I have a Factory class that creates a Widget object. The Factory object needs to callback a "private method" of the Widget object at a later time to pass it some ajax info. So far, the only implementation I've come up with is to create a public method in the Widget that returns the private method to the factory, and then deletes itself, the Factory then returns the new Widget while retaining a pointer to the private method. Here is a simplified example:
function Factory()
{
var widgetCallback = null;
this.ajaxOperation = function()
{
//some ajax calls
widgetCallback('ajaxresults');
}
this.getNewWidget = function()
{
var wid = new Widget();
widgetCallback = wid.getCallback();
return wid;
}
function Widget()
{
var state = 'no state';
var self = this;
var modifyState = function(newState)
{
state = newState;
}
this.getState = function()
{
return state;
}
this.getCallback = function()
{
delete self.getCallback;
return modifyState;
}
}
}
Is there a better way to achieve the effect I'm after or is this a fairly reasonable approach? I know it works, just curious if I'm stepping into any pitfalls I should be aware of.
this.getNewWidget = function() {
var val = new Widget(),
wid = val[0],
widgetCallback = val[1];
return wid;
}
function Widget() {
var state = 'no state';
var self = this;
var modifyState = function(newState) {
state = newState;
}
this.getState = function() {
return state;
}
// Return tuple of Widget and callback
return [this, modifyState];
}
Just get your constructor to return a Tuple<Widget, function>
Alternative just use closure scope to edit widgetCallback
directly in your Widget
constructor
function Factory() {
var widgetCallback = null;
this.ajaxOperation = function() {
//some ajax calls
widgetCallback('ajaxresults');
}
this.getNewWidget = function() {
return new Widget();;
}
function Widget() {
var state = 'no state';
var self = this;
// set it directly here!
widgetCallback = function(newState) {
state = newState;
}
this.getState = function() {
return state;
}
}
}
I'm not familiar enough with object oriented JavaScript (I use mostly one-or-two liners inside GWT code) to actually give an Real Answer (But I found that my response were a bit long for a comment...)
I think self-modifying classes, sounds like a major potential for gotcha's.
I personally prefer languages such as JavaScript, Ruby, etc. that are not restrictive in what you can do (even if I have to use Java+GWT at work, hehe), but where you rely self discipline to not do stupid things. I would rather prefix the method name with "_" (and simply avoid using it where I should not), than try to enforce private methods. Since JavaScript by nature is very unrestricted in what crazy things you may do, it requires a lot of discipline anyway.
If you deleted a method after use; to kind-of-protecting it, could you not just as easily add a new method to do the same? You would still rely on your (and others) self discipline and sanity anyway, aren't you?