Object Oriented Programming - oguzhanturgut/freecodecamp GitHub Wiki
Introduction to the Object Oriented Programming Challenges
At its core, software development solves a problem or achieves a result with computation. The software development process first defines a problem, then presents a solution. Object oriented programming is one of several major approaches to the software development process.
As its name implies, object oriented programming organizes code into object definitions. These are sometimes called classes, and they group together data with related behavior. The data is an object's attributes, and the behavior (or functions) are methods.
The object structure makes it flexible within a program. Objects can transfer information by calling and passing data to another object's methods. Also, new classes can receive, or inherit, all the features from a base or parent class. This helps to reduce repeated code.
Your choice of programming approach depends on a few factors. These include the type of problem, as well as how you want to structure your data and algorithms. This section covers object oriented programming principles in JavaScript.
Create a Basic JavaScript Object
Think about things people see everyday, like cars, shops, and birds. These are all objects
: tangible things people can observe and interact with.
What are some qualities of these objects
? A car has wheels. Shops sell items. Birds have wings.
These qualities, or properties
, define what makes up an object. Note that similar objects
share the same properties
, but may have different values for those properties
. For example, all cars have wheels, but not all cars have the same number of wheels.
Objects
in JavaScript are used to model real-world objects, giving them properties
and behavior just like their real-world counterparts. Here's an example using these concepts to create a duck object:
let duck = {
name: "Aflac",
numLegs: 2
};
This duck object has two property/value pairs: a name of "Aflac" and a numLegs of 2.
Create a dog
object with name
and numLegs
properties, and set them to a string
and a number
, respectively.
let dog = {
name: 'Liefy',
numLegs: 4
};
Use Dot Notation to Access the Properties of an Object
The last challenge created an object with various properties, now you'll see how to access the values of those properties. Here's an example:
let duck = {
name: "Aflac",
numLegs: 2
};
console.log(duck.name);
// This prints "Aflac" to the console
Dot notation is used on the object name, duck, followed by the name of the property, name, to access the value of "Aflac".
Print both properties of the dog object below to your console.
let dog = {
name: "Spot",
numLegs: 4
};
// Add your code below this line
console.log(dog.name);
console.log(dog.numLegs);
Create a Method on an Object
Objects can have a special type of property, called a method.
Methods are properties that are functions. This adds different behavior to an object. Here is the duck example with a method:
let duck = {
name: "Aflac",
numLegs: 2,
sayName: function() {return "The name of this duck is " + duck.name + ".";}
};
duck.sayName();
// Returns "The name of this duck is Aflac."
The example adds the sayName method, which is a function that returns a sentence giving the name of the duck.
Notice that the method accessed the name property in the return statement using duck.name. The next challenge will cover another way to do this.
Using the dog object, give it a method called sayLegs
. The method should return the sentence "This dog has 4 legs."
let dog = {
name: "Spot",
numLegs: 4,
sayLegs: function() {
return `This dog has ${dog.numLegs} legs.`;
}
};
dog.sayLegs();
Make Code More Reusable with the this Keyword
The last challenge introduced a method to the duck object. It used duck.name dot notation to access the value for the name property within the return statement:
sayName: function() {return "The name of this duck is " + duck.name + ".";}
While this is a valid way to access the object's property, there is a pitfall here. If the variable name changes, any code referencing the original name would need to be updated as well. In a short object definition, it isn't a problem, but if an object has many references to its properties there is a greater chance for error.
A way to avoid these issues is with the this
keyword:
let duck = {
name: "Aflac",
numLegs: 2,
sayName: function() {return "The name of this duck is " + this.name + ".";}
};
this
is a deep topic, and the above example is only one way to use it. In the current context, this
refers to the object that the method is associated with: duck
.
If the object's name is changed to mallard, it is not necessary to find all the references to duck in the code. It makes the code reusable and easier to read.
Modify the dog.sayLegs
method to remove any references to dog. Use the duck example for guidance.
let dog = {
name: "Spot",
numLegs: 4,
sayLegs: function() {return "This dog has " + this.numLegs + " legs.";}
};
dog.sayLegs();
Define a Constructor Function
Constructors
are functions that create new objects. They define properties and behaviors that will belong to the new object. Think of them as a blueprint for the creation of new objects.
