Private scope in node.js / dirty, dirty trick to get private methods

private-scoping.js

var PublicClass = function() {
  this.state = "something";
}

PublicClass.prototype.publicMethod = function() {
  privateFunction.call(this); //<-- this is a dirty, dirty trick, running *privateFunction* as a private method
};

function privateFunction() {
  console.log(this.state); //<-- in order to make *this* accessible, we need to use the trick above
}

module.exports = PublicClass;

var PublicClass = require("public-class.js");
console.log(new PublicClass());
// => PublicClass {state: "something", publicMethod: function}

Notice that privateFunction is nowhere to be found on the object, but it still logs, and has access to this.

var obj = new PublicClass();
obj.publicMethod();
// => something

WHY? It removes the need for globally scoped module variables (as everything can now be set as an attribtute on this), as the variables with global scope are undesireable and unpredictable.