Dynamic reference variables (objects)?

Question

I want to create a new instance of an object every time I click a button on my page. The problem is the reference variable, if you look at this example?

<input value="Create person" onclick="CreateObject()" />

......

function CreateObject(){
var person = new Person("Carl", 18);
}

Everytime the function is called an instance of the object is created, with the same reference variable. I want the reference variables to be different every time the function is called (eg. "person1", "person2", "person3"). What shall I do?

Create an array instead of giving in to Them and their blasphemous ways(tm)? — user395760
– user395760, Commented Nov 20, 2011 at 21:26
Even though the variable is the same, it is a new variable each time because the scope is different each time. After CreateObject returns, the person variable (and object) is discarded. — Jim Deville
– Jim Deville, Commented Nov 20, 2011 at 21:30

Community · Accepted Answer · 2017-05-23 10:34:23Z

4

To use dynamic variable names (not recommended):

function CreateObject()
{
    window['person' + CreateObject.counter++] = new Person("Carl", 18);
}

CreateObject.counter = 0;

Better (as @delnan suggests) to use an array:

var people = [];

function CreateObject()
{
    var person = new Person("Carl", 18);
    people.push(person);
}

edited May 23, 2017 at 10:34

CommunityBot

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answered Nov 20, 2011 at 21:26

Matt Ball

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