Here is an example of a constructor:
function Bird() {
this.name = "Albert";
this.color = "blue";
this.numLegs = 2;
}
This constructor defines a Bird
object with properties name
, color
, and numLegs
set to Albert, blue, and 2, respectively.
Constructors
follow a few conventions:
Constructors
are defined with a capitalized name to distinguish them from other functions that are not constructors.Constructors
use the keywordthis
to set properties of the object they will create. Inside the constructor,this
refers to the new object it will create.Constructors
define properties and behaviors instead of returning a value as other functions might.
Create a constructor, Dog
, with properties name
, color
, and numLegs
that are set to a string, a string, and a number, respectively.
function Dog() {
this.name = 'Lievy';
this.color = 'brown';
this.numLegs = 4;
}
Use a Constructor to Create Objects
Here's the Bird
constructor from the previous challenge:
function Bird() {
this.name = "Albert";
this.color = "blue";
this.numLegs = 2;
// "this" inside the constructor always refers to the object being created
}
let blueBird = new Bird();
Notice that the new
operator is used when calling a constructor. This tells JavaScript to create a new instance of Bird
called blueBird
. Without the new
operator, this
inside the constructor would not point to the newly created object, giving unexpected results.
Now blueBird
has all the properties defined inside the Bird constructor:
blueBird.name; // => Albert
blueBird.color; // => blue
blueBird.numLegs; // => 2
Just like any other object, its properties can be accessed and modified:
blueBird.name = 'Elvira';
blueBird.name; // => Elvira
Use the Dog
constructor from the last lesson to create a new instance of Dog, assigning it to a variable hound
.
function Dog() {
this.name = "Rupert";
this.color = "brown";
this.numLegs = 4;
}
// Add your code below this line
const hound = new Dog();
Extend Constructors to Receive Arguments
The Bird
and Dog
constructors from last challenge worked well. However, notice that all Birds that are created with the Bird
constructor are automatically named Albert, are blue in color, and have two legs. What if you want birds with different values for name and color? It's possible to change the properties of each bird manually but that would be a lot of work:
let swan = new Bird();
swan.name = "Carlos";
swan.color = "white";
Suppose you were writing a program to keep track of hundreds or even thousands of different birds in an aviary. It would take a lot of time to create all the birds, then change the properties to different values for every one.
To more easily create different Bird
objects, you can design your Bird
constructor to accept parameters:
function Bird(name, color) {
this.name = name;
this.color = color;
this.numLegs = 2;
}
Then pass in the values as arguments to define each unique bird into the Bird constructor:
let cardinal = new Bird("Bruce", "red");
This gives a new instance of Bird with name
and color
properties set to Bruce and red, respectively. The numLegs
property is still set to 2.
The cardinal has these properties:
cardinal.name // => Bruce
cardinal.color // => red
cardinal.numLegs // => 2
The constructor is more flexible. It's now possible to define the properties for each Bird at the time it is created, which is one way that JavaScript constructors are so useful. They group objects together based on shared characteristics and behavior and define a blueprint that automates their creation.
Create another Dog
constructor. This time, set it up to take the parameters name
and color
, and have the property numLegs
fixed at 4. Then create a new Dog saved in a variable terrier
. Pass it two strings as arguments for the name and color properties.
function Dog(name, color) {
this.name = name;
this.color = color;
this.numLegs = 4
}
const terrier = new Dog('Terry', 'black');
Verify an Object's Constructor with instanceof
Anytime a constructor function creates a new object, that object is said to be an instance
of its constructor
. JavaScript gives a convenient way to verify this with the instanceof
operator. instanceof
allows you to compare an object to a constructor, returning true
or false
based on whether or not that object was created with the constructor. Here's an example:
let Bird = function(name, color) {
this.name = name;
this.color = color;
this.numLegs = 2;
}
let crow = new Bird("Alexis", "black");
crow instanceof Bird; // => true
If an object is created without using a constructor, instanceof
will verify that it is not an instance of that constructor:
let canary = {
name: "Mildred",
color: "Yellow",
numLegs: 2
};
canary instanceof Bird; // => false
Create a new instance of the House
constructor, calling it myHouse
and passing a number of bedrooms. Then, use instanceof
to verify that it is an instance of House
.
