CODEWITHSUNDEEP
javascript
Himmators
Himmators

Reputation: 15006

Should I pass an object property into an object method?

I'm trying to learn object-oriented javascript. Working with a simple method I want to do this:

var users = function(url){
    this.url = url;
    this.log = function(){
        console.log(this.url);
    }
}
var apiPoint = "https://www.zenconomy.se/api/admin/tracking?format=json"
var liveUsers = new users(apiPoint)
liveUsers.log()

However, I've learned that it's often a good idea to pass variables into functions when working with normal functions, in objects however, this seems a bit clunky.

var users = function(url){
    this.url = url;
    this.log = function(url){
        console.log(url);
    }
}
var apiPoint = "here is my url"
var liveUsers = new users(apiPoint)
liveUsers.log(liveUsers.url)

Both methods work. What are the pros and cons of the different approaches, assuming that users.log only ever need properties from inside the users-class.

Upvotes: 8

Views: 128

Answers (2)

Mike
Mike

Reputation: 349

you just mentioned you are trying to learn OOP in javascript, but actually, consider the log function in your user object, if there is no users instance, no log method eigther. That's not the same concept according to OO in C++ or C#. In my opinion, prototype will best describe the oop, do as following:

var users = function(url){
    this.url = url;
}
users.prototype.log = function(){
    console.log(this.url);
}

in this way, log will not be in any instance of users, it exists in __proto__ which is a reference of prototype in any instance. That means when you create instances, they share all the functions, same as C++ or C#. finally, you should never use the second sample in your post, that's not OO things.

Upvotes: 1

user663031
user663031

Reputation:

If you want log to always print the object's URL, then of course you would not pass in the object's URL as a parameter, since log can get it itself.

If you want to log various properties of the object, I'd suggest making separate routines such as logUrl and logBlah for the individual cases.

If you want log to print some arbitrary value, then it goes without saying that you need to pass in the value.

If there is nothing about logging that relates to the object, then you can just have a logging routine independent of the object that logs whatever you pass it.

Upvotes: 0

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