I'm looking for the most optimized way to have an object in JS; since JS allows you to do something in multiple ways I want to know which is considered to be "best practice".
A conceptual use of the object would be this:
var John = new Person('John');
var Foo = new Person('Foo');
console.log(John.getName()); //Return 'John'
console.log(Foo.getName()); //Return 'Foo'
console.log(John.name); //undefined
console.log(Foo.name); //undefined
I have some examples here:
Example #1:
var Person = function (name) {
this.getName = function () { return name; }
}
Here I actually have no properties; "name" cannot be changed or be read by public and getName method can be accessed public and invoke with local name variable. This actually meets my needs.
Example #2:
function Person (name) {
this.getName = function () { return name; }
}
This has same behaviour as example #1. I'm just not sure about the difference between var method = function () {}; and function method() {}; from a functional and performance perspective.
Example #3:
var Person = function (name) {
this.name = name;
Person.prototype.getName = function () { return this.name; }
}
Here I have name property which can be read/write by public and I also have a prototype getName method that can be accessed public.
Example #4:
var Person = function (name) {
this.name = name;
if (!Person._prototyped) {
Person.prototype.getName = function () { return this.name; }
Person._prototyped = true;
}
}
Here I have what I had in example #3 with the difference that I make sure that prototype methods are set only once and only when required.
So the end question is, which of those you will suggest me to follow or if any of them then which way is the best practice?
For what you want, the best way is probably this:
/**
* #constructor
*/
function Person(name) {
this.getName = function() {
return name;
};
}
Why is this? Well, first of all, encapsulation. If possible, you generally want to put the function in the prototype, like so:
/**
* #constructor
*/
function Person(name) {
this.name = name;
}
Person.prototype.getName = function() {
return this.name;
};
However! In this case, it appears you don't want Person.name to be accessible. For that reason, you need to use closures.
As for this method:
var Person = function (name) {
this.name = name;
Person.prototype.getName = function () { return this.name; }
}
That's not good. You publicly expose this.name, so it offers no advantage over the previous prototype method, but you continually overwrite Person.prototype.getName with the same function. There's no point in doing that; this will be the appropriate object every time. What's more, Person.prototype.getName won't be accessible until the first Person object is instantiated so there's not much point in making it "public" in the first place. Your fourth example is basically identical, with more cruft making it harder to understand, but it still has all the disadvantages.
So, in this case, go with the first version; when possible, though, set methods on prototype so they can be called outside of an instance.
Finally, I would recommend using:
function Person() {
}
over
var Person = function() {
}
because 1) The second example is missing a semicolon, 2) the var implies that the constructor is variable which it should not be, and 3) I don't believe JDoc allows #constructor to be applied to it, causing a warning in Closure Compiler at least1.
1 Okay, not so important. But still...
In example 3 and 4 it should be:
var Person = function (name) {
this.name = name;
};
Person.prototype.getName = function () { return this.name; }
And:
var Person = function (name) {
this.name = name;
};
if (!Person._prototyped) {
Person.prototype.getName = function () { return this.name; }
Person._prototyped = true;
}
As you don't need to mess with the prototype each time you call the constructor.
Not sure which is fastest (as they are all valid for your purposes), which is what your asking, but I wouldn't worry as this seems like micro-optimizing. If you must know then you can use a site like http://jsperf.com/
The fastest way I can imagine would be :
function Person(name) {
this.getName = function() {
return name;
};
}
As minitech said. The reason is as follows:
Each time the js engine has to go "up" the prototype chain it takes away a fraction of a ms (or fraction of a sec on IE :) ), and as declaring variables can take up time (also negligible) you avoid doing that too. Hope that helps
Works well on node.js. AFAIK, arguments are mutable. Closures will remember values. Hence this will work. I guess this solves it all.
var Person = function(Name) {
this.getName = function(){return Name;}
this.setName = function(newName) { Name = newName; }
},
me = new Person('John');
console.log(me.getName());
me.setName('Peter');
console.log(me.getName());
Related
I'm trying to learn JavaScript, but got stuck with a problem (more with misunderstanding "this" keyword) that doesn't give me move on.
I've watched a lot of content about it and barely understood it, but still have some troubles.
I have some code:
function Person (name, age) {
this.name = name;
this.age = age;
this.changeName = function (name) {
this.name = name;
}
}
What do we use "this" here for?
As I understood we use "this" to create variable inside function constructor and give it value of our "name" parameter that we could refer to it. Am I right?
Then I have this code:
var p1 = new Person ("John", 30);
p1.changeName ("Jane");
console.log(p1.name);
As I sorted out here, we call method that overwrites our variable that we created to refer to. But it doesn't change actual parameter. So if it's right why do we use it? Doesn't it matter to have actual "name" parameter changed?
The whole code is from teaching app!
So if it's right why do we use it? Doesn't it matter to have actual "name" parameter changed?
No, there's no need to do that in this example. changeName changes the property on the object that was created by new Person.
