Static variables in JavaScript

Question

How can I create static variables in Javascript?

Answer 1

You do it through an IIFE (immediately invoked function expression):

var incr = (function () {
    var i = 1;

    return function () {
        return i++;
    }
})();

incr(); // returns 1
incr(); // returns 2

Answer 2

If you want to use prototype then there is a way

var p = function Person() {
    this.x = 10;
    this.y = 20;
}
p.prototype.counter = 0;
var person1 = new p();
person1.prototype = p.prototype;
console.log(person1.counter);
person1.prototype.counter++;
var person2 = new p();
person2.prototype = p.prototype;
console.log(person2.counter);
console.log(person1.counter);

Doing this you will be able to access the counter variable from any instance and any change in the property will be immediately reflected!!

Answer 3

If you come from a class-based, statically typed object-oriented language (like Java, C++ or C#) I assume that you are trying to create a variable or method associated to a "type" but not to an instance.

An example using a "classical" approach, with constructor functions maybe could help you to catch the concepts of basic OO JavaScript:

function MyClass () { // constructor function
  var privateVariable = "foo";  // Private variable 

  this.publicVariable = "bar";  // Public variable 

  this.privilegedMethod = function () {  // Public Method
    alert(privateVariable);
  };
}

// Instance method will be available to all instances but only load once in memory 
MyClass.prototype.publicMethod = function () {    
  alert(this.publicVariable);
};

// Static variable shared by all instances
MyClass.staticProperty = "baz";

var myInstance = new MyClass();

staticProperty is defined in the MyClass object (which is a function) and has nothing to do with its created instances, JavaScript treats functions as first-class objects, so being an object, you can assign properties to a function.

UPDATE: ES6 introduced the ability to declare classes through the class keyword. It is syntax sugar over the existing prototype-based inheritance.

The static keyword allows you to easily define static properties or methods in a class.

Let's see the above example implemented with ES6 classes:

class MyClass {
  // class constructor, equivalent to
  // the function body of a constructor
  constructor() {
    const privateVariable = 'private value'; // Private variable at the constructor scope
    this.publicVariable = 'public value'; // Public property

    this.privilegedMethod = function() {
      // Public Method with access to the constructor scope variables
      console.log(privateVariable);
    };
  }

  // Prototype methods:
  publicMethod() {
    console.log(this.publicVariable);
  }

  // Static properties shared by all instances
  static staticProperty = 'static value';

  static staticMethod() {
    console.log(this.staticProperty);
  }
}

// We can add properties to the class prototype
MyClass.prototype.additionalMethod = function() {
  console.log(this.publicVariable);
};

var myInstance = new MyClass();
myInstance.publicMethod();       // "public value"
myInstance.additionalMethod(); // "public value"
myInstance.privilegedMethod(); // "private value"
MyClass.staticMethod();             // "static value"

Answer 4

There are 4 ways to emulate function-local static variables in Javascript.

Method 1: Using function object properties (supported in old browsers)

function someFunc1(){
    if( !('staticVar' in someFunc1) )
        someFunc1.staticVar = 0 ;
    alert(++someFunc1.staticVar) ;
}

someFunc1() ; //prints 1
someFunc1() ; //prints 2
someFunc1() ; //prints 3

Method 2: Using a closure, variant 1 (supported in old browsers)

var someFunc2 = (function(){
    var staticVar = 0 ;
    return function(){
        alert(++staticVar) ;
    }
})()

someFunc2() ; //prints 1
someFunc2() ; //prints 2
someFunc2() ; //prints 3

Method 3: Using a closure, variant 2 (also supported in old browsers)

var someFunc3 ;
with({staticVar:0})
    var someFunc3 = function(){
        alert(++staticVar) ;
    }

someFunc3() ; //prints 1
someFunc3() ; //prints 2
someFunc3() ; //prints 3

Method 4: Using a closure, variant 3 (requires support for EcmaScript 2015)

{
    let staticVar = 0 ;
    function someFunc4(){
        alert(++staticVar) ;
    }
}

someFunc4() ; //prints 1
someFunc4() ; //prints 2
someFunc4() ; //prints 3

Answer 5

You might take advantage of the fact that JS functions are also objects -- which means they can have properties.

For instance, quoting the example given on the (now vanished) article Static variables in Javascript:

function countMyself() {
    // Check to see if the counter has been initialized
    if ( typeof countMyself.counter == 'undefined' ) {
        // It has not... perform the initialization
        countMyself.counter = 0;
    }

    // Do something stupid to indicate the value
    alert(++countMyself.counter);
}

If you call that function several time, you'll see the counter is being incremented.

And this is probably a much better solution than poluting the global namespace with a global variable.

And here is another possible solution, based on a closure : Trick to use static variables in javascript :

var uniqueID = (function() {
   var id = 0; // This is the private persistent value
   // The outer function returns a nested function that has access
   // to the persistent value.  It is this nested function we're storing
   // in the variable uniqueID above.
   return function() { return id++; };  // Return and increment
})(); // Invoke the outer function after defining it.

Which gets you the same kind of result -- except, this time, the incremented value is returned, instead of displayed.

Answer 6

About the class introduced by ECMAScript 2015. The other answers are not totally clear.

Here is an example showing how to create a static var staticVar with the ClassName.var synthax:

class MyClass {
    constructor(val) {
        this.instanceVar = val;
        MyClass.staticVar = 10;
    }
}

var class1 = new MyClass(1);
console.log(class1.instanceVar);      // 1
console.log(class1.constructor.staticVar); // 10

// New instance of MyClass with another value
var class2 = new MyClass(3);
console.log(class1.instanceVar);      // 1
console.log(class2.instanceVar);      // 3

To access the static variable we use the .constructor property that returns a reference to the object constructor function that created the class. We can call it on the two created instances:

MyClass.staticVar = 11;
console.log(class1.constructor.staticVar); // 11
console.log(class2.constructor.staticVar); // 11 <-- yes it's static! :)

MyClass.staticVar = 12;
console.log(class1.constructor.staticVar); // 12
console.log(class2.constructor.staticVar); // 12