How to access step definition variables using hooks.js

Question

Hi in the below protractor-cucumber step-definition, I can modify the step definition variable a from before hook:

    "use strict"; 
        let { Given, Before } = require('cucumber');        
        let a=10;
       
        Before(async function (scenario) {
          a=12;  
        });        
        
        Given('I navigates to google', async () => {
          console.log(a)
        });

But if I declare before hook in a different file say, hook.js:

    'use strict';
    
    var { After, Before } = require('cucumber');
    
    Before(async function (scenario) {
        let a=12;  
      });

and call it from spec in protractor config:

    cucumberOpts: {
        require: ['./testsuites/test1.js','./commons/hooks.js'],

The step definition variable a is not getting affected, as the scope of 'a' in hook is local:

Is there a way to change the step definition variables from hook.js without needing to declare the variable as global?

Update:

I tried below code:

Created world.js

    const { setWorldConstructor } = require('cucumber')
    
    
    function CustomWorld() {
      this.a=1
    }
    
    setWorldConstructor(CustomWorld)

Call it from hooks.js

This prints `CustomWorld { a: 1 }`

    'use strict';
    var {  Before } = require('cucumber');
    
    Before(async function (scenario) {
        console.log("hooks")
        console.log(this)
    });

Call the same from step definition:

This prints empty property `{}`

    "use strict";
    console.log("feature head")
    console.log(this)
    let { Given } = require('cucumber');
    
    Given('I navigates to google', async () => {
      console.log("Given nav")
      console.log(this)
    });

Update:

Call the same from step definition:

Here I removed arrow function and this prints the World object properly'

    "use strict";
    console.log("feature head")
    console.log(this)
    let { Given } = require('cucumber');
    
    Given('I navigates to google', async function() {
      console.log("Given nav")
      console.log(this)
    });

Answer 1

In CucumberJS you can use a setWorldConstructor where you can create for example a this.context which can we used in each steps and hooks I think.

For an example code look here: https://github.com/cucumber/cucumber-js/blob/0b2d7e468cf10ecef37749efaddd2dfbea8c7808/features/generator_step_definitions.feature

Other reads:

• Use arrow notation to use world this in hooks: https://stackoverflow.com/questions/52840769/afterall-hook-error-this-is-not-referring-to-my-world-constructor-when-using