this / self

The keyword a method uses to refer to the object it was called on.

What does this / self do?

this (C#, Java, JavaScript) or self (Python) is how code inside a method refers to the current object: the one the method was called on.

public class Person
{
    private string name;

    public Person(string name)
    {
        this.name = name; // this.name = the object's field; name = the parameter
    }
}

Level: Apprentice · More OOP terms at this level

Updated September 27, 2026