What's "this" in JavaScript onclick?

<a onclick="javascript:func(this)" >here</a>

What does this mean in the script?

Solution 1:

In the case you are asking about, this represents the HTML DOM element.

So it would be the <a> element that was clicked on.

Solution 2:

It refers to the element in the DOM to which the onclick attribute belongs:

<script type="text/javascript"
        src="http://ajax.googleapis.com/ajax/libs/jquery/1.3.2/jquery.min.js">
</script>
<script type="text/javascript">
function func(e) {
  $(e).text('there');
}
</script>
<a onclick="func(this)">here</a>

(This example uses jQuery.)

Solution 3:

The value of event handler attributes such as onclick should just be JavaScript, without any "javascript:" prefix. The javascript: pseudo-protocol is used in a URL, for example:

<a href="javascript:func(this)">here</a>

You should use the onclick="func(this)" form in preference to this though. Also note that in my example above using the javascript: pseudo-protocol "this" will refer to the window object rather than the <a> element.