var result=f1();

　　result(); // 999

三、闭包的概念

上一节代码中的f2函数，就是闭包。

各种专业文献上的"闭包"（closure）定义非常抽象，很难看懂。我的理解是，闭包就是能够读取其他函数内部变量的函数。

由于在Javascript语言中，只有函数内部的子函数才能读取局部变量，因此可以把闭包简单理解成"定义在一个函数内部的函数"。

所以，在本质上，闭包就是将函数内部和函数外部连接起来的一座桥梁。

四、闭包的用途

闭包可以用在许多地方。它的最大用处有两个，一个是前面提到的可以读取函数内部的变量，另一个就是让这些变量的值始终保持在内存中。

怎么来理解这句话呢？请看下面的代码。

　　function f1(){

　　　　var n=999;

　　　　nAdd=function(){n+=1}

　　　　function f2(){
　　　　　　alert(n);
　　　　}

　　　　return f2;

　　}

　　var result=f1();

　　result(); // 999

　　nAdd();

　　result(); // 1000

在这段代码中，result实际上就是闭包f2函数。它一共运行了两次，第一次的值是999，第二次的值是1000。这证明了，函数f1中的局部变量n一直保存在内存中，并没有在f1调用后被自动清除。

为什么会这样呢？原因就在于f1是f2的父函数，而f2被赋给了一个全局变量，这导致f2始终在内存中，而f2的存在依赖于f1，因此f1也始终在内存中，不会在调用结束后，被垃圾回收机制（garbage collection）回收。

这段代码中另一个值得注意的地方，就是"nAdd=function(){n+=1}"这一行，首先在nAdd前面没有使用var关键字，因此nAdd是一个全局变量，而不是局部变量。其次，nAdd的值是一个匿名函数（anonymous function），而这个匿名函数本身也是一个闭包，所以nAdd相当于是一个setter，可以在函数外部对函数内部的局部变量进行操作。

五、使用闭包的注意点

1）由于闭包会使得函数中的变量都被保存在内存中，内存消耗很大，所以不能滥用闭包，否则会造成网页的性能问题，在IE中可能导致内存泄露。解决方法是，在退出函数之前，将不使用的局部变量全部删除。

2）闭包会在父函数外部，改变父函数内部变量的值。所以，如果你把父函数当作对象（object）使用，把闭包当作它的公用方法（Public Method），把内部变量当作它的私有属性（private value），这时一定要小心，不要随便改变父函数内部变量的值。

六、思考题

如果你能理解下面两段代码的运行结果，应该就算理解闭包的运行机制了。

代码片段一。

　　var name = "The Window";

　　var object = {
　　　　name : "My Object",

　　　　getNameFunc : function(){
　　　　　　return function(){
　　　　　　　　return this.name;
　　　　　　};

　　　　}

　　};

　　alert(object.getNameFunc()());

代码片段二。

　　var name = "The Window";

　　var object = {
　　　　name : "My Object",

　　　　getNameFunc : function(){
　　　　　　var that = this;
　　　　　　return function(){
　　　　　　　　return that.name;
　　　　　　};

　　　　}

　　};

　　alert(object.getNameFunc()());

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

原文连接

Closures are functions that refer to independent (free) variables.

In short, variables from the parent function of the closure remain bound from the parent's scope.

Consider the following:

function init() { var name = "Mozilla"; // name is a local variable created by init
function displayName() { // displayName() is the inner function, a closure
alert (name); // displayName() uses variable declared in the parent function    
} displayName(); }init();

 

init() creates a local variable name and then a function called displayName(). displayName() is the inner function (a closure) — it is defined inside init(), and only available within the body of that function . Unlike init(), displayName() has no local variables of its own, and instead reuses the variable name declared in the parent function.

Run the code and see that this works. This is an example of lexical scoping: in JavaScript, the scope of a variable is defined by its location within the source code (it is apparent lexically) and nested functions have access to variables declared in their outer scope.

Now consider the following example:

function makeFunc() {
  var name = "Mozilla";
  function displayName() {
    alert(name);
  }
  return displayName;
}

var myFunc = makeFunc();
myFunc();

If you run this code it will have exactly the same effect as the previous init() example: the string "Mozilla" will be displayed in a JavaScript alert box. What's different — and interesting — is that the displayName() inner function was returned from the outer function before being executed.

That the code still works may seem unintuitive. Normally, the local variables within a function only exist for the duration of that function's execution. Once makeFunc() has finished executing, it is reasonable to expect that the name variable will no longer be accessible. Since the code still works as expected, this is obviously not the case.

