My favorite node.js module pattern

favorite_module_pattern.js

function Animal(name) {
  if (!(this instanceof Animal)) return new Animal(name);
  this.name = name || 'unknown';
}
module.exports = Animal;

Animal.prototype.feed = function(food) {
  food = food || 'food';
  return 'Fed ' + this.name + ' some ' + food;
};



/* Which later can be consumed by using a function... */

var createAnimal = require('animal');
var bear = createAnimal('bear');
bear.feed('fish');
// Fed bear some fish

/* Or using `new`... */

var Animal = require('animal');
var lion = new Animal('lion');
lion.feed('antelope'); // Fed lion some antelope

/* Or more succinctly... */

require('animal')('rabbit').feed('carrots'); // Fed rabbit some carrots

/* Or even with inheritance... */

var Animal = require('animal');
var inherits = require('inherits');

function Tiger() {
  if (!(this instanceof Tiger)) return new Tiger();
  this.name = 'tiger';
}
inherits(Tiger, Animal);

(new Tiger()).feed('meat'); // Fed tiger some meat



/* ALL FROM THE SAME MODULE PATTERN :D */