Static methods in JavaScript

Question

If I have a class declared in prototype.js

var ClassFoo = Class.create();
ClassFoo.prototype = {
        initialize: function() {

        },
        type: 'ClassFoo'
};

If I declare a method ClassFoo.doBar = function() { log("foobar") }

Is it the same as/equivalent to creating a static method in java ?
Can an object of classfoo access doBar() ?

jfriend00 · Accepted Answer · 2015-02-09 23:26:29Z

1

Yes, methods on the constructor are analogous to static methods in other OOP languages. They are available globally (or in whatever scope the constructor is defined in) and are not associated with any particular instance of that object (which is pretty much what a static method is).

Any code anywhere in your project can access them as ClassFoo.doBar(). Your methods of ClassFoo can access it that way too. There are no other shortcuts for accessing them (even from methods).

One thing to remember is that functions in Javascript are objects and can have properties just like any other object in Javascript. So, assigning:

ClassFoo.doBar = function() {...};

is just assigning a property to the ClassFoo object and it can be used like any property on any object.

ClassFoo.doBar();

edited Feb 9, 2015 at 23:26

answered Feb 9, 2015 at 23:02

jfriend00

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2 Comments

JavaDeveloper Over a year ago

A static method in java can be accessed by an instance. Thats not the same in Javascript ? please confirm ?

JavaDeveloper Over a year ago

can Can an instance of classfoo access doBar() ?

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