# What type is \`this\` in a sketch?
**URL:** https://discourse.processing.org/t/what-type-is-this-in-a-sketch/39676
**Category:** Beginners
**Created:** [November 12, 2022, 12:11am UTC](https://discourse.processing.org/t/what-type-is-this-in-a-sketch/39676 "2022-11-12T00:11:07Z")
**Posts on this page:** 6
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@grough](https://discourse.processing.org/u/grough)
#### Post date: [November 12, 2022, 12:11am UTC](https://discourse.processing.org/t/what-type-is-this-in-a-sketch/39676/1 "2022-11-12T00:11:07Z")
Hi,
When I run this code in a sketch:
```auto
println(this);
```
I see this in the console:
```auto
sketch_221111b@31393958
```
What datatype or class does `this` belong to?
I’m trying to write a function that accepts `this` as an argument, but I got stuck trying to figure out what type the parameter should be.
Thank you
---
### Author:  [@debxyz](https://discourse.processing.org/u/debxyz)
#### Post date: [November 12, 2022, 12:31am UTC](https://discourse.processing.org/t/what-type-is-this-in-a-sketch/39676/2 "2022-11-12T00:31:23Z")
Hello!
“This” is not a datatype. Read more here:
> **[Java this Keyword](https://www.w3schools.com/java/ref_keyword_this.asp)**
>
> W3Schools offers free online tutorials, references and exercises in all the major languages of the web. Covering popular subjects like HTML, CSS, JavaScript, Python, SQL, Java, and many, many more.
🤓
---
### Author:  [@Chrisir](https://discourse.processing.org/u/Chrisir)
#### Post date: [November 12, 2022, 1:03am UTC](https://discourse.processing.org/t/what-type-is-this-in-a-sketch/39676/3 "2022-11-12T01:03:18Z")
Yes.
See also [Can anyone help explain the following use of "this" and "PApplet"?](https://discourse.processing.org/t/can-anyone-help-explain-the-following-use-of-this-and-papplet/35436)
---
### Author:  [@grough](https://discourse.processing.org/u/grough)
#### Post date: [January 20, 2023, 2:11pm UTC](https://discourse.processing.org/t/what-type-is-this-in-a-sketch/39676/4 "2023-01-20T14:11:52Z")
> I’m trying to write a function that accepts `this` as an argument, but I got stuck trying to figure out what type the parameter should be.
After following the link shared above (marked as solution), I learned that that type of such an argument should be [`PApplet`](https://processing.github.io/processing-javadocs/core/processing/core/PApplet.html). Thanks for your help.
---
### Author:  [@GoToLoop](https://discourse.processing.org/u/GoToLoop)
#### Post date: [January 20, 2023, 2:53pm UTC](https://discourse.processing.org/t/what-type-is-this-in-a-sketch/39676/5 "2023-01-20T14:53:46Z")
> [@grough](#):
>
> , I learned that that type of such an argument should be [`PApplet`](https://processing.github.io/processing-javadocs/core/processing/core/PApplet.html).
PApplet is the `super` datatype.
But the actual datatype is the name of the 1st tab w/o the extension “.pde”.
---
### Author:  [@Chrisir](https://discourse.processing.org/u/Chrisir)
#### Post date: [January 20, 2023, 3:00pm UTC](https://discourse.processing.org/t/what-type-is-this-in-a-sketch/39676/6 "2023-01-20T15:00:41Z")
And inside a class it’s the class