Accessing private member variables from prototype-

Question

Is there any way to make “private” variables (those defined in the constructor), available to prototype-defined methods?

TestClass = function(){
    var privateField = "hello";
    this.nonProtoHello = function(){alert(privateField)};
};
TestClass.prototype.prototypeHello = function(){alert(privateField)};

This works:

t.nonProtoHello()

But this doesn’t:

t.prototypeHello()

I’m used to defining my methods inside the constructor, but am moving away from that for a couple reasons.

Answer 1

You need to change 3 things in your code:

1. Replace var privateField = "hello" with this.privateField = "hello".
2. In the prototype replace privateField with this.privateField.
3. In the non-prototype also replace privateField with this.privateField.

The final code would be the following:

TestClass = function(){
    this.privateField = "hello";
    this.nonProtoHello = function(){alert(this.privateField)};
}

TestClass.prototype.prototypeHello = function(){alert(this.privateField)};

var t = new TestClass();

t.prototypeHello()

Answer 2

There's a simpler way by leveraging the use of bind and call methods.

By setting private variables to an object, you can leverage that object's scope.

Example

function TestClass (value) {
    // The private value(s)
    var _private = {
        value: value
    };

    // `bind` creates a copy of `getValue` when the object is instantiated
    this.getValue = TestClass.prototype.getValue.bind(_private);

    // Use `call` in another function if the prototype method will possibly change
    this.getValueDynamic = function() {
        return TestClass.prototype.getValue.call(_private);
    };
};

TestClass.prototype.getValue = function() {
    return this.value;
};

---

This method isn't without drawbacks. Since the scope context is effectively being overridden, you don't have access outside of the _private object. However, it isn't impossible though to still give access to the instance object's scope. You can pass in the object's context (this) as the second argument to bind or call to still have access to it's public values in the prototype function.

Accessing public values

function TestClass (value) {
    var _private = {
        value: value
    };

    this.message = "Hello, ";

    this.getMessage = TestClass.prototype.getMessage.bind(_private, this);

}

TestClass.prototype.getMessage = function(_public) {

    // Can still access passed in arguments
    // e.g. – test.getValues('foo'), 'foo' is the 2nd argument to the method
    console.log([].slice.call(arguments, 1));
    return _public.message + this.value;
};

var test = new TestClass("World");
test.getMessage(1, 2, 3); // [1, 2, 3]         (console.log)
                          // => "Hello, World" (return value)

test.message = "Greetings, ";
test.getMessage(); // []                    (console.log)
                   // => "Greetings, World" (return value)

Answer 3

No, there's no way to do it. That would essentially be scoping in reverse.

Methods defined inside the constructor have access to private variables because all functions have access to the scope in which they were defined.

Methods defined on a prototype are not defined within the scope of the constructor, and will not have access to the constructor's local variables.

You can still have private variables, but if you want methods defined on the prototype to have access to them, you should define getters and setters on the this object, which the prototype methods (along with everything else) will have access to. For example:

function Person(name, secret) {
    // public
    this.name = name;

    // private
    var secret = secret;

    // public methods have access to private members
    this.setSecret = function(s) {
        secret = s;
    }

    this.getSecret = function() {
        return secret;
    }
}

// Must use getters/setters 
Person.prototype.spillSecret = function() { alert(this.getSecret()); };

Answer 4

In current JavaScript, I'm fairly certain that there is one and only one way to have private state, accessible from prototype functions, without adding anything public to this. The answer is to use the "weak map" pattern.

To sum it up: The Person class has a single weak map, where the keys are the instances of Person, and the values are plain objects that are used for private storage.

Here is a fully functional example: (play at http://jsfiddle.net/ScottRippey/BLNVr/)

var Person = (function() {
    var _ = weakMap();
    // Now, _(this) returns an object, used for private storage.
    var Person = function(first, last) {
        // Assign private storage:
        _(this).firstName = first;
        _(this).lastName = last;
    }
    Person.prototype = {
        fullName: function() {
            // Retrieve private storage:
            return _(this).firstName + _(this).lastName;
        },
        firstName: function() {
            return _(this).firstName;
        },
        destroy: function() {
            // Free up the private storage:
            _(this, true);
        }
    };
    return Person;
})();

function weakMap() {
    var instances=[], values=[];
    return function(instance, destroy) {
        var index = instances.indexOf(instance);
        if (destroy) {
            // Delete the private state:
            instances.splice(index, 1);
            return values.splice(index, 1)[0];
        } else if (index === -1) {
            // Create the private state:
            instances.push(instance);
            values.push({});
            return values[values.length - 1];
        } else {
            // Return the private state:
            return values[index];
        }
    };
}

Like I said, this is really the only way to achieve all 3 parts.