/* jshint expr: true */
function House(numBedrooms) {
this.numBedrooms = numBedrooms;
}
// Add your code below this line
const myHouse = new House(4);
myHouse instanceof House;
Understand Own Properties
In the following example, the Bird
constructor defines two properties: name
and numLegs
:
function Bird(name) {
this.name = name;
this.numLegs = 2;
}
let duck = new Bird("Donald");
let canary = new Bird("Tweety");
name
and numLegs
are called own properties, because they are defined directly on the instance object. That means that duck
and canary
each has its own separate copy of these properties.
In fact every instance of Bird
will have its own copy of these properties.
The following code adds all of the own properties of duck to the array ownProps
:
let ownProps = [];
for (let property in duck) {
if(duck.hasOwnProperty(property)) {
ownProps.push(property);
}
}
console.log(ownProps); // prints [ "name", "numLegs" ]
Add the own properties of canary
to the array ownProps
.
function Bird(name) {
this.name = name;
this.numLegs = 2;
}
let canary = new Bird("Tweety");
let ownProps = [];
// Add your code below this line
for (let prop in canary) {
if(canary.hasOwnProperty(prop)){
ownProps.push(prop);
}
}
console.log(ownProps);
Use Prototype Properties to Reduce Duplicate Code
Since numLegs
will probably have the same value for all instances of Bird
, you essentially have a duplicated variable numLegs
inside each Bird
instance.
This may not be an issue when there are only two instances, but imagine if there are millions of instances. That would be a lot of duplicated variables.
A better way is to use Bird’s prototype. The prototype
is an object that is shared among ALL instances of Bird
. Here's how to add numLegs
to the Bird
prototype:
Bird.prototype.numLegs = 2;
Now all instances of Bird
have the numLegs
property.
console.log(duck.numLegs); // prints 2
console.log(canary.numLegs); // prints 2
Since all instances automatically have the properties on the prototype, think of a prototype as a "recipe"
for creating objects.
Note that the prototype for duck
and canary
is part of the Bird constructor as Bird.prototype
. Nearly every object in JavaScript has a prototype property which is part of the constructor function that created it.
Add a numLegs
property to the prototype of Dog
function Dog(name) {
this.name = name;
}
Dog.prototype.numLegs = 4;
// Add your code above this line
let beagle = new Dog("Snoopy");
Iterate Over All Properties
You have now seen two kinds of properties: own properties and prototype properties. Own properties are defined directly on the object instance itself. And prototype properties are defined on the prototype.
function Bird(name) {
this.name = name; //own property
}
Bird.prototype.numLegs = 2; // prototype property
let duck = new Bird("Donald");
Here is how you add duck’s own properties to the array ownProps
and prototype properties to the array prototypeProps
:
let ownProps = [];
let prototypeProps = [];
for (let property in duck) {
if(duck.hasOwnProperty(property)) {
ownProps.push(property);
} else {
prototypeProps.push(property);
}
}
console.log(ownProps); // prints ["name"]
console.log(prototypeProps); // prints ["numLegs"]
Add all of the own properties of beagle
to the array ownProps
. Add all of the prototype properties of Dog
to the array prototypeProps
.
function Dog(name) {
this.name = name;
}
Dog.prototype.numLegs = 4;
let beagle = new Dog("Snoopy");
let ownProps = [];
let prototypeProps = [];
// Add your code below this line
for (let prop in beagle){
beagle.hasOwnProperty(prop) ? ownProps.push(prop) : prototypeProps.push(prop);
}
Understand the Constructor Property
There is a special constructor
property located on the object instances duck
and beagle
that were created in the previous challenges:
let duck = new Bird();
let beagle = new Dog();
console.log(duck.constructor === Bird); //prints true
console.log(beagle.constructor === Dog); //prints true
Note that the constructor
property is a reference to the constructor function that created the instance.
The advantage of the constructor property is that it's possible to check for this property to find out what kind of object it is. Here's an example of how this could be used:
function joinBirdFraternity(candidate) {
if (candidate.constructor === Bird) {
return true;
} else {
return false;
}
}
Note
Since the constructor
property can be overwritten (which will be covered in the next two challenges) it’s generally better to use the instanceof
method to check the type of an object.
