Function#create ~ fiercely idiomatic alternatives to JavaScript object construction ~ with variation for inheritance

function-create.js

// Note 16 DEC 2014
// see tweet re ES6 classes ~ https://twitter.com/Keithamus/status/543409270029844480

//////

// July 23-24, 2014

// TODO: more examples - prototypes, composition, aggregation

// 3 June 2015 ~ fixed examples and Object.create, added Object.keys

// this version does not "inherit"

// We have Object.create() - or if not we use this:

Object.create || (function() {
  function F() {}
  Object.create = function(o){
    F.prototype = o;
    return new F;
  };
}());

// but Object.create doesn't create a Function, and it doesn't execute one if passed in.
// A factory or create method on each function would enable us to stop using 'new', write
// bare-bones 'constructor' functions that don't need argument lists, and avoid the need 
// for an additional init() method being attached to a prototype.

// create() would instead take an initializer function that sets or overrides properties 
// on a newly created object. 

// 26 July ~ create() could take a second options argument for setting defaults that the initializer
// would override.

// 26 July ~ create() could also allow zero arguments to be passed in, and simply return the simplest 
// instance of the constructable object.

// first, an Object.keys shim:
Object.keys || (Object.keys = function(o) {
  if (o == null) {
    throw new TypeError("can't convert " + o + " to object");
  }
  var keys = [];
  for (var k in o) {
    o.hasOwnProperty(k) && (keys.push(k));
  }
  return keys;
});

// now, here's an under-development implementation of that method:

Function.prototype.create || 
(Function.prototype.create = function create(fn, opts) {
  
  var o = Object.create(this.prototype);
  
  // support default assignments
  if (opts && typeof opts == 'object') {
    Object.keys(opts).forEach(function(k) {
      o[k] = opts[k];
    });
  }
  
  // support zero-arg calls
  fn && typeof fn == 'function' && fn.call(o, o);
  
  return o;
});

// Now, every function has its own .create() method which takes an initializer function
// which in turn takes an instance created from the prototype of the original function.

//////

// simple object with a default name property

function simple(fn) {
  return simple.create(fn, { name: 'default' });
}

// zero-arg call returns bare instance of the simple "type"
var anon = simple();

// call with initializer fn to override default name
var named = simple(function(simple){
  // EITHER
  simple.name = 'overridden';
  // OR 
  this.name = 'overridden';
});

console.log(anon); // simple {name: "default"}
console.log(named); // simple {name: "overridden"}

//////

// if you need something really anonymous like an IIFE or a sandbox, 
// create a one-off function to use as the anonymous context instead, 
// that you run once, sandbox forever

(function (){}).create(function(context) {
  context.name = 'sandbox';
  console.log(this); // Object { name="sandbox" }
});

// you can name your one-off fn for logging purposes:

(function sandbox(){}).create(function(context) {
  context.name = 'sandbox';
  console.log(this); // sandbox { name="sandbox" }
});

//////

// you can combine objects made in this way via their initializers

function A(fn) { return A.create(fn); }
function B(fn) { return B.create(fn); }

var b = B(function() {
  
  this.a = A(function(a) { a.name = 'b->a'; });
  
  console.warn(b.a.name == 'b->a');
});

//////

// prototypes are still supported

B.prototype.log = function (msg) {
  console.log('log called on ' + this.constructor.name + ': ' + (msg || ''));
};

B.create(function(bbbbb) {
  bbbbb.log(bbbbb === this); // log called on B: true
});


// instead of passing dependencies via constructor, we can 
// declare them EXTREMELY LATE, after object creation, and mix in
// or refer to dependencies from within the initializer function

// notice the boilerplate that arises, though, arguing for a Function.create() 
// factory method....

function-extend.js

//////

// this version supports inheritance (pretty much but not "perfect" ~ Date is still fairly intractable)

// July 30, 2014 ~ start on inheritance 

// August 1, 2014 ~ working ! (pretty much)

//Function.prototype.create ||
(Function.prototype.create = function create(fn, opts) {
  
  var o, __parent__, thisp;

  // inheritance fork 
  if (opts && opts['extend']) {
    thisp = this.prototype;
    this.prototype = __parent__ = new opts['extend']();
  }
  
  o = Object.create(this.prototype);
    
