# classes > A classical inheritence model with support for mixins Latest version **0.3.0** (published 2013-01-18) · 0 weekly downloads ## Install ```sh npm install classes pnpm add classes yarn add classes bun add classes ``` ## Health **Score 10/100 (F)** — status: abandoned. Positive: no vulnerabilities. Warnings: low downloads; no types; no esm support; low quality score; pre 1.0. Negative: abandoned; low maintenance score. ## Facts | | | |---|---| | Version | 0.3.0 | | Published | 2013-01-18 | | First published | 2011-11-17 | | Weekly downloads | 0 | | TypeScript types | none | | Module format | CommonJS | | Node | * | | Dependencies | 0 | | Known vulnerabilities | 0 | | Install scripts | no | | GitHub stars | 10 | | Author | James Brumond | | Maintainers | k | ## Links - npm: https://www.npmjs.com/package/classes - Repository: https://github.com/kbjr/class.js - npm.io page: https://npm.io/package/classes ## Recent versions - 0.3.0 (latest) — 2013-01-18 - 0.2.2 — 2012-12-27 - 0.2.1 — 2012-11-18 - 0.2.0 — 2012-06-03 - 0.1.6 — 2011-11-18 - 0.1.5 — 2011-11-17 ## README # class.js Simple but powerful classical inheritence for JavaScript. ## Node.js install ```bash $ npm install classes ``` If using Node.js, you may want to make classes global using code such as this near the beginning of your application. ```javascript global.Class = require('classes').Class; ``` ## Basic Example ```javascript // If using Node.js, the module needs to be required (unless global as shown above) var Class = require('classes').Class; // A general animal class Class('Animal', { construct: function(name) { this.name = name; }, makeNoise: function(noise) { alert(noise); } }); // Create a class for making people Class('Person').Extends('Animal', { speak: function(sayWhat) { this.makeNoise(this.name + ' says: "' + sayWhat + '"'); } }); // Create an instance of our person class var james = new Person('James'); // And make them talk james.speak('Hello, World'); ``` ## Extending Classes There are multiple allowed syntaxes for extending classes, which you can choose at your preference. ```javascript // Create a base class first Class('A', { ... }); // Using the Extends() syntax Class('B').Extends(A, { ... }); // Using the complex Class() syntax Class('B', A, { ... }); // Using the extend() syntax A.extend('B', { ... }); ``` Also note, that when using the `Extends()` syntax or the complex `Class()` syntax, both a parent class _variable_ (`A`) or _string_ (`'A'`) is allowed, but if you use the string syntax, the parent class must exist on the namespace object. ## Using Super You can call the super of any method at any time. This is done using the `parent` method on your class methods. ```javascript Class('A').Extends(SomeOtherClass, { method: function() { // Call the method's super this.method.parent(this); }, methodWithArgs: function(arg1) { // Call this method's super, passing the argument along this.methodWithArgs.parent(this, arg1); }, anotherMethod: function() { // Call the super, but pass in the arguments object this.anotherMethod.parentApply(this, arguments); }, }); ``` ## Creating Anonymous Classes Using class.js, classes don't have to be assigned a name. You can also tell the `Class()` function to simply return the constructed class function by passing a falsey first param (like `Class(null)`) or by simply not giving one as seen below. ```javascript // This class will automatically be declared at global.Animal Class('Animal', { ... }); // This class will not be declared globally, but instead just returned var Snake = Class().Extends(Animal, { ... }); // A slightly cleaner syntax var Snake = Animal.extend({ // ... }); ``` ## Defining Classes in Non-Global Scope To define a class, but assign it somewhere other that the global object, you pass in a two key array as the class name. The first value is the object to define the class on, and the second is the class name. ```javascript // This is where we will put the class var someObject = { }; // Now define the class Class([someObject, 'Animal'], { ... }); // And use the class var animal = new someObject.Animal(); ``` This is equivilent to the following: ```javascript someObject.Animal = Class({ ... }); ``` ## Using Mixins As of version 0.2.0, mixins are supported. It should be noted that mixins are __not__ the same as sub-class inheritence. A single class can implement both a parent class as well as mixins. Mixins are defined using the `Class.mixin` method. ```javascript Class.mixin('CanFoo', { foo: function() { alert('Foo!'); } }); ``` Once created, a mixin is used with the `uses` method when defining a class. ```javascript Class('Thing').Uses([ 'CanFoo' ], { // ... }); var thing = new Thing(); thing.foo(); ``` Mixins are different from inheritence in the sense that they do no add to the inheritence chain, they simply extend the current class with certain functionality. You cannot use `instanceof` to determine mixin inheritence because classes are not instances of mixins; In fact, there is no such thing as an _instance_ of a mixin, they are just objects. ## Using Namespaces Before version 0.2.0, all new classes and mixins were defined, by default, on the global object, and if you wanted to define one elsewhere, you would have to use either anonymous classes or the array syntax (eg. `Class([exports, 'Foo'], ...)`). There is now a new way of defining namespaced classes that should prove useful, especially in the case of Node.js. ```javascript var Class = require('classes').Class; Class.namespace(exports); Class('Foo', { // ... }); var foo = new exports.Foo(); ``` The `Class.namespace()` function sets the default namespace, allowing shorter, more readable class declarations. Simply call `Class.namespace(exports)` at the top of your modules and your classes will automatically be defined in the correct space. --- _Source: https://npm.io/package/classes · Machine-readable twin of the npm.io package page. Health data is recomputed on every publish._