Possibly unnecessary code?

[zeusdeux]

While reading the lib/console.js source to triage another issue, I noticed that I didn't understand the need for these lines of code. What is the rationale behind binding prototype methods to the new this and then sticking 'em on the new object being created?

The only places removing these lines has an affect is in:

1. parallel/test-console-instance.js where on line 58 we can just change it to c.log.bind(c) to fix the test
2. TickProcessor.printStatistics definition which is eval-d as a part of the test-tick-processor.js test

I tried to pin point what the issue was but I wasn't able to use require, console, etc in v8_prof_processor.js which is called as a part of the test-tick-processor.js test and that left me kind of handicapped.

[targos]

It was probably done for convenience. By binding the methods to instance, they can easily be passed as callbacks:

fs.stat('foo.txt', console.log);
Promise.resolve('foo').then(console.log)

[zeusdeux]

@targos But that's not how browsers do it though. Is the convenience and probably some kind of perf hit worth the disparate semantics from browserland?

[cjihrig]

It looks like what @targos said was the reasoning in the original commit - 025f53c. Node's console makes no guarantees about compatibility with browsers, and at this point, it would be an unnecessary breaking change.

[zeusdeux]

With all the isomorphic javascript projects showing up, console behaviour parity between node and browsers might be useful. I can imagine isomorphic code having redundant .bind(console) or having that logic behind guards checking for node or browser. Seems superfluous.

Also, it exists in node as console mainly because JS devs are used to using console in the browser. So that to me justifies behaviour parity/compatibility.

[sindresorhus]

There's a ton of code using console.log statically in the Node.js ecosystem. Not worth breaking. I think browsers should change instead. Though, that's better discussed here: whatwg/console#3

[zeusdeux]

I don't think browsers should change (since it changes this semantics, etc) but I see the point wrt the node ecosystem.

Closing.