It's true that that example code is a bit odd, because it creates the changeName function in the constructor but doesn't do the kinds of things you'd normally do when you create the function in the constructor. I'd expect that code to either be this, which puts the changeName on the prototype:
function Person(name, age) {
this.name = name;
this.age = age;
}
Person.prototype.changeName = function(name) {
this.name = name;
};
(or the class equivalent) or this:
function Person(name, age) {
this.getName = function() {
return name;
};
this.changeName = function(newName) {
name = newName;
};
this.getAge = function() {
return age;
};
}
That code does update the parameter (which has no effect at all on the code calling Person). It doesn't create name and age properties at all; instead, it just makes their values accessible via getName and getAge. There's also a function to change name (changeName); but there's no function to change age. People write code like that so that age cannot be changed from outside code created within the Person constructor.
I guess you may misunderstand which parameter you actually change, so I rewrite it like so, holp this helps.
function Person (argument_name, argument_age) {
this.name = argument_name;
this.age = argument_age;
this.changeName = function (argument_change_name) {
this.name = argument_change_name;
}
}
let p1 = new Person ("John", 30);
p1.changeName ("Jane");
console.log(p1);
The this keyword is used to create and assign values to variables in the class. It is again used to create functions, either getters or setters. So in your code this.changeName is a function that when passed a value will change the name of the person.
eg.
var a = 5; // a is an integer
var b = "Han"; //b is a string
var c = function(name){
//code here
} // then c is also a function;
How to delete a function from constructor?
If there is a function called greet in the Person constructor, how do I remove the function?
function Person(name)
{
this.name = name;
this.greet = function greet()
{
alert("Hello, " + this.name + ".");
};
}
I want the result to be:
function Person(name)
{
this.name = name;
}
delete this.greet
or
var personInstance = new Person();
delete personInstance.greet // to remove it from the instance from the outside
or
delete Person.prototype.greet // if doing prototypes and inheritance
delete is a keyword that your very rarely see but I assure you, it exists :P
You cannot change the source of a function. If you want to change that function's behaviour, you have to options:
Override the function with your own. This is easy if the function is standalone. Then you can really just define
function Person(name)
{
this.name = name;
}
after the original function was defined. But if prototypes and inheritance are involved, it can get tricky to get a reference to the original prototype (because of the way how function declarations are evaluated).
Ceate a wrapper function which creates and instance and removes the properties you don't want:
function PersonWrapper(name) {
var p = new Person(name);
delete p.greet;
return p;
}
This approach is also limited since you can only change what is accessible from the outside. In the example you provided it would be sufficient though.
I had written this code to simulate OOP inheritance and calling baseclass in javascript and it works:
function Animal(name,age)
{
this._name = name;
this.setName = function (name) { this._name = name }
this.getName = function() { return this._name }
}
function Cat(name,age)
{
Animal.call(this,name,age); // call baseclass constructor
this.getName = function() { return Cat.prototype.getName.call(this)+", a cat" }
}
Cat.prototype = new Animal(); // will create the baseclass structure
/// ***** actual execution *****
var puss = new Cat("Puss",3);
var cheshire = new Cat("Cheshire",10);
// do some actions
console.log ( puss.getName() );
// change cat's name
puss.setName("Puss in boots");
alert ( "new name -->"+puss.getName() );
problem is that, for each instance of "new Cat()" the "getName" and "setName" functions are replicated.
I have read a lot of articles on prototyping but none addressed the issue of calling the baseclass function.
You should assign the methods to the prototype of the function, for example,
function Animal(name, age) {
this._name = name;
this._age = age;
}
Animal.prototype.getName = function () { return this._name; }
Animal.prototype.setName = function (value) { this._name = value; }
function Cat(name, age) {
Animal.call(this, name, age);
}
Cat.prototype = new Animal();
Cat.prototype.getName = function () {
return Animal.prototype.getName.call(this) + ", a cat";
}
Are you looking for __proto__ which stores prototype data?
https://developer.mozilla.org/en/JavaScript/Reference/Global_Objects/Object/Proto
If you do a console.log(puss.__proto__.getName) you'll get what seems to be the "baseclass" function but I'm not sure how cross-browser is this.
From http://phrogz.net/js/classes/OOPinJS2.html
Javascript does not have any sort of 'super' property, which would
point to its parent class. Instead, you use the call() method of a
Function object, which allows you to run a function using a different
object as context for it. If you needed to pass parameters to this
function, they would go after the 'this'.
In your case it works the same for functions as "methods", so you can do:
Animal.prototype.setName.call(this, name);
I have this piece of code:
var Human=function(name){
this._name=name;
};
Human.prototype.Shout=function(){
alert(this._name);
};
var tom=new Human("tom");
var john=new Human("john");
alert(tom.Shout===john.Shout);
Right now ._name is not "private". I want to make ._name "private", but at the same time i do not wish to create additional functions for each instance of Human (in other words tom.Shout Must be === to john.Shout) because creating additional functions for each instance is just well.. unnecessary (ok offtopic - we can debate this on another thread)
My conclusion is that what I'm trying to achieve (having ._name be "private" and at the same time having tom.Shout===john.Shout) is impossible.
