JarCastingmethod
Library provides an API for defining polymorphic methods that dispatch on the first argument type. This provides a powerful way for decouple abstraction interface definition from an actual implementations per type / instance, without risks of interference with other libraries.
Motivation
- Provide a high-performance, dynamic polymorphism construct as an alternative to existing object methods that does not provides any mechanics for guarding against name conflicts.
- Allow independent extension of types, and implementations of methods on types, by different parties.
Install
npm install method
Use
var method = require("method")
// Define `isWatchable` method that can be implemented for any type.
// Use some UNIQUE identifer for the method to avoid any naming collisions.
// If not provided one will be generate but with npm it's easy to end up
// with copies of same library and there for copies of the same function
// leading to surprises. So just really pick a name that is unique!
var isWatchable = method("isWatchable@watchables")
// If you call it on any object it will
// throw as nothing implements that method yet.
//isWatchable({}) // => Exception: method is not implemented
// If you define private method on `Object.prototype`
// all objects will inherit it.
Object.prototype[isWatchable] = function() {
return false;
}
isWatchable({}) // => false
// Although `isWatchable` property above will be enumerable and there for
// may damage some assumbtions made by other libraries. There for it"s
// recomended to use built-in helpers methods that will define extension
// without breaking assumbtions made by other libraries:
isWatchable.define(Object, function() { return false })
// There are primitive types in JS that won"t inherit methods from Object:
isWatchable(null) // => Exception: method is not implemented
// One could either implement methods for such types:
isWatchable.define(null, function() { return false })
isWatchable.define(undefined, function() { return false })
// Or simply define default implementation:
isWatchable.define(function() { return false })
// Alternatively default implementation may be provided at creation:
isWatchable = method(function() { return false })
// Method dispatches on an first argument type. That allows us to create
// new types with an alternative implementations:
function Watchable() {}
isWatchable.define(Watchable, function() { return true })
// This will make all `Watchable` instances watchable!
isWatchable(new Watchable()) // => true
// Arbitrary objects can also be extended to implement given method. For example
// any object can simply made watchable:
function watchable(object) {
return isWatchable.implement(objct, function() { return true })
}
isWatchable(watchable({})) // => true
// Full protocols can be defined with such methods:
var observers = "observers@" + module.filename
var watchers = method("watchers@watchables")
var watch = method("watch@watchables")
var unwatch = method("unwatch@watchables")
watchers.define(Watchable, function(target) {
return target[observers] || (target[observers] = [])
})
watch.define(Watchable, function(target, watcher) {
var observers = watchers(target)
if (observers.indexOf(watcher) < 0) observers.push(watcher)
return target
})
unwatch.define(Watchable, function(target, watcher) {
var observers = watchers(target)
var index = observers.indexOf(watcher)
if (observers.indexOf(watcher) >= 0) observers.unshift(watcher)
return target
})
// Define type Port that inherits form Watchable
function Port() {}
Port.prototype = Object.create(Watchable.prototype)
var emit = method("emit")
emit.define(Port, function(port, message) {
watchers(port).slice().forEach(function(watcher) {
watcher(message)
})
})
var p = new Port()
watch(p, console.log)
emit(p, "hello world") // => info: "hello world"