JavaScript private methods

Question

To make a JavaScript class with a public method I\'d do something like:

function Restaurant() {}

Restaurant.prototype.buy_food = function(){
   // something         


        

Answer 1

var TestClass = function( ) {

    var privateProperty = 42;

    function privateMethod( ) {
        alert( "privateMethod, " + privateProperty );
    }

    this.public = {
        constructor: TestClass,

        publicProperty: 88,
        publicMethod: function( ) {
            alert( "publicMethod" );
            privateMethod( );
        }
    };
};
TestClass.prototype = new TestClass( ).public;


var myTestClass = new TestClass( );

alert( myTestClass.publicProperty );
myTestClass.publicMethod( );

alert( myTestClass.privateMethod || "no privateMethod" );

Similar to georgebrock but a little less verbose (IMHO) Any problems with doing it this way? (I haven't seen it anywhere)

edit: I realised this is kinda useless since every independent instantiation has its own copy of the public methods, thus undermining the use of the prototype.