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

Based on the example of Triptych, this might even be simpler:

    // Define a class and instantiate it
    var ThePerson = new function Person(name, gender) {
        // Add class data members
        this.name = name;
        this.gender = gender;
        // Add class methods
        this.hello = function () { alert('Hello, this is ' + this.name); }
    }("Bob", "M"); // this instantiates the 'new' object

    // Use the object
    ThePerson.hello(); // alerts "Hello, this is Bob"

This only creates a single object instance, but is still useful if you want to encapsulate a bunch of names for variable and methods in a class. Normally there would not be the "Bob, M" arguments to the constructor, for example if the methods would be calls to a system with its own data, such as a database or network.

I am still too new with JS to see why this does not use the prototype thing.