Mithat Konar (the blog)

Defining objects inside self-invoked anonymous functions

In our previous episode, we saw a canonical way to create objects in JavaScript that suggested code reuse and facilitated automatic object initialization, but it didn’t let you implement private attributes nor did it go out of its way to keep from polluting the global namespace.

What follows is the simplest way I’ve seen that accomplishes all of the above. And boy is it a ride! We are going to create a self-invoking anonymous function and inside the function we will define the object and create a single point of connection to the window with a closure.

Here we go:

// == Begin definition ==============================
(function(window) {
  // -- Constructor ---------------------------------
  var Clicker3 = function() {

    // -- Private properties --
    var _numClicks = 0;

    // -- Private methods --
    // Methods defined in this scope and not on
    // 'this' are private'.
    var _update = function() {
      console.log("Clicker3 obj: " + _numClicks);
    };

    // -- Public methods --
    // Methods defined on 'this' are public, can
    // access private and public members.
    this.click = function () {
      _numClicks++;
      _update();
    };

    this.reset = function () {
      _numClicks = 0;
      _update();
    };

    this.getNumClicks = function () {
      return _numClicks;
    };

    // -- Initialize state --
    this.reset(); // reset is redundant here;
                  // for demo only.
    _update();
  }; // !Clicker3()

  // -- "Hyper-public" methods ----------------------
  // Methods defined on the prototype can only access
  // public members!
  Clicker3.prototype.showInfo = function() {
    alert("I am a Clicker3 object who is at " +
      this.getNumClicks() + " clicks.");
  };

  // -- Publish -------------------------------------
  // Expose Clicker3 (and only Clicker3) to the
  // global window (i.e., make it public).
  window.Clicker3 = Clicker3;

}(window));
// == End definition ================================

The self-invoking function creates a new scope in which everything is defined. Passing in window as a parameter allows easy access to global window from within that new scope. This setup lets you:

• Prevent pollution of global namespace.
• Expose what you want to the global window and keep the rest private.

So, now we  have something that:

• Has, “Reuse me!” written all over it.
• Allows for automatic object initialization.
• Lets you fully encapsulate objects.*
• Protects the global namespace.

But it’s not totally cool because none of the above are code-level constructs. In other words, it’s neither readable or writable. JavaScipt is/isn’t fun. :-\

Just as a reminder, I am not (yet) taking on the following:

• Inheritance-like stuff
• “Class” (i.e., static) members*
• Polymorphism

*An issue of religious importance.

Objects with constructors and prototyped methods

In this installment, I am going to look at building a tally clicker using what seems to be the canonical form for building class-like entities in JavaScript. The idea is simple:

• Use a constructor function to create a scope/context with the object’s properties.
• Use the constructor function’s prototype property to attach methods.

Attaching methods to the constructor’s prototype allows a single method instance to be shared among all objects instantiated from the constructor function.

Here’s how we might do it:

// == Begin Clicker2 definition =====================
// -- Constructor -----------------------------------
var Clicker2 = function() {
  // properties:
  this._numClicks = 0;

  // initialize state:
  this._update();
};

// -- Methods ---------------------------------------
Clicker2.prototype.click = function() {
  this._numClicks++;
  this._update();
};

Clicker2.prototype.reset = function() {
  this._numClicks = 0;
  this._update();
};

Clicker2.prototype._update = function() {
  console.log("Clicker2 obj: " + this._numClicks);
};

Clicker2.prototype.showInfo = function() {
  alert("I am a Clicker2 object who is at " +
    this._numClicks + " clicks.");
};
// == End Clicker 2 definition ======================

The HTML might then have something like:

<button onclick="yourClicker.click();">Click</button>
<button onclick="yourClicker.reset();">Reset</button>
<button onclick="yourClicker.showInfo();">Info</button>
...
<script>
  // Wait for DOM to be ready and then instantiate a
  // Clicker2 object:
  document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded',
    function() {
      document.yourClicker = new Clicker2();
    });
</script>

Compared to the approach using object literals, this approach has the following advantages:

• It allows for automatic object initialization.
• The object abstraction has, “Reuse me!” written all over it.

However, it still has a couple issues:

• It violates encapsulation because everything is still public.*
• It still pollutes the global namespace.

In the next installment, we’ll look at a way to fix these remaining problems. Just as a reminder, I am not (yet) taking on the following:

• Inheritance-like stuff
• “Class” (i.e., static) members*
• Polymorphism

*An issue of religious importance.

I’ve always found JavaScript’s approach(es) to OOP a little cumbersome. I’m not talking here about prototypal vs. class-based OOP. Rather, I’m talking about the readability, etc. of the actual code you have to write to build objects. I want to take a few blog entries to try to put the maze into some kind of cohesive perspective.

I like to use a tally clicker to explore objects in languages I am learning. A tally clicker is a real-world object with a minimal set of features that are easy to implement and that map to basic but salient OOP concepts.

Object literals

I’m going to start this exploration with plain-Jane object literals. This is one of the canonical ways and often the first way shown to implement objects in JavaScript. Here’s how I might implement a tally clicker with a JavaScript literal:

// == Create a tally clicker ========
var myClicker = {

    // pseudo-private property
    _numClicks: 0,         

    // pseudo-private method
    _update: function() {
        console.log("myClicker1: " + this._numClicks);
    },

    // public methods
    click: function() {
        this._numClicks++;
        this._update();
    },

    reset: function() {
        this._numClicks = 0;
        this._update();
    },

    showInfo: function() {
        alert('I am "myClicker" and am at ' +
            this._numClicks + ' clicks.');
    }
}; // == End tally clicker ========

I might then stick something like this into the HTML:

<button onclick="myClicker.click();">Click</button>
<button onclick="myClicker.reset();">Reset</button>
<button onclick="myClicker.showInfo();">Info</button>

The object literal approach is a seductively easy and pretty readable way to build an object—but it’s got issues. Namely:

• There’s no automatic initialization apart from property values.
• It violates encapsulation because everything is public.*
• It pollutes the global namespace (sort of). As is, the name of the object is in the global namespace.
• The object abstraction doesn’t scream, “Reuse me!” (This may be a cognitive style issue more than anything else.)

In the next couple installments, I’ll consider some alternative implementations specifically with regard to the above criteria. For the moment, I will not deal with:

• Inheritance-like stuff
• “Class” (i.e., static) members*
• Polymorphism

*An issue of religious importance.