The solution to this puzzle is that makeFunc has become a closure. A closure is a special kind of object that combines two things: a function, and the environment in which that function was created. The environment consists of any local variables that were in-scope at the time that the closure was created. In this case, myFunc is a closure that incorporates both the displayName function and the "Mozilla" string that existed when the closure was created.

Here's a slightly more interesting example — a makeAdder function:

function makeAdder(x) {
  return function(y) {
    return x + y;
  };
}

var add5 = makeAdder(5);
var add10 = makeAdder(10);

console.log(add5(2));  // 7
console.log(add10(2)); // 12

In this example, we have defined a function makeAdder(x) which takes a single argument x and returns a new function. The function it returns takes a single argument y, and returns the sum of x and y.

In essence, makeAdder is a function factory — it creates functions which can add a specific value to their argument. In the above example we use our function factory to create two new functions — one that adds 5 to its argument, and one that adds 10.

add5 and add10 are both closures. They share the same function body definition, but store different environments. In add5's environment, x is 5. As far as add10 is concerned, x is 10.

Practical closures

That's the theory out of the way — but are closures actually useful? Let's consider their practical implications. A closure lets you associate some data (the environment) with a function that operates on that data. This has obvious parallels to object oriented programming, where objects allow us to associate some data (the object's properties) with one or more methods.

Consequently, you can use a closure anywhere that you might normally use an object with only a single method.

Situations where you might want to do this are particularly common on the web. Much of the code we write in web JavaScript is event-based — we define some behavior, then attach it to an event that is triggered by the user (such as a click or a keypress). Our code is generally attached as a callback: a single function which is executed in response to the event.

Here's a practical example: suppose we wish to add some buttons to a page that adjust the text size. One way of doing this is to specify the font-size of the body element in pixels, then set the size of the other elements on the page (such as headers) using the relative em unit:

body {
  font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;
  font-size: 12px;
}

h1 {
  font-size: 1.5em;
}
h2 {
  font-size: 1.2em;
}

Our interactive text size buttons can change the font-size property of the body element, and the adjustments will be picked up by other elements on the page thanks to the relative units.

Here's the JavaScript:

function makeSizer(size) {
  return function() {
    document.body.style.fontSize = size + 'px';
  };
}

var size12 = makeSizer(12);
var size14 = makeSizer(14);
var size16 = makeSizer(16);

size12, size14, and size16 are now functions which will resize the body text to 12, 14, and 16 pixels, respectively. We can attach them to buttons (in this case links) as follows:

document.getElementById('size-12').onclick = size12;
document.getElementById('size-14').onclick = size14;
document.getElementById('size-16').onclick = size16;

<a href="#" id="size-12">12</a>
<a href="#" id="size-14">14</a>
<a href="#" id="size-16">16</a>

View on jsFiddle

 

Emulating private methods with closures

Languages such as Java provide the ability to declare methods private, meaning that they can only be called by other methods in the same class.

JavaScript does not provide a native way of doing this, but it is possible to emulate private methods using closures. Private methods aren't just useful for restricting access to code: they also provide a powerful way of managing your global namespace, keeping non-essential methods from cluttering up the public interface to your code.

Here's how to define some public functions that can access private functions and variables, using closures which is also known as the module pattern:

var Counter = (function() {
  var privateCounter = 0;
  function changeBy(val) {
    privateCounter += val;
  }
  return {
    increment: function() {
      changeBy(1);
    },
    decrement: function() {
      changeBy(-1);
    },
    value: function() {
      return privateCounter;
    }
  };   
})();

alert(Counter.value()); /* Alerts 0 */
Counter.increment();
Counter.increment();
alert(Counter.value()); /* Alerts 2 */
Counter.decrement();
alert(Counter.value()); /* Alerts 1 */

There's a lot going on here. In previous examples each closure has had its own environment; here we create a single environment which is shared by three functions: Counter.increment, Counter.decrement, and Counter.value.

The shared environment is created in the body of an anonymous function, which is executed as soon as it has been defined. The environment contains two private items: a variable called privateCounter and a function called changeBy. Neither of these private items can be accessed directly from outside the anonymous function. Instead, they must be accessed by the three public functions that are returned from the anonymous wrapper.

Those three public functions are closures that share the same environment. Thanks to JavaScript's lexical scoping, they each have access to the privateCounter variable and changeBy function.

