A minimal class proposal for ECMAScript.next

class.js

// Roughly: a combination of Jeremy’s and Allen’s ideas, updated with the results of recent discussions

// Guidelines:
// - Don’t use the same syntax as for object literals, but stay close.
//    - Rationale: Some object literal features are forbidden in class declarations => don’t confuse people
//    - Rationale: Comma separation is a bit tricky.
// - Keep new features at a minimum
// - Don’t obscure the fact that private names are actually name objects.
//   => They can also be imported from somewhere else – a use case that needs to be supported.
// - In order to minimize confusion, keep module syntax and class declaration syntax similar.

// Rules:
// - Use @ to refer to name objects
// - there is no syntactic sugar for `this.`

// Name objects:
// - Rough rule for what @foo means: “insert arbitrary identifier here”.
//   - Used for property access and to name methods.
// - foo.@bar is syntactic sugar for foo[bar]
//   - Rationale: immediately obvious that it’s property access

class Monster extends Being {

    // Only methods are allowed here (because these are the prototype’s properties)
    
    // Create name objects that only exist within the declaration’s scope
    private age, health, incAge;

    // Constructor
    // Alternative: use the name "new". Caveat: super.new(name) looks a bit weird.
    constructor(name, this.weight, this.@age, this.@health) {
        super.constructor(name);
    }
   
    getNameObjectForAge() {
        return age;
    }

    // private method
    @incAge() {
        this.@age++;
    }

    // getter
    get strength() {
        // stronger with increasing age...
        return super.strength * this.@age;
    }
}

desugared.js

module name from "@name";

// Alternatives: use <| operator, use a do-block
let Monster = function () {

    let age = name.create();
    let health = name.create();
    let incAge = name.create();

    function Monster(name, weight, age, health) {
        super.constructor(name);
        this.weight = weight;
        this[age] = age;
        this[health] = health;
    }
    
    Monster.prototype = Object.create(Being.prototype);
    Monster.prototype.constructor = Monster;
    
    Monster.prototype.getNameObjectForAge = function () {
        return age;
    };
    
    Monster.prototype[incAge] = function () {
        this[age]++;
    }

    Object.defineProperty(Monster.prototype, "strength", {
        get: function () {
            // stronger with increasing age...
            return super.strength * this[age];
        }
    });

    return Monster;
}();

Can we have an example of the entire thing desugared?

I attempted to desugar it : https://gist.github.com/2151045

You forgot the return statement in the desugared section

Is it

Monster.prototype = Object.create(Being);

or

Monster.prototype = Object.create(Being.prototype);

?

@Raynos: Fixed, thanks.

@domenic: You are absolutely right. Fixed. Error-prone, looking forward to syntactic sugar...

I think you have problem with the desugaring because all methods (but at least the constructor) are non-enumerable, and to match object-initializer, method (not the constructor) should also be non-writable (but configurable), so it would be easier to desugar to one big

Object.create(Being.prototype, {
  ...
})

Not to mention constructor-inheritance, do you plan it as part of this proposal (then you should use <| when defining Monster function),

@Herby where does it say whether methods should be non-enumerable (only the constructor property should be)

@Herby, @Raynos: I expect the decision on whether or not to make methods non-enumerable (which is done by built-ins, but not by most of the userland code that I have seen) to be final fine-tuning. My first solution was a big Object.create() with property descriptors, but then you have to use [] for the private property names (for which there isn’t consensus, yet).

@Raynos: In draft ES6 spec, it says about object initializers that when short method syntax is used, they are created with enumerable = false, configurable = true and writable = false.

writable false, hmmm, that seems to go against even built-ins. I imagine most would be against it, but IMO it'd be a good thing to force something more explicit (i.e. Object.defineProperty) when overriding existing methods.

@domenic, that's exactly the logic behind those attribute choices for concise methods. If somebody has defined a property as a "method" it should take something more than an assignment to change it.

However, many people find the configurable: true & writable: false combination baffling so it is going to take some effort to keep it in the spec.