What techniques can be used to define a class in JavaScript, and what are their trade-offs?

Question

I prefer to use OOP in large scale projects like the one I\'m working on right now. I need to create several classes in JavaScript but, if I\'m not mistaken, there are at le

Answer 1

I prefer to use Daniel X. Moore's {SUPER: SYSTEM}. This is a discipline that provides benefits such as true instance variables, trait based inheritance, class hierarchies and configuration options. The example below illustrates the use of true instance variables, which I believe is the biggest advantage. If you don't need instance variables and are happy with only public or private variables then there are probably simpler systems.

function Person(I) {
  I = I || {};

  Object.reverseMerge(I, {
    name: "McLovin",
    age: 25,
    homeState: "Hawaii"
  });

  return {
    introduce: function() {
      return "Hi I'm " + I.name + " and I'm " + I.age;
    }
  };
}

var fogel = Person({
  age: "old enough"
});
fogel.introduce(); // "Hi I'm McLovin and I'm old enough"

Wow, that's not really very useful on it's own, but take a look at adding a subclass:

function Ninja(I) {
  I = I || {};

  Object.reverseMerge(I, {
    belt: "black"
  });

  // Ninja is a subclass of person
  return Object.extend(Person(I), {
    greetChallenger: function() {
      return "In all my " + I.age + " years as a ninja, I've never met a challenger as worthy as you...";
    }
  });
}

var resig = Ninja({name: "John Resig"});

resig.introduce(); // "Hi I'm John Resig and I'm 25"

Another advantage is the ability to have modules and trait based inheritance.

// The Bindable module
function Bindable() {

  var eventCallbacks = {};

  return {
    bind: function(event, callback) {
      eventCallbacks[event] = eventCallbacks[event] || [];

      eventCallbacks[event].push(callback);
    },

    trigger: function(event) {
      var callbacks = eventCallbacks[event];

      if(callbacks && callbacks.length) {
        var self = this;
        callbacks.forEach(function(callback) {
          callback(self);
        });
      }
    },
  };
}

An example of having the person class include the bindable module.

function Person(I) {
  I = I || {};

  Object.reverseMerge(I, {
    name: "McLovin",
    age: 25,
    homeState: "Hawaii"
  });

  var self = {
    introduce: function() {
      return "Hi I'm " + I.name + " and I'm " + I.age;
    }
  };

  // Including the Bindable module
  Object.extend(self, Bindable());

  return self;
}

var person = Person();
person.bind("eat", function() {
  alert(person.introduce() + " and I'm eating!");
});

person.trigger("eat"); // Blasts the alert!

Disclosure: I am Daniel X. Moore and this is my {SUPER: SYSTEM}. It is the best way to define a class in JavaScript.