Constructors in Javascript objects

Here's a template I sometimes use for OOP-similar behavior in JavaScript. As you can see, you can simulate private (both static and instance) members using closures. What new MyClass() will return is an object with only the properties assigned to the this object and in the prototype object of the "class."

var MyClass = (function () {
    // private static
    var nextId = 1;

    // constructor
    var cls = function () {
        // private
        var id = nextId++;
        var name = 'Unknown';

        // public (this instance only)
        this.get_id = function () { return id; };

        this.get_name = function () { return name; };
        this.set_name = function (value) {
            if (typeof value != 'string')
                throw 'Name must be a string';
            if (value.length < 2 || value.length > 20)
                throw 'Name must be 2-20 characters long.';
            name = value;
        };
    };

    // public static
    cls.get_nextId = function () {
        return nextId;
    };

    // public (shared across instances)
    cls.prototype = {
        announce: function () {
            alert('Hi there! My id is ' + this.get_id() + ' and my name is "' + this.get_name() + '"!\r\n' +
                  'The next fellow\'s id will be ' + MyClass.get_nextId() + '!');
        }
    };

    return cls;
})();

I've been asked about inheritance using this pattern, so here goes:

// It's a good idea to have a utility class to wire up inheritance.
function inherit(cls, superCls) {
    // We use an intermediary empty constructor to create an
    // inheritance chain, because using the super class' constructor
    // might have side effects.
    var construct = function () {};
    construct.prototype = superCls.prototype;
    cls.prototype = new construct;
    cls.prototype.constructor = cls;
    cls.super = superCls;
}

var MyChildClass = (function () {
    // constructor
    var cls = function (surName) {
        // Call super constructor on this instance (any arguments
        // to the constructor would go after "this" in call(…)).
        this.constructor.super.call(this);

        // Shadowing instance properties is a little bit less
        // intuitive, but can be done:
        var getName = this.get_name;

        // public (this instance only)
        this.get_name = function () {
            return getName.call(this) + ' ' + surName;
        };
    };
    inherit(cls, MyClass); // <-- important!

    return cls;
})();

And an example to use it all:

var bob = new MyClass();
bob.set_name('Bob');
bob.announce(); // id is 1, name shows as "Bob"

var john = new MyChildClass('Doe');
john.set_name('John');
john.announce(); // id is 2, name shows as "John Doe"

alert(john instanceof MyClass); // true

As you can see, the classes correctly interact with each other (they share the static id from MyClass, the announce method uses the correct get_name method, etc.)

One thing to note is the need to shadow instance properties. You can actually make the inherit function go through all instance properties (using hasOwnProperty) that are functions, and automagically add a super_<method name> property. This would let you call this.super_get_name() instead of storing it in a temporary value and calling it bound using call.

For methods on the prototype you don't need to worry about the above though, if you want to access the super class' prototype methods, you can just call this.constructor.super.prototype.methodName. If you want to make it less verbose you can of course add convenience properties. :)

It seems to me most of you are giving example of getters and setters not a constructor, ie http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constructor_(object-oriented_programming).

lunched-dan was closer but the example didn't work in jsFiddle.

This example creates a private constructor function that only runs during the creation of the object.

var color = 'black';

function Box()
{
   // private property
   var color = '';

   // private constructor 
   __construct = function() {
       alert("Object Created.");
       color = 'green';
   }()

   // getter
   this.getColor = function() {
       return color;
   }

   // setter
   this.setColor = function(data) {
       color = data;
   }

}

var b = new Box();

alert(b.getColor()); // should be green

b.setColor('orange');

alert(b.getColor()); // should be orange

alert(color); // should be black

If you wanted to assign public properties then the constructor could be defined as such:

var color = 'black';

function Box()
{
   // public property
   this.color = '';

   // private constructor 
   __construct = function(that) {
       alert("Object Created.");
       that.color = 'green';
   }(this)

   // getter
   this.getColor = function() {
       return this.color;
   }

   // setter
   this.setColor = function(color) {
       this.color = color;
   }

}

var b = new Box();

alert(b.getColor()); // should be green

b.setColor('orange'); 

alert(b.getColor()); // should be orange

alert(color); // should be black

So what is the point of "constructor" property? Cannot figure out where it could be useful, any ideas?

