Just because we use certain tools very frequently, doesn’t necessarily mean we understand them as well as we could. Often, we use patterns we know will work, without really understanding why they work. This is certainly the way I use some of the more obscure parts of Javascript.

And so, after finding myself with some free time, I decided to sit down and think more deeply about a topic I generally try not to think too hard about. The topic I chose was the relationship (which previously I merely suspected to exist) between scope, garbage collection and closures in Javascript.

The results of my ruminations are collated in the presentation embedded here. My understanding of this area is now much clearer than it was before. I published the presentation in the hope that other people might find it useful too.

Needless to say, it’s easier to read in full-screen mode.