  // inheritance fork 
  __parent__ && (function ()  {
  
    for (var i in thisp) {
      o[i] = thisp[i];
    }

    o.__parent__ = __parent__;
    
    // Date needs these
    __parent__ instanceof Date && (
      o.toString = function() {
        return this.__parent__.toString();
      },
      o.valueOf = function () {
        return this.__parent__.valueOf();
      });
    
    // Array and String need these to return a copy
    'concat' in __parent__ && (
      o.slice = function () {
        return this.__parent__.slice.apply(this, arguments);
      },
      o.concat = function () {
        return this.__parent__.concat.apply(this.slice(), arguments);
      });
  }());
  
  // set default assignments
  opts && typeof opts == 'object' && (function() {
    for (var k in opts) {    
      if (opts.hasOwnProperty(k)) {
        o[k] = opts[k];
      }
    }
  }());
  
  // support zero-arg calls (no fn arg)
  fn && typeof fn == 'function' && fn.call(o, o);
  
  return o;
});

// Now, every function has its own .create() method which takes an initializer 
// function, which in turn takes an instance created from the prototype of the 
// original function.

//////

// simple object with a default name property
 
function simple(fn) {
  return simple.create(fn, { name: 'default-simple' });
}
 

// zero-arg call returns bare instance of the simple "type"
var anon = simple();
 
// call with initializer fn to override default name
var named = simple(function(simple){
  // EITHER
  simple.name = 'overridden';
  // OR 
  this.name = 'overridden';
});
 
console.log(anon); // simple {name: "default"}
console.log(named); // simple {name: "overridden"}
console.log(anon instanceof simple); // true

// compound inherits simple
 
function compound(fn) {
  return compound.create(fn, { extend: simple });
}
 
var comp = compound(function() {
  console.log('compound created');
});
 
console.log(comp instanceof simple);
console.log(comp instanceof compound);
 
// deep inherits compound
 
function deep(fn) {
  return deep.create(fn, { extend: compound });
}
 
deep.prototype.log = function(s) {
  console.log(s);
};
 
// return nothing, just do some work
 
deep(function() {
  
  console.log('deep: ' + this.name);
  console.log(this);
  
  this.log('deep created with name: ' + this.name);
  this.log(this instanceof deep);
  this.log(this instanceof simple);
  this.log(this instanceof compound);  
  this.log(this.__parent__ instanceof compound);
  this.log(this.__parent__ instanceof simple);
  this.log(this.__parent__.__parent__ instanceof simple);
});


// inheritance with native Array ~ pretty close

function array(fn) {
  array.create(fn, { extend: Array });
}

array(function(array) {

  console.log(array); // Object[]
  console.log('__parent__');
  console.log(array.__parent__);  // [ ]

  array.push(1,2,3);
  console.log('array: ' + array); // array: 1,2,3
  
  // CUTTING LENGTH DIRECTLY...
  console.log(array.length); // 3
  array.length = 1;
  
  console.log(array.length); // 1
  
  console.log(array); // Object[1]
  console.log('__parent__');
  console.log(array.__parent__); // [ ]
  
  console.log('Array instance: ' + (this instanceof Array)); // true
});

// deep inheritance with native Date ~ demonstrates the issues when inheriting 
// Date instance methods

function date(fn) {
  return date.create(fn, { extend: Date });
};

function subdate(fn) {
  return subdate.create(fn, { extend: date });
};

var s = subdate(function(s) {
  console.log(s === this);
  
  console.log(s instanceof Date);
  console.log(s instanceof date);
  console.log(s instanceof subdate);
  
  console.log(s.__parent__ instanceof date);
  console.log(s.__parent__ instanceof Date);
  
  console.log(s.__parent__.__parent__ instanceof Date);
  
  // HOWEVER, to use real Date methods, we have to call them on Date instances:
  console.log('time: ' + s.__parent__.__parent__.getTime()); // works
  
  var msg = 'calling s.getTime() should fail: ';
  
  try {
     s.getTime();
  } catch (e) {
    msg += e.message;
  } finally {
    console.error(msg);
    // calling s.getTime() should fail: Date.prototype.getTime called on incompatible Object
  }

  // 18 March 2022
  // could make local methods that walk the parent prototypes
  s.getDate = function() { return s.__parent__.__parent__.getTime() }
});

function-factory.js

///////

// August 5, 2014 ~ Function.create factory

// first define the newInstance or create method for any function...