You'll notice we're defining an anonymous function that creates a counter, and then we call it immediately and assign the result to the Counter variable. We could store this function in a separate variable and use it to create several counters.

var makeCounter = function() {
  var privateCounter = 0;
  function changeBy(val) {
    privateCounter += val;
  }
  return {
    increment: function() {
      changeBy(1);
    },
    decrement: function() {
      changeBy(-1);
    },
    value: function() {
      return privateCounter;
    }
  }  
};

var Counter1 = makeCounter();
var Counter2 = makeCounter();
alert(Counter1.value()); /* Alerts 0 */
Counter1.increment();
Counter1.increment();
alert(Counter1.value()); /* Alerts 2 */
Counter1.decrement();
alert(Counter1.value()); /* Alerts 1 */
alert(Counter2.value()); /* Alerts 0 */

Notice how each of the two counters maintains its independence from the other. Its environment during the call of the makeCounter() function is different each time. The closure variable privateCounter contains a different instance each time.

Using closures in this way provides a number of benefits that are normally associated with object oriented programming, in particular data hiding and encapsulation.

Creating closures in loops: A common mistake

Prior to the introduction of the let keyword in JavaScript 1.7, a common problem with closures occurred when they were created inside a loop. Consider the following example:

<p id="help">Helpful notes will appear here</p>
<p>E-mail: <input type="text" id="email" name="email"></p>
<p>Name: <input type="text" id="name" name="name"></p>
<p>Age: <input type="text" id="age" name="age"></p>

function showHelp(help) {
  document.getElementById('help').innerHTML = help;
}

function setupHelp() {
  var helpText = [
      {'id': 'email', 'help': 'Your e-mail address'},
      {'id': 'name', 'help': 'Your full name'},
      {'id': 'age', 'help': 'Your age (you must be over 16)'}
    ];

  for (var i = 0; i < helpText.length; i++) {
    var item = helpText[i];
    document.getElementById(item.id).onfocus = function() {
      showHelp(item.help);
    }
  }
}

setupHelp();

View on jsFiddle

The helpText array defines three helpful hints, each associated with the ID of an input field in the document. The loop cycles through these definitions, hooking up an onfocus event to each one that shows the associated help method.

If you try this code out, you'll see that it doesn't work as expected. No matter what field you focus on, the message about your age will be displayed.

The reason for this is that the functions assigned to onfocus are closures; they consist of the function definition and the captured environment from the setupHelp function's scope. Three closures have been created, but each one shares the same single environment. By the time the onfocus callbacks are executed, the loop has run its course and the item variable (shared by all three closures) has been left pointing to the last entry in the helpText list.

One solution in this case is to use more closures: in particular, to use a function factory as described earlier on:

function showHelp(help) {
  document.getElementById('help').innerHTML = help;
}

function makeHelpCallback(help) {
  return function() {
    showHelp(help);
  };
}

function setupHelp() {
  var helpText = [
      {'id': 'email', 'help': 'Your e-mail address'},
      {'id': 'name', 'help': 'Your full name'},
      {'id': 'age', 'help': 'Your age (you must be over 16)'}
    ];

  for (var i = 0; i < helpText.length; i++) {
    var item = helpText[i];
    document.getElementById(item.id).onfocus = makeHelpCallback(item.help);
  }
}

setupHelp();

View on jsFiddle

This works as expected. Rather than the callbacks all sharing a single environment, the makeHelpCallback function creates a new environment for each one in which help refers to the corresponding string from the helpText array.

Performance considerations

It is unwise to unnecessarily create functions within other functions if closures are not needed for a particular task, as it will negatively affect script performance both in terms of processing speed and memory consumption.

For instance, when creating a new object/class, methods should normally be associated to the object's prototype rather than defined into the object constructor. The reason is that whenever the constructor is called, the methods would get reassigned (that is, for every object creation).

Consider the following impractical but demonstrative case:

function MyObject(name, message) {
  this.name = name.toString();
  this.message = message.toString();
  this.getName = function() {
    return this.name;
  };

  this.getMessage = function() {
    return this.message;
  };
}

The previous code does not take advantage of the benefits of closures and thus should instead be formulated:

function MyObject(name, message) {
  this.name = name.toString();
  this.message = message.toString();
}
MyObject.prototype = {
  getName: function() {
    return this.name;
  },
  getMessage: function() {
    return this.message;
  }
};

Or as follows:

function MyObject(name, message) {
  this.name = name.toString();
  this.message = message.toString();
}
MyObject.prototype.getName = function() {
  return this.name;
};
MyObject.prototype.getMessage = function() {
  return this.message;
};

In the two previous examples, the inherited prototype can be shared by all objects and the method definitions need not occur at every object creation. See Details of the Object Model for more details.