There are two caveats, however. First, this costs performance -- every time you access the private data, it's an O(n) operation, where n is the number of instances. So you won't want to do this if you have a large number of instances. Second, when you're done with an instance, you must call destroy; otherwise, the instance and the data will not be garbage collected, and you'll end up with a memory leak.

And that's why my original answer, "You shouldn't", is something I'd like to stick to.

Answer 5

see Doug Crockford's page on this. You have to do it indirectly with something that can access the scope of the private variable.

another example:

Incrementer = function(init) {
  var counter = init || 0;  // "counter" is a private variable
  this._increment = function() { return counter++; }
  this._set = function(x) { counter = x; }
}
Incrementer.prototype.increment = function() { return this._increment(); }
Incrementer.prototype.set = function(x) { return this._set(x); }

use case:

js>i = new Incrementer(100);
[object Object]
js>i.increment()
100
js>i.increment()
101
js>i.increment()
102
js>i.increment()
103
js>i.set(-44)
js>i.increment()
-44
js>i.increment()
-43
js>i.increment()
-42

Answer 6

Here's something I've come up with while trying to find most simple solution for this problem, perhaps it could be useful to someone. I'm new to javascript, so there might well be some issues with the code.

// pseudo-class definition scope
(function () {

    // this is used to identify 'friend' functions defined within this scope,
    // while not being able to forge valid parameter for GetContext() 
    // to gain 'private' access from outside
    var _scope = new (function () { })();
    // -----------------------------------------------------------------

    // pseudo-class definition
    this.Something = function (x) {

        // 'private' members are wrapped into context object,
        // it can be also created with a function
        var _ctx = Object.seal({

            // actual private members
            Name: null,
            Number: null,

            Somefunc: function () {
                console.log('Something(' + this.Name + ').Somefunc(): number = ' + this.Number);
            }
        });
        // -----------------------------------------------------------------

        // function below needs to be defined in every class
        // to allow limited access from prototype
        this.GetContext = function (scope) {

            if (scope !== _scope) throw 'access';
            return _ctx;
        }
        // -----------------------------------------------------------------

        {
            // initialization code, if any
            _ctx.Name = (x !== 'undefined') ? x : 'default';
            _ctx.Number = 0;

            Object.freeze(this);
        }
    }
    // -----------------------------------------------------------------

    // prototype is defined only once
    this.Something.prototype = Object.freeze({

        // public accessors for 'private' field
        get Number() { return this.GetContext(_scope).Number; },
        set Number(v) { this.GetContext(_scope).Number = v; },

        // public function making use of some private fields
        Test: function () {

            var _ctx = this.GetContext(_scope);
            // access 'private' field
            console.log('Something(' + _ctx.Name + ').Test(): ' + _ctx.Number);
            // call 'private' func
            _ctx.Somefunc();
        }
    });
    // -----------------------------------------------------------------

    // wrap is used to hide _scope value and group definitions
}).call(this);

function _A(cond) { if (cond !== true) throw new Error('assert failed'); }
// -----------------------------------------------------------------

function test_smth() {

    console.clear();

    var smth1 = new Something('first'),
      smth2 = new Something('second');

    //_A(false);
    _A(smth1.Test === smth2.Test);

    smth1.Number = 3;
    smth2.Number = 5;
    console.log('smth1.Number: ' + smth1.Number + ', smth2.Number: ' + smth2.Number);

    smth1.Number = 2;
    smth2.Number = 6;

    smth1.Test();
    smth2.Test();

    try {
        var ctx = smth1.GetContext();
    } catch (err) {
        console.log('error: ' + err);
    }
}

test_smth();