README.md

YAC

Yet another javascript class inheritance library

Instalation

Browser

Just include <script src="path/to/class.js"></script> in your html.

Node

Run npm install yac in the console, and declare var Class = require("yac") in the code to use it.

Usage

Class.extend()

To define a class just use Class.extend passing the properties and functions like a plain javascript object:

var Cat = Class.extend({
  init: function(name) {
    this.name = name;
  },
  say: function(message) {
    return "Cat " + this.name + " says: " + message;
  }
});

var garfield = new Cat("Garfield"); // Calls Cat#init and set the "Garfield" as the name
garfield.say("meow"); // returns "Cat Garfield says: meow";
garfield instanceof Cat; // returns true

Subclasses are created calling extend in the parent class. When a function is already defined you can override it and invoke the parent class implementation using this._super(args):

var WildCat = Cat.extend({
  say: function(message) {
    return this._super(message.toUpperCase() + "!");
  }
});

var wildcat = new WildCat("Tom");
wildcat.say("meow"); // returns "Cat Tom says: MEOW!"

extend also supports mixins. Any object passed as parameter will be merged in the left to right direction:

var Pokemon = {
  getId: function() {
    return this.id;
  },
  getType: function() {
    return this.type;
  }
}

var Meowth = Cat.extend(Pokemon, {
  init: function() {
    this._super("Meowth"); // Calls the super constructor (Cat#init), which set the cat name as "Meowth"
    this.id = 52;
    this.type = "normal";
  }
});

var meowth = new Meowth();
meowth.say("meow"); // returns "Cat Meowth says: meow";
meowth.getId(); // returns 52
meowth.getType(); // returns "normal"

Class.overrideClass()

Defines methods at class level

var User = Class.extend();

User.overrideClass({
  all: function() {
    return $.ajax('/users.json');
  }
});

User.all().then(function(users) {
  console.log(users);
});

You can also can pass multiple mixins, like in extend

var Searchable = {
  all: function() {
    return $.ajax(this.path + '.json');
  }
}

var User = Class.extend();
var Post = Class.extend();

User.overrideClass(Searchable, {
  path: '/users'
});

Post.overrideClass(Searchable, {
  path: '/posts'
});

User.all().then(function(users) {
  console.log(users);
});

Post.all().then(function(posts) {
  console.log(posts);
});

Develpoment

Running tests

Run npm start and go to http://localhost:4200/test.html to run the tests in the browser

Use npm test to run the tests in the console

Building from source

Git clone the repo and run npm run-script build to build a production source in the dist folder

Contributing

1. Fork it
2. Create your feature branch (git checkout -b my-new-feature)
3. Commit your changes (git commit -am 'Add some feature')
4. Push to the branch (git push origin my-new-feature)
5. Create new Pull Request