Window object properties behavior

Question

When we have normal javascript objects, we can access there properties by using a syntax like objectName.proprtyName. If we just use propertyName only, then we will get an error as below -

const myObj = {
  userIdName : "John"
};

console.log(myObj.userIdName); //John
console.log(userIdName); //error "Not defined"

However, in the case of in-built window object, we can use both window.propertyName and propertyName alone as below -

console.log(window.alert);
console.log(alert);

//both return same result

What exactly is responsible for this behavior of the window object? Can we replicate the same behavior for any explicitly built object like the object in the first snippet? (Although nobody would want to pollute the global scope, but I just have this query)

Edit - I have received comment that this question is a duplicate of another question. This question is very much similar to my answer except one difference - I am looking for a way to replicate the same globally accessible behavior of the window object.

[`with`](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/JavaScript/Reference/Statements/with) could be used for that, but it’s not recommended. `window === globalThis` ([spec](https://tc39.es/ecma262/#sec-globalthis), [docs](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/JavaScript/Reference/Global_Objects/globalThis)) in the browser; that’s basically what’s special about it. — Sebastian Simon, Nov 23 '20 at 19:15
[Duplicate](https://google.com/search?q=site%3Astackoverflow.com+js+why+can+window+properties+be+accessed+globally) of [Why can we access window.document property without specifying window object?](https://stackoverflow.com/q/50274492/4642212). — Sebastian Simon, Nov 23 '20 at 19:17
A similar behavior may be possible to replicate in the future using the [Realms API](https://github.com/tc39/proposal-realms). — Sebastian Simon, Nov 23 '20 at 19:32

Felix Kling · Accepted Answer · 2020-11-23T19:24:51.983

What exactly is responsible for this behavior of the window object?

JavaScript has two major types of environment records (a construct to "hold" name -> value associations): a declarative record and an object record.

A declarative environment record stores those association in an implementation specific manner. This is the most common type of environment record and is created when you call a function for example.

An object environment record uses, as indicated by the name, an actual JavaScript object as the "backend". That means every entry in that environment becomes a property of that "binding object" and vice versa.

The global environment uses such an object environment and that binding object is available via window in browsers.

Can we replicate the same behavior for any explicitly built object like the object in the first snippet?

It is possible with the deprecated with statement still exists and creates an object environment record using the provided object as a binding object. From the spec:

The with statement adds an object Environment Record for a computed object to the lexical environment of the running execution context. It then executes a statement using this augmented lexical environment. Finally, it restores the original lexical environment.

var obj  = {foo: 42};
with (obj) {
  console.log(foo);
}

Window object properties behavior

1 Answers1