Array Transformation in JavaScript: Understanding [].forEach.call()

When working with JavaScript, you may encounter code snippets that use [].forEach.call() to iterate over element lists. This technique allows extending array-like structures, such as NodeLists, with array functions.

The empty array [] is used to access the forEach function, which accepts a function as input. This function is then called for each element in the array-like structure, passing in the element, its index, and the structure itself.

Next, .call is a method of functions that allows customizing the 'this' value of the function. In [].forEach.call(), the first argument is the array-like structure, which replaces the this value inside the provided function.

Therefore, the code snippet provided uses [].forEach.call() to iterate over all anchor tags () in the document, calling the specified function for each anchor. This approach offers a convenient and concise way to apply array-like operations to non-array structures.

However, it's important to note that relying heavily on this technique can lead to messy and repetitive code. Consider using language features like the Rest and Spread operators in newer JavaScript versions, which provide a cleaner approach to transforming non-arrays into arrays.