Suggest an edit

Improve this article

Refine the answer for “call vs apply”. Your changes go to moderation before they’re published.

Approval required

Content

What you’re changing

Title (EN)

Short answer (EN)

Shown above the full answer for quick recall.

Answer (EN)

## In short:

| Method | How arguments are passed | Call example |
|---|---|---|
| `call` | listed **comma-separated** | `func.call(thisArg, arg1, arg2, arg3)` |
| `apply` | passed **as an array** | `func.apply(thisArg, [arg1, arg2, arg3])` |

---

## Example for clarity

```javascript
function greet(city, job) {
  console.log(`I'm ${this.name} from ${city}, working as ${job}`);
}

const user = { name: 'Bohdan' };

// call - arguments comma-separated
greet.call(user, 'Kyiv', 'Frontend developer');

// apply - arguments as an array
greet.apply(user, ['Kyiv', 'Frontend developer']);
```

Both calls output:

```javascript
I'm Bohdan from Kyiv, working as Frontend developer
```

---

## When to use which

| Scenario | Better to use |
|---|---|
| Arguments are known in advance | `call` |
| Arguments are already in an array | `apply` |

---

### Example: array of arguments

```javascript
function sum(a, b, c) {
  return a + b + c;
}

const nums = [1, 2, 3];

// Without apply - you'd have to write it manually
console.log(sum.call(null, nums[0], nums[1], nums[2]));

// With apply - just pass the array
console.log(sum.apply(null, nums)); // 6
```

---

## Modern equivalent with Spread

In modern JS (`ES6+`) `apply` is often replaced with the **spread** operator:

```javascript
const nums = [1, 2, 3];
console.log(sum(...nums)); // the same result as sum.apply(null, nums)
```

---

## Summary

| Property | `call` | `apply` |
|---|---|---|
| Context (`this`) | Explicitly given as the first argument | Same |
| Passing arguments | Comma-separated | As an array |
| Returns | The function's result | The function's result |
| Calls immediately | yes | yes |
| Modern alternative | Spread: `func(...args)` | Spread: `func(...args)` |

Markdown · drag & drop images · ⌘B / ⌘I shortcuts280 words

For the reviewer

Note to the moderator (optional)

Visible only to the moderator. Helps review go faster.