Write a joinDogFraternity
function that takes a candidate
parameter and, using the constructor
property, return true
if the candidate is a Dog
, otherwise return false
.
function Dog(name) {
this.name = name;
}
// Add your code below this line
function joinDogFraternity(candidate) {
return (candidate.constructor === Dog) ? true : false;
}
Change the Prototype to a New Object
Up until now you have been adding properties to the prototype individually:
Bird.prototype.numLegs = 2;
This becomes tedious after more than a few properties.
Bird.prototype.eat = function() {
console.log("nom nom nom");
}
Bird.prototype.describe = function() {
console.log("My name is " + this.name);
}
A more efficient way is to set the prototype to a new object that already contains the properties. This way, the properties are added all at once:
Bird.prototype = {
numLegs: 2,
eat: function() {
console.log("nom nom nom");
},
describe: function() {
console.log("My name is " + this.name);
}
};
Add the property numLegs
and the two methods eat()
and describe()
to the prototype of Dog
by setting the prototype to a new object.
function Dog(name) {
this.name = name;
}
Dog.prototype = {
// Add your code below this line
numLegs : 4,
eat : function() {
console.log('nom nom nom')
},
describe() {
console.log(`My name is ${this.name}`);
}
};
Remember to Set the Constructor Property when Changing the Prototype
There is one crucial side effect of manually setting the prototype to a new object. It erased the constructor
property! The code in the previous challenge would print the following for duck:
console.log(duck.constructor)
// prints ‘undefined’ - Oops!
To fix this, whenever a prototype is manually set to a new object, remember to define the constructor
property:
Bird.prototype = {
constructor: Bird, // define the constructor property
numLegs: 2,
eat: function() {
console.log("nom nom nom");
},
describe: function() {
console.log("My name is " + this.name);
}
};
Define the constructor
property on the Dog
prototype.
function Dog(name) {
this.name = name;
}
// Modify the code below this line
Dog.prototype = {
constructor: Dog,
numLegs: 2,
eat: function() {
console.log("nom nom nom");
},
describe: function() {
console.log("My name is " + this.name);
}
};
Understand Where an Object’s Prototype Comes From
Just like people inherit genes from their parents, an object inherits its prototype directly from the constructor function that created it. For example, here the Bird
constructor creates the duck
object:
function Bird(name) {
this.name = name;
}
let duck = new Bird("Donald");
duck
inherits its prototype from the Bird
constructor function. You can show this relationship with the isPrototypeOf
method:
Bird.prototype.isPrototypeOf(duck);
// returns true
Use isPrototypeOf
to check the prototype of beagle.
function Dog(name) {
this.name = name;
}
let beagle = new Dog("Snoopy");
// Add your code below this line
Dog.prototype.isPrototypeOf(beagle);
Understand the Prototype Chain
All objects in JavaScript (with a few exceptions) have a prototype
. Also, an object’s prototype
itself is an object.
function Bird(name) {
this.name = name;
}
typeof Bird.prototype; // => object
Because a prototype
is an object, a prototype
can have its own prototype
! In this case, the prototype
of Bird.prototype
is Object.prototype
:
Object.prototype.isPrototypeOf(Bird.prototype);
// returns true
How is this useful? You may recall the hasOwnProperty
method from a previous challenge:
let duck = new Bird("Donald");
duck.hasOwnProperty("name"); // => true
The hasOwnProperty
method is defined in Object.prototype
, which can be accessed by Bird.prototype
, which can then be accessed by duck
. This is an example of the prototype chain.
In this prototype chain, Bird
is the supertype
for duck
, while duck
is the subtype
. Object
is a supertype
for both Bird
and duck
.
Object
is a supertype
for all objects in JavaScript. Therefore, any object can use the hasOwnProperty
method.
Modify the code to show the correct prototype chain.
function Dog(name) {
this.name = name;
}
let beagle = new Dog("Snoopy");
Dog.prototype.isPrototypeOf(beagle); // => true
// Fix the code below so that it evaluates to true
Object.prototype.isPrototypeOf(Dog.prototype);
Use Inheritance So You Don't Repeat Yourself
There's a principle in programming called Don't Repeat Yourself (DRY)
. The reason repeated code is a problem is because any change requires fixing code in multiple places. This usually means more work for programmers and more room for errors.
