I'm creating a chat UI with jQueryUI:

$.widget("ui.chatwindow", {
 options: {
 nickname: "obama";
 },
 setNickname: function(nick){
 var self = this;
 var id_pre = 'wchat_' + self.options.nickname;
 $('#' + id_pre + '\\:name').text(self.options.nickname);
 },
 setStatus: function(status){
 var self = this;
 var id_pre = 'wchat_' + self.options.nickname;
 switch(status){
 case 1:
 $('#' + id_pre + '\\:status').removeAttr('class');
 $('#' + id_pre + '\\:status').addClass('chat-icon-online');
 $('#' + id_pre + '\\:status').attr('title','Online');
 break;
 ...
 default:
 break; 
 }
 ...
 },
 ...
}

I always write this in every method:

var self = this;
var id_pre = 'wchat_' + self.options.nickname;

to change element class or text content. Is this a good or efficient way to code?

I'm creating a chat UI with jQueryUI:

$.widget("ui.chatwindow", {
 options: {
 nickname: "obama";
 },
 setNickname: function(nick){
 var self = this;
 var id_pre = 'wchat_' + self.options.nickname;
 $('#' + id_pre + '\\:name').text(self.options.nickname);
 },
 setStatus: function(status){
 var self = this;
 var id_pre = 'wchat_' + self.options.nickname;
 switch(status){
 case 1:
 $('#' + id_pre + '\\:status').removeAttr('class');
 $('#' + id_pre + '\\:status').addClass('chat-icon-online');
 $('#' + id_pre + '\\:status').attr('title','Online');
 break;
 ...
 default:
 break; 
 }
 ...
 },
 ...
}

I always write this in every method to change element class or text content:

var self = this;
var id_pre = 'wchat_' + self.options.nickname;

Is this a good or efficient way to code?

$.widget("ui.chatwindow", {
 options: {
 nickname: "obama";
 },
 setNickname: function(nick){
 var self = this;
 var id_pre = 'wchat_' + self.options.nickname;
 $('#' + id_pre + '\\:name').text(self.options.nickname);
 },
 setStatus: function(status){
 var self = this;
 var id_pre = 'wchat_' + self.options.nickname;
 switch(status){
 case 1:
 $('#' + id_pre + '\\:status').removeAttr('class');
 $('#' + id_pre + '\\:status').addClass('chat-icon-online');
 $('#' + id_pre + '\\:status').attr('title','Online');
 break;
 ...
 default:
 break; 
 }
 ...
 },
 ...
}

My Question is i always write in every method:

var self = this;
var id_pre = 'wchat_' + self.options.nickname;

to change element class or text content
is this a good or efficient way to code?
let me know the good and efficient way to do this.

thanks for your kind.

I'm creating a chat UI with jQueryUI:

$.widget("ui.chatwindow", {
 options: {
 nickname: "obama";
 },
 setNickname: function(nick){
 var self = this;
 var id_pre = 'wchat_' + self.options.nickname;
 $('#' + id_pre + '\\:name').text(self.options.nickname);
 },
 setStatus: function(status){
 var self = this;
 var id_pre = 'wchat_' + self.options.nickname;
 switch(status){
 case 1:
 $('#' + id_pre + '\\:status').removeAttr('class');
 $('#' + id_pre + '\\:status').addClass('chat-icon-online');
 $('#' + id_pre + '\\:status').attr('title','Online');
 break;
 ...
 default:
 break; 
 }
 ...
 },
 ...
}

I always write this in every method:

var self = this;
var id_pre = 'wchat_' + self.options.nickname;

to change element class or text content. Is this a good or efficient way to code?