TypeError: Illegal Invocation on console.log.apply

Question

If you run this in the chrome console:

console.log.apply(null, [array])

Chrome gives you back an error:

// TypeError: Illegal Invocation

Why? (Tested on Chrome 15 via OSX)

Solution

It may not work in cases when execution context changed from console to any other object:

This is expected because console.info expects its "this" reference to be console, not window.

console.info("stuff")
stuff
undefined
console.info.call(this, "stuff")
TypeError: Illegal invocation
console.info.call(console, "stuff")
stuff
undefined

This behavior is expected.

https://bugs.chromium.org/p/chromium/issues/detail?id=48662

Comments

[C B]

If you need to use as a function, you can use console.info.bind(console)

[mucaho]

so can you use console.info.call(console, "stuff") in all browsers that support ES5?

[PeterM]

Same goes for apply: console.info.apply(console, arguments)

[Alan C. S.]

Same argument applies to other functions such as console.log() and document.writeln(). So, always provide the correct execution context if using call() or apply(). Alternately, use bind() as @JohnWilliams has pointed out.

[Benny Bottema]

This is still applicable to IE11/Edge when the DevTools F12 are not open.