Notice in the example below that the describe method is shared by Bird
and Dog
:
Bird.prototype = {
constructor: Bird,
describe: function() {
console.log("My name is " + this.name);
}
};
Dog.prototype = {
constructor: Dog,
describe: function() {
console.log("My name is " + this.name);
}
};
The describe
method is repeated in two places. The code can be edited to follow the DRY
principle by creating a supertype
(or parent
) called Animal
:
function Animal() { };
Animal.prototype = {
constructor: Animal,
describe: function() {
console.log("My name is " + this.name);
}
};
Since Animal
includes the describe
method, you can remove it from Bird
and Dog
:
Bird.prototype = {
constructor: Bird
};
Dog.prototype = {
constructor: Dog
};
The eat
method is repeated in both Cat
and Bear
. Edit the code in the spirit of DRY
by moving the eat
method to the Animal
supertype.
function Cat(name) {
this.name = name;
}
Cat.prototype = {
constructor: Cat,
};
function Bear(name) {
this.name = name;
}
Bear.prototype = {
constructor: Bear,
};
function Animal() { }
Animal.prototype = {
constructor: Animal,
eat: function() {
console.log("nom nom nom");
}
};
Inherit Behaviors from a Supertype
In the previous challenge, you created a supertype
called Animal
that defined behaviors shared by all animals:
function Animal() { }
Animal.prototype.eat = function() {
console.log("nom nom nom");
};
This and the next challenge will cover how to reuse Animal
's methods inside Bird
and Dog
without defining them again. It uses a technique called inheritance
.
This challenge covers the first step: make an instance of the supertype
(or parent).
You already know one way to create an instance of Animal
using the new
operator:
let animal = new Animal();
There are some disadvantages when using this syntax for inheritance, which are too complex for the scope of this challenge. Instead, here's an alternative approach without those disadvantages:
let animal = Object.create(Animal.prototype);
Object.create(obj)
creates a new object, and sets obj
as the new object's prototype
. Recall that the prototype is like the "recipe" for creating an object. By setting the prototype
of animal
to be Animal
's prototype, you are effectively giving the animal instance the same "recipe" as any other instance of Animal
.
animal.eat(); // prints "nom nom nom"
animal instanceof Animal; // => true
Use Object.create
to make two instances of Animal
named duck
and beagle
.
function Animal() { }
Animal.prototype = {
constructor: Animal,
eat: function() {
console.log("nom nom nom");
}
};
// Add your code below this line
let duck = Object.create(Animal.prototype); // Change this line
let beagle = Object.create(Animal.prototype); // Change this line
duck.eat(); // Should print "nom nom nom"
beagle.eat(); // Should print "nom nom nom"
Set the Child's Prototype to an Instance of the Parent
In the previous challenge you saw the first step for inheriting behavior from the supertype
(or parent) Animal
: making a new instance of Animal.
This challenge covers the next step: set the prototype
of the subtype
(or child)—in this case, Bird—to be an instance of Animal
.
Bird.prototype = Object.create(Animal.prototype);
Remember that the prototype is like the "recipe" for creating an object. In a way, the recipe for Bird now includes all the key "ingredients" from Animal.
let duck = new Bird("Donald");
duck.eat(); // prints "nom nom nom"
duck
inherits all of Animal
's properties, including the eat method.
Modify the code so that instances of Dog
inherit from Animal
.
function Animal() { }
Animal.prototype = {
constructor: Animal,
eat: function() {
console.log("nom nom nom");
}
};
function Dog() { }
// Add your code below this line
Dog.prototype = Object.create(Animal.prototype);
let beagle = new Dog();
beagle.eat(); // Should print "nom nom nom"
Reset an Inherited Constructor Property
When an object inherits its prototype from another object, it also inherits the supertype
's constructor
property.
