We’ve seen how the this works with variables, but we can also use the this with methods.

Recall how we’ve been calling methods up to this point:

public static void main(String[] args){
  Dog myDog = new Dog("Odie");
  myDog.speak();
}

Here we’re creating an instance of a Dog and using that Dog to call the speak() method. However, when defining methods, we can also use the this keyword to call other methods. Consider the code block below:

public class Computer{
  public int brightness;
  public int volume;

  public void setBrightness(int inputBrightness){
    this.brightness = inputBrightness;
  }

  public void setVolume(int inputVolume){
    this.volume = inputVolume;
  }

  public void resetSettings(){
    this.setBrightness(0);
    this.setVolume(0);
  }
}

Take a look at the resetSettings() method in particular. This method calls other methods from the class. But it needs an object to call those methods! Rather than create a new object (like we did with the Dog named myDog earlier), we use this as the object. What this means is that the object that calls resetSettings() will be used to call setBrightness(0) and setVolume(0).

public static void main(String[] args){
  Computer myComputer = new Computer();
  myComputer.resetSettings();
}

In this example, calling myComputer.resetSettings() is as if we called myComputer.setBrightness(0) and myComputer.setVolume(0). this serves as a placeholder for whatever object was used to call the original method.

Keep Reading: AP Computer Science A Students

Finally, this can be used as a value for a parameter. Let’s say a method exists that takes a Computer as a parameter (that method’s signature might be something like public void pairWithOtherComputer(Computer other). If you’re writing another method of the Computer, and want to call the pairWithOtherComputer() method, you could use this as the parameter. That call might look something like this.pairWithOtherComputer(this). You’re using the current object to call the method and are passing that object as that method’s parameter.

public void pairWithOtherComputer(Computer other){
  // Code for method that uses the parameter other
}

public void setUpConnection(){
  // We use "this" to call the method and also pass "this" to the method so it can be used in that method
  this.pairWithOtherComputer(this);
}