NodeJS: call func from inside another func in same file - node.js

Question

I have NodeJS program.
In one class, I have various utility methods. One function, safeGithubPush, calls safeString, another func in the same class
module.exports = {
safeString(stringToCheck) {
console.log(validator.isAscii(stringToCheck), validator.matches(stringToCheck, /^((\w)*[-.]?(\w)*)*$/))
return (
validator.isAscii(stringToCheck) &&
validator.matches(stringToCheck, /^((\w)*[-.]?(\w)*)*$/)
);
},
safeGithubPush(currentJob) {
if (
!currentJob ||
!currentJob.payload ||
!currentJob.payload.repoName ||
!currentJob.payload.repoOwner ||
!currentJob.payload.branchName
) {
this.logIn(
currentJob,
`${' (sanitize)'.padEnd(15)}failed due to insufficient job definition`
);
throw invalidJobDef;
}
if (
this.safeString(currentJob.payload.repoName) &&
this.safeString(currentJob.payload.repoOwner) &&
this.safeString(currentJob.payload.branchName)
) {
return true;
}
throw invalidJobDef;
},
}
While this.logIn(), another func in the utility class, works just fine, I get the error for safeString:
Error caught by first catch: TypeError: this.safeString is not a function
I followed a solution offer by another SO post:
safeString: function(stringToCheck){
...
}
safeGithubPush(currentJob) {
...
if (
this.safeString(currentJob.payload.repoName) &&
this.safeString(currentJob.payload.repoOwner) &&
this.safeString(currentJob.payload.branchName)
) {
return true;
}
}
But this also gets a, TypeError: this.safeString is not a function.
I'm not using arrow functions, which is the explanation for this error on a different SO post

Answer 1

I don't think the reason is determinable with the code you are currently presenting. It likely has something to do with how you are calling safeGithubPush. If you do something that would change the this binding the this.safeString is going to fail.
const foo = {
fizz() {
console.log("fizz");
},
buzz() {
this.fizz();
}
};
// "this" is correct
foo.buzz();
// "this" has no fizz to call
const myFizz = foo.buzz;
myFizz();
Considering you are attaching these to module.exports I am going to guess that you pull these functions off in a require call and then try to use them bare which makes the problem obvious after looking at my example above:
// Ignore these 2 lines, they let this look like node
const module = {};
const require = () => module.exports;
// Ignore above 2 lines, they let this look like node
// Your module "some.js"
module.exports = {
safeString(str) {
return true;
},
safeGithubPush(currentJob) {
if (!this.safeString("some")) {
throw new Error("Not safe");
}
return true;
}
};
try {
// Some consumer module that doesn't work
const {safeGithubPush} = require("./some.js");
const isItSafe = safeGithubPush();
console.log(`Safe? ${isItSafe}`);
} catch (err) {
console.error("Didn't bind right \"this\"");
}
try {
// Some consumer module that DOES work
const someModule = require("./some.js");
const isItSafe = someModule.safeGithubPush();
console.log(`Safe? ${isItSafe}`);
} catch (err) {
console.error(err);
}
I would restructure this code. You say these are utility functions which makes me think you don't really want to have to structure them with this in mind.
Instead of attaching them all to module.exports at their definition, define them outside and directly reference the functions you want to use, then attach them to exports so other modules can use the functions:
function safeString(stringToCheck) {
return true;
}
function safeGithubPush(currentJob) {
if (!safeString("some")) {
throw new Error("Not safe");
}
return true;
}
module.exports = {
safeString,
safeGithubPush
};