Here's an example:
function Bird() { }
Bird.prototype = Object.create(Animal.prototype);
let duck = new Bird();
duck.constructor // function Animal(){...}
But duck
and all instances of Bird
should show that they were constructed by Bird
and not Animal
. To do so, you can manually set Bird's constructor property to the Bird object:
Bird.prototype.constructor = Bird;
duck.constructor // function Bird(){...}
Fix the code so duck.constructor
and beagle.constructor
return their respective constructors.
function Animal() { }
function Bird() { }
function Dog() { }
Bird.prototype = Object.create(Animal.prototype);
Dog.prototype = Object.create(Animal.prototype);
// Add your code below this line
Bird.prototype.constructor = Bird;
Dog.prototype.constructor = Dog;
let duck = new Bird();
let beagle = new Dog();
Add Methods After Inheritance
A constructor function that inherits its prototype object from a supertype
constructor function can still have its own methods in addition to inherited methods.
For example, Bird
is a constructor that inherits its prototype
from Animal
:
function Animal() { }
Animal.prototype.eat = function() {
console.log("nom nom nom");
};
function Bird() { }
Bird.prototype = Object.create(Animal.prototype);
Bird.prototype.constructor = Bird;
In addition to what is inherited from Animal
, you want to add behavior that is unique to Bird
objects. Here, Bird will get a fly()
function. Functions are added to Bird
's prototype the same way as any constructor
function:
Bird.prototype.fly = function() {
console.log("I'm flying!");
};
Now instances of Bird will have both eat()
and fly()
methods:
let duck = new Bird();
duck.eat(); // prints "nom nom nom"
duck.fly(); // prints "I'm flying!"
Add all necessary code so the Dog
object inherits from Animal
and the Dog
's prototype
constructor is set to Dog
. Then add a bark()
method to the Dog
object so that beagle
can both eat(
) and bark()
. The bark()
method should print "Woof!"
to the console.
function Animal() { }
Animal.prototype.eat = function() { console.log("nom nom nom"); };
function Dog() { }
// Add your code below this line
Dog.prototype = Object.create(Animal.prototype);
Dog.prototype.constructor = Dog;
Dog.prototype.bark = function() {
console.log('Woof!');
}
// Add your code above this line
let beagle = new Dog();
beagle.eat(); // Should print "nom nom nom"
beagle.bark(); // Should print "Woof!"
Override Inherited Methods
In previous lessons, you learned that an object can inherit its behavior (methods) from another object by cloning its prototype
object:
ChildObject.prototype = Object.create(ParentObject.prototype);
Then the ChildObject
received its own methods by chaining them onto its prototype
:
ChildObject.prototype.methodName = function() {...};
It's possible to override
an inherited method. It's done the same way - by adding a method to ChildObject.prototype using the same method name as the one to override.
Here's an example of Bird
overriding the eat()
method inherited from Animal
:
function Animal() { }
Animal.prototype.eat = function() {
return "nom nom nom";
};
function Bird() { }
// Inherit all methods from Animal
Bird.prototype = Object.create(Animal.prototype);
// Bird.eat() overrides Animal.eat()
Bird.prototype.eat = function() {
return "peck peck peck";
};
If you have an instance let duck = new Bird();
and you call duck.eat()
, this is how JavaScript looks for the method on duck
’s prototype chain
:
-
duck => Is eat() defined here? No.
-
Bird => Is eat() defined here? => Yes. Execute it and stop searching.
-
Animal => eat() is also defined, but JavaScript stopped searching before reaching this level.
-
Object => JavaScript stopped searching before reaching this level.
Override the fly()
method for Penguin
so that it returns "Alas, this is a flightless bird."
function Bird() { }
Bird.prototype.fly = function() { return "I am flying!"; };
function Penguin() { }
Penguin.prototype = Object.create(Bird.prototype);
Penguin.prototype.constructor = Penguin;
// Add your code below this line
Penguin.prototype.fly = function() {
return 'Alas, this is a flightless bird.';
}
// Add your code above this line
let penguin = new Penguin();
console.log(penguin.fly());
Use a Mixin to Add Common Behavior Between Unrelated Objects
As you have seen, behavior is shared through inheritance. However, there are cases when inheritance is not the best solution. Inheritance does not work well for unrelated objects like Bird
and Airplane
. They can both fly, but a Bird
is not a type of Airplane
and vice versa.
