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I wonder if anyone can clear up an OOP issue for me, specifically, how
to have multiple child objects of a parent object. Consider the code
below:

var parentObj={
childCount: 0,
childObj: {
id:false,
init: function() {
alert(this.id);
parentObj.childCount++;
this.id = parentObj.childCount;
alert("Child " + this.id + " Created");
}
}
}

Calling 'parentObj.childObj.init();', the first alert produces
'undefined' and the second 'Child 1 Created'. A second call to
'parentObj.childObj.init();' produces the '1' from above instead of
the 'undefined' I'm expecting - I realise this is because I'm working
with the same object.

However, calling 'var firstChild = parentObj.childObj.init(); var
secondChild = parentObj.childObj.init()' produces the same result (as
does 'var firstChild = parentObj.childObj; firstChild.init().

I've also tried the 'new' operator. But the code 'var firstChild =
new parentObj.childObj;' produces the error 'parent.childObjis not a
constructor'.

Thus, you can see I'm missing the point - can anyone point me in the
right direction?

On Oct 18, 2:39 pm, iporter wrote:
<snip>
> var parentObj={
> childCount: 0,
> childObj: {
> id:false,
> init: function() {
> alert(this.id);
> parentObj.childCount++;
> this.id = parentObj.childCount;
> alert("Child " + this.id + " Created");
> }
> }
>
> }
>
> Calling 'parentObj.childObj.init();', the first alert
> produces 'undefined' ...

This description is either false or omitting significant context
information.

<snip>
> Thus, you can see I'm missing the point - can anyone point
> me in the right direction?

You have not explained what you are trying to acheave.

On Oct 18, 11:39 pm, iporter <ispor...@gmail.com> wrote:
> I wonder if anyone can clear up an OOP issue for me, specifically, how
> to have multiple child objects of a parent object. Consider the code
> below:
>
> var parentObj={
> childCount: 0,
> childObj: {
> id:false,
> init: function() {
> alert(this.id);

When init is called as a method of childObj, the function's this
keyword will be set as a reference to childObj.

> parentObj.childCount++;
> this.id = parentObj.childCount;

And here you set childObj.id to the value of the recently incremented
childCount.


> alert("Child " + this.id + " Created");
> }
> }
> }
>
> Calling 'parentObj.childObj.init();', the first alert produces
> 'undefined'

For me it shows false in both IE and Firefox.

> and the second 'Child 1 Created'. A second call to
> 'parentObj.childObj.init();' produces the '1' from above instead of
> the 'undefined' I'm expecting - I realise this is because I'm working
> with the same object.

Why would you expect it to be 'undefined' when a direct consequence of
calling parentObj.childObj.init is to set the id property of
parentObj.childObj to parentObj.childCount, which you increment each
time the init function is called?


> However, calling 'var firstChild = parentObj.childObj.init(); var
> secondChild = parentObj.childObj.init()'

Given that the function doesn't return anything, the value of
firstChild and secondChild will be undefined.

> produces the same result (as
> does 'var firstChild = parentObj.childObj; firstChild.init().

Which result is that? The result of calling the function twice will
not change just because you assign the results to different variables.


> I've also tried the 'new' operator. But the code 'var firstChild =
> new parentObj.childObj;' produces the error 'parent.childObjis not a
> constructor'.

Precisely. The new operator expects to be used with a function, not a
plain object.


> Thus, you can see I'm missing the point - can anyone point me in the
> right direction?

If I had any idea what that might be I'd try, hopefully the above will
help you to ask a question that can be answered more precisely.

It seems to me that your issue is not creating an object structure,
but understanding how the value of a function's this keyword is set.
Try this thread:

<URL:
http://groups.google.com.au/group/co...34df52136d6a13
>



--
Rob

On Oct 18, 8:56 pm, RobG <rg...@iinet.net.au> wrote:
> On Oct 18, 11:39 pm, iporter <ispor...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > I wonder if anyone can clear up an OOP issue for me, specifically, how
> > to have multiple child objects of a parent object. Consider the code
> > below:
>
> > var parentObj={
> > childCount: 0,
> > childObj: {
> > id:false,
> > init: function() {
> > alert(this.id);
>
> When init is called as a method of childObj, the function's this
> keyword will be set as a reference to childObj.
>
Yep.



var anInit = parentObj.childObj.init(); // childObj has been modified.
anInit == undefined;

But what is happening when you use new?

var anInit = new parentObj.childObj.init();
anInit instanceof parentObj.childObj.init;

Garrett

> --
> Rob

On Oct 19, 5:05 pm, "dhtmlkitc...@gmail.com" <dhtmlkitc...@gmail.com>
wrote:
[...]
> But what is happening when you use new?
>
> var anInit = new parentObj.childObj.init();
> anInit instanceof parentObj.childObj.init;

That is not what the OP posted, the original is:

"...the code 'var firstChild =
new parentObj.childObj;' produces the error
'parent.childObjis not a constructor'."


--
Rob