closures via fairy tales

closure-princess.js

// Great explanation of closures (plus I love this style of documentation):
// from http://stackoverflow.com/a/6472397 answer by Jacob Swartwood

// ------------------------------------------------------------------- //

// I'm a big fan of analogy and metaphor when explaining difficult concepts, so let me try my hand with a story.

// Once upon a time:

// There was a princess...

function princess() {

// She lived in a wonderful world full of adventures. She met her Prince Charming, rode around her world on a unicorn, battled dragons, encountered talking animals, and many other fantastical things.

    var adventures = [];

    function princeCharming() { /* ... */ }

    var unicorn = { /* ... */ },
        dragons = [ /* ... */ ],
        squirrel = "Hello!";

// But she would always have to return back to her dull world of chores and grown-ups.

    return {

// And she would often tell them of her latest amazing adventure as a princess.

        story: function() {
            return adventures[adventures.length - 1];
        }
    };
}

// But all they would see is a little girl...

var littleGirl = princess();

// ...telling stories about magic and fantasy.

littleGirl.story();

// And even though the grown-ups knew of real princesses, they would never believe in the unicorns or dragons because they could never see them. The grown-ups said that they only existed inside the little girl\'s imagination.

// But we know the real truth; that the little girl with the princess inside...

// ...is really a princess with a little girl inside.


// edited Nov 22 '12 at 15:47

// community wiki
// Jacob Swartwood