The point of the constructor property is to provide some way of pretending JavaScript has classes. One of the things you cannot usefully do is change an object's constructor after it's been created. It's complicated.

I wrote a fairly comprehensive piece on it a few years ago: http://joost.zeekat.nl/constructors-considered-mildly-confusing.html

Here are a couple of excellent explanations:

• http://www.javascriptkit.com/javatutors/oopjs2.shtml
• http://www.c-point.com/javascript_tutorial/constructor.htm

I guess I'll post what I do with javascript closure since no one is using closure yet.

var user = function(id) {
  // private properties & methods goes here.
  var someValue;
  function doSomething(data) {
    someValue = data;
  };

  // constructor goes here.
  if (!id) return null;

  // public properties & methods goes here.
  return {
    id: id,
    method: function(params) {
      doSomething(params);
    }
  };
};

Comments and suggestions to this solution are welcome. :)

Using Nick's sample above, you can create a constructor for objects without parameters using a return statement as the last statement in your object definition. Return your constructor function as below and it will run the code in __construct each time you create the object:

function Box()
{
   var __construct = function() {
       alert("Object Created.");
       this.color = 'green';
   }

  this.color = '';

   this.getColor = function() {
       return this.color;
   }

   __construct();
}

var b = new Box();

function MyClass(){}

is a constructor. When you do var myObj = new MyClass();

the MyClass is executed and a new object is returned of that class.

This pattern has served me well. With this pattern, you create classes in separate files, load them into your overall app "as needed".

// Namespace
// (Creating new if not instantiated yet, otherwise, use existing and just add to it)
var myApp = myApp || {};

// "Package" 
// Similar to how you would establish a package in other languages
(function() {

// "Class"
var MyClass = function(params) {
    this.initialize(params);
}

    // "Global" vars (all instances);
    MyClass.counter = 0;

    // "Private" vars
var p = MyClass.prototype;

    p.id = null;
    p.firstname = null;
    p.lastname = null;

    p.initialize = function(params){
        this.id = MyClass.counter++;
        this.firstname = params.firstname;
        this.lastname = params.lastname;
    }

    p.doAlert = function(theMessage){
        alert(this.firstname + " " + this.lastname + " said: " + theMessage + ". My id:" + this.id);
    }


// Assign class to app
myApp.MyClass = MyClass;

// Close the "Package"
}());

// Usage example:
var bob = new myApp.MyClass({   firstname   :   "bob",
                                lastname    :   "er"
                            });

bob.doAlert("hello there");

I found this tutorial very useful. This approach is used by most of jQuery plug-ins.

http://www.htmlgoodies.com/html5/tutorials/create-an-object-oriented-javascript-class-constructor.html#fbid=OVYAQL_TDpK

var Class = function(methods) {   
    var klass = function() {    
        this.initialize.apply(this, arguments);          
    };  

    for (var property in methods) { 
       klass.prototype[property] = methods[property];
    }

    if (!klass.prototype.initialize) klass.prototype.initialize = function(){};      

    return klass;    
};

Now ,

var Person = Class({ 
    initialize: function(name, age) {
        this.name = name;
        this.age  = age;
    },
    toString: function() {
        return "My name is "+this.name+" and I am "+this.age+" years old.";
    }
}); 

var alice = new Person('Alice', 26);
alert(alice.name); //displays "Alice"
alert(alice.age); //displays "26"
alert(alice.toString()); //displays "My name is Alice and I am 26 years old" in most browsers.
//IE 8 and below display the Object's toString() instead! "[Object object]"