For unrelated objects, it's better to use mixins
. A mixin
allows other objects to use a collection of functions.
let flyMixin = function(obj) {
obj.fly = function() {
console.log("Flying, wooosh!");
}
};
The flyMixin
takes any object and gives it the fly
method.
let bird = {
name: "Donald",
numLegs: 2
};
let plane = {
model: "777",
numPassengers: 524
};
flyMixin(bird);
flyMixin(plane);
Here bird and plane are passed into flyMixin
, which then assigns the fly
function to each object. Now bird
and plane
can both fly:
bird.fly(); // prints "Flying, wooosh!"
plane.fly(); // prints "Flying, wooosh!"
Note how the mixin
allows for the same fly
method to be reused by unrelated objects bird
and plane
.
Create a mixin named glideMixin
that defines a method named glide
. Then use the glideMixin
to give both bird
and boat
the ability to glide
.
let bird = {
name: "Donald",
numLegs: 2
};
let boat = {
name: "Warrior",
type: "race-boat"
};
// Add your code below this line
function glideMixin(obj) {
obj.glide = function() {
}
}
glideMixin(bird);
glideMixin(boat);
Use Closure to Protect Properties Within an Object from Being Modified Externally
In the previous challenge, bird
had a public property name. It is considered public because it can be accessed and changed outside of bird
's definition.
bird.name = "Duffy";
Therefore, any part of your code can easily change the name of bird to any value. Think about things like passwords and bank accounts being easily changeable by any part of your codebase. That could cause a lot of issues.
The simplest way to make properties private is by creating a variable within the constructor
function. This changes the scope of that variable to be within the constructor
function versus available globally. This way, the property can only be accessed and changed by methods also within the constructor
function.
function Bird() {
let hatchedEgg = 10; // private property
this.getHatchedEggCount = function() { // publicly available method that a bird object can use
return hatchedEgg;
};
}
let ducky = new Bird();
ducky.getHatchedEggCount(); // returns 10
Here getHachedEggCount
is a privileged method, because it has access to the private variable hatchedEgg
. This is possible because hatchedEgg
is declared in the same context as getHachedEggCount
. In JavaScript, a function always has access to the context in which it was created. This is called closure.
Change how weight
is declared in the Bird
function so it is a private variable. Then, create a method getWeight
that returns the value of weight
.
function Bird() {
let weight = 15;
this.getWeight = function() {
return weight;
}
}
Understand the Immediately Invoked Function Expression (IIFE)
A common pattern in JavaScript is to execute a function as soon as it is declared:
(function () {
console.log("Chirp, chirp!");
})(); // this is an anonymous function expression that executes right away
// Outputs "Chirp, chirp!" immediately
Note that the function has no name and is not stored in a variable. The two parentheses ()
at the end of the function expression cause it to be immediately executed or invoked. This pattern is known as an immediately invoked function expression
or IIFE
.
Rewrite the function makeNest
and remove its call so instead it's an anonymous immediately invoked function expression
(IIFE
).
(function () {
console.log("A cozy nest is ready");
})();
Use an IIFE to Create a Module
An immediately invoked function expression
(IIFE
) is often used to group related functionality into a single object or module
. For example, an earlier challenge defined two mixins:
function glideMixin(obj) {
obj.glide = function() {
console.log("Gliding on the water");
};
}
function flyMixin(obj) {
obj.fly = function() {
console.log("Flying, wooosh!");
};
}
We can group these mixins
into a module
as follows:
let motionModule = (function () {
return {
glideMixin: function (obj) {
obj.glide = function() {
console.log("Gliding on the water");
};
},
flyMixin: function(obj) {
obj.fly = function() {
console.log("Flying, wooosh!");
};
}
}
}) (); // The two parentheses cause the function to be immediately invoked
Note that you have an immediately invoked function expression (IIFE) that returns an object motionModule. This returned object contains all of the mixin
behaviors as properties of the object.
The advantage of the module pattern is that all of the motion behaviors can be packaged into a single object that can then be used by other parts of your code. Here is an example using it:
motionModule.glideMixin(duck);
duck.glide();
Create a module named funModule
to wrap the two mixins isCuteMixin
and singMixin
. funModule
should return an object.
const funModule = (function () {
return {
isCuteMixin: function (obj) {
obj.isCute = function () {
return true;
};
},
singMixin: function (obj) {
obj.sing = function () {
console.log("Singing to an awesome tune");
};
}
}
})();