But I just want to be 200% sure before jumping into any conclusions.
(I welcome any hacks as long as the requirements are met, i.e no creating of additional functions for each instance)
If we have to create additional functions to do scoping that's fine but that number should be a fixed number and that number should not increase with each additional instance of Human.
Update
Your looking for #name which is an instance variable. Pray it's in es.next, but we don't have it yet. Maybe in two years.
If you care about a clean API then here is your solution:
function Class(foo) {
Class.priv(this).foo = foo;
}
Class.priv = (function() {
var cache = [],
uid = 1;
return function(obj) {
if (!this.__id) {
this.__id = uid;
cache[uid++] = {};
}
return cache[this.__id];
};
}());
Class.prototype.bar = function() {
console.log(Class.priv(this).foo);
}
Store all the data in a cache as a function of the constructor. No data is cluttered on the object.
Original
However there is no such thing as "private".
All you can do is create a local variable inside a function.
The constructor function
var Human = function(name) {
// local variable.
var _name = name;
}
Has a local variable that by very definition of being local is not usable outside of the constructor function.
This means that you cannot access it in external code like the prototype.
What you can do however is make it read only using ES5
var Human = function(name) {
Object.defineProperty(this, "name", { value: name });
}
If you can truly achieve what your asking, you'd make a huge breakthrough in js. I've attempted to do just that for many hours.
A different pattern would be :
var Human = function(name) {
this.name = name;
return {
Shout: this.Shout.bind(this)
};
}
Human.prototype.Shout = function() {
console.log(this.name);
}
This has the overhead of calling .bind and creating a new object for every instance though.
how about this ?
var Human = function (name) {
var _name = name;
this.getName = function () {
return _name;
}
};
Human.prototype.Shout = function () {
alert(this.getName());
};
var tom = new Human("tom");
var john = new Human("john");
tom.Shout(); // tom
john.Shout(); // john
alert(tom.Shout === john.Shout); // true
EDIT:
the former creates another function for GET property,
it is not possible without creating additional functions.
Did read the question, didn't understand, because this._name is just not private, so the question is a bit weird. This is how in my test the prototype methods are added once and available to all instances. I repeat: this._name is not private here. If you add a local variable, and want to access it via a closure in a prototype method, calling the value of the local variable will result in the same value for all instances.
Anyway, with this constructor function the this._name getter and shout methods are added to the prototype chain once and thereby available for all instances of Human.
function Human(name) {
if (!(this instanceof Human)){
return new Human(name);
}
this._name = name;
if (!Human.prototype.Name){
Human.prototype.Name = function(val){
if (val){
this._name = val;
return this;
}
return this._name;
};
Human.prototype.shout = function(){
alert(this._name);
}
}
}
I have an object written like this:
Object1.prototype = {
isInit: false,
Get : function (){}
}
Now I'd like to add a constructor which takes one parameter. How can I do it?
Class declaration
var User = function(name, age) { // constructor
}
User.prototype = {}
Instance variables (members)
var User = function(name, age) {
this.name = name;
this.age = age;
}
User.prototype = {}
Static variables
var User = function(name, age) {
this.name = name;
this.age = age;
}
User.prototype = {
staticVar: 15,
anotherStaticVar: 'text'
}
Here I defined two static variables. Each User instance has access to these two variables. Note, that we can initialize it with value;
Instance functions (methods)
var User = function(name, age) {
this.name = name;
this.age = age;
}
User.prototype = {
getName: function() {
return this.name;
},
setName: function(name) {
this.name = name;
}
}
Usage example:
var user = new User('Mike', 29);
user.setName('John');
alert(user.getName()); //should be 'John'
Static functions
var User = function(name, age) {
this.name = name;
this.age = age;
}
User.create = function(name, age) {
return new User(name, age);
}
User.prototype = {}
Assuming that by "ctor" you mean "constructor", in JavaScript that's just a function. In this case your constructor would need to be "Object1" itself - in other words, what you've got there makes sense if you have already defined "Object1" to be a function.
Thus,
function Object1(param) {
// constructor code
}
would be the constructor for your type.
Now there are some JavaScript libraries that provide a utility layer for defining classes. With those, you generally pass some sort of object (like you've got) that includes an "init" function. The libraries provide APIs for creating "classes" and for extending one class from another.
Javascript has prototype based object model. Check this mozilla wiki page and suddenly you'll feel much better in js land.
We can define a constructor in javaScript is same as we fine function, so constructor is just a function.
//function declaration
function func(){}
In case of Contructor We use initial letter in caps in construct like
//constructor
function Func(){}
now do whatever you want to with your constructor
var constructor1 = new Func();
class CLASS_NAME
{
private:
int variable;
public:
CLASS_NAME() //constructor
{
variable = 0;
}
};