/*
//Function.prototype.create ||
(Function.prototype.create = function create(fn, opts) {
  var o = Object.create(this.prototype);
  
  // support default assignments
  if (opts && typeof opts == 'object') {
    for (var k in opts) {
      if (opts.hasOwnProperty(k)) {
        o[k] = opts[k];
      }
    }
  }
  
  // support zero-arg calls
  fn && typeof fn == 'function' && fn.call(o, o);
  
  return o;
});
*/

// 19 March 2022
// Far better implementation of function.create

//Function.prototype.create ||
(Function.prototype.create = function create(fn, opts) {  
  // support default assignments
  var o = Object.assign({}, Object(opts))
  
  // support zero-arg calls
  typeof fn == 'function' && fn.call(o, o);
  
  return o;
});
// now define a constructor factory for passing in prototypes

//Function.create ||
(Function.create = function (prototype) {
  function constructor(fn) {
    return constructor.create(
      fn,
      Object.assign(
        {},
        constructor.prototype,
        constructor.__default__
      )
    );
  }
  
  constructor.__default__ = prototype.__default__; // closure avoidance
  constructor.prototype = prototype;
  
  return prototype.constructor = constructor;
});

// ...so, instead of writing

function Model(fn) {
  return Model.create(fn, {name: 'default-name;'});
}

Model.prototype.get = function() {};
Model.prototype.set = function() {};
Model.prototype.clear = function() {};
Model.prototype.toString = function() {
  return this.name;
};

// ...now we can write

var Model = Function.create({
  __default__ : { name: 'default-name' },
  get: function () { return this.name },
  set: function (name) { this.name = name },
  clear: function () { delete this.name },
  toString: function () { return this.name }
});

// and call it with

var m = Model(function(m) {
  console.log(this === m)
  console.warn('%s', this); // 'default-name'
  m.name = 'custom-name';
});

console.warn('%s', m); // custom-name
console.log(JSON.stringify(m)); // {"name":"custom-name"}
console.log(m);
/* 
  constructor { name="custom-name", 
    __default__={ name="default-name" }, 
    get=function(), 
    set=function(), 
    clear=function(), 
    toString=function(), 
    constructor=constructor(fn) }
*/

// 18 March 2022
// Turns out we get
// Instance cloning for free!
var o = m.constructor(function(o) {
  o.name = "clone"
});

console.log(o == m);
// false

console.log(o.constructor === m.constructor)
// true

console.log(`${o.name}, ${m.name}`);
// clone, custom-name

why.md

Function.prototype.create

Why another constructor pattern

It's not really "another" pattern ~ it's borrowed from Java's instance initializer block pattern, particularly on anonymous classes ~ cf., Paul Holser, "Concisions, Concisions...or, (De-) Constructing an Idiom".

Mainly I wanted to write one-off scripts like this, where all is enclosed:

model(function(m) {
  // m === this
  ...
});

task(function(t) {
  // t === this
  ...
});

Benefits

• no new globals added
• shows use of monkey-patching on a native built-in
• avoid using new for constructors (externally)
• avoid logic and assignments in constructors
• avoid instanceof checks in constructors (if not this instanceof x then call new x...)
• avoid parameter lists for constructors
• instance initializers are callbacks that support:
  • very late binding ~ enabling mocks
  • encapsulated state
  • built-in default option-setting
• avoid assignments directly on the prototype outside a safe pattern ~e.g., no x.prototype.something = somethingElse

Yes, but why the inheritance version?

• show how it's possible to extend natives and inherit from them
• show what's broken or unfinished in JavaScript ~ Array has some [[class]] identifier that makes it special to the interpreter ~ Date is a mishmash of strings and a timestamp...

var stampit = require('stampit'),
  arrayStamp = stampit.convertConstructor(Array),
  arr = arrayStamp();

arr.push('a');
arr.push('b');
arr.push('c');

arr.forEach(function (item) {
  console.log(item);
});

@ericelliott ~ see the commented lines, like

// Function.prototype.create || 

which should be uncommented in order to protect against overwriting those method names if they already exist.