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apply vs call

Written byPhuoc Nguyen
Category
JavaScript
Created
02 Jun, 2020
`apply()` and `call()` are common methods to invoke a function.

Difference

Following is the syntax of these methods, where `fn` represents a given function:
fn.apply(context, arrayOfArguments);
fn.call(context, arg1, arg2, ...);
As you see, `apply` requires the arguments as an array, whereas `call` requires the arguments to be listed explicitly.
For example, the following function returns the sum of three numbers.
const sum = (a, b, c) => a + b + c;

sum.apply(null, [1, 2, 3]); // 6
sum.call(null, 1, 2, 3); // 6

Tip

You can use this mnemonic to remember the differences between `apply` and `call`:
A is for array
C is for comma

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Phước Nguyễn