Static variables in JavaScript

Question

How can I create static variables in Javascript?

Answer 1

To condense all class concepts here, test this:

var Test = function() {
  // "super private" variable, accessible only here in constructor. There are no real private variables
  //if as 'private' we intend variables accessible only by the class that defines the member and NOT by child classes
  var test_var = "super private";

  //the only way to access the "super private" test_var is from here
  this.privileged = function(){
    console.log(test_var);
  }();

  Test.test_var = 'protected';//protected variable: accessible only form inherited methods (prototype) AND child/inherited classes

  this.init();
};//end constructor

Test.test_var = "static";//static variable: accessible everywhere (I mean, even out of prototype, see domready below)

Test.prototype = {

 init:function(){
   console.log('in',Test.test_var);
 }

};//end prototype/class


//for example:
$(document).ready(function() {

 console.log('out',Test.test_var);

 var Jake = function(){}

 Jake.prototype = new Test();

 Jake.prototype.test = function(){
   console.log('jake', Test.test_var);
 }

 var jake = new Jake();

 jake.test();//output: "protected"

});//end domready

Well, another way to take a look to best practices in these things, is to just see how coffeescript translates these concepts.

#this is coffeescript
class Test
 #static
 @prop = "static"

 #instance
 constructor:(prop) ->
   @prop = prop
   console.log(@prop)

 t = new Test('inst_prop');

 console.log(Test.prop);


//this is how the above is translated in plain js by the CS compiler
  Test = (function() {
    Test.prop = "static";

    function Test(prop) {
     this.prop = prop;
     console.log(this.prop);
    }

    return Test;

  })();

  t = new Test('inst_prop');

  console.log(Test.prop);