JavaScript Namespace

Question

I want to create a global namespace for my application and in that namespace I want other namespaces:

E.g.

Dashboard.Ajax.Post()

Dashboard.RetrieveC         


        

Answer 1

Here is a very good article on various "Module Patterns" in JavaScript. There is a very nice little section on how you can augment modules, or namespaces and maintain a cross-file private state. That is to say, the code in separate files will be executed sequentially and properly augment the namespace after it is executed.

I have not explored this technique thoroughly so no promises... but here is the basic idea.

dashboard.js

(function(window){

    var dashboard  = (function () { 
        var my = {}, 
            privateVariable = 1; 

        function privateMethod() { 
            // ... 
        } 

        my.moduleProperty = 1; 
        my.moduleMethod = function () { 
            // ... 
        }; 

        return my; 
    }());

    window.Dashboard = dashboard;
})(window);

dashboard.ajax.js

var dashboard = (function (my) { 
    var _private = my._private = my._private || {}, 
        _seal = my._seal = my._seal || function () { 
            delete my._private; 
            delete my._seal; 
            delete my._unseal; 
        }, 
        _unseal = my._unseal = my._unseal || function () { 
            my._private = _private; 
            my._seal = _seal; 
            my._unseal = _unseal; 
        }; 

    // permanent access to _private, _seal, and _unseal

    my.ajax = function(){ 
        // ...
    }

    return my; 
}(dashboard || {}));

dashboard.retrieveContent.js

var dashboard = (function (my) { 
    var _private = my._private = my._private || {}, 
        _seal = my._seal = my._seal || function () { 
            delete my._private; 
            delete my._seal; 
            delete my._unseal; 
        }, 
        _unseal = my._unseal = my._unseal || function () { 
            my._private = _private; 
            my._seal = _seal; 
            my._unseal = _unseal; 
        }; 

    // permanent access to _private, _seal, and _unseal

    my.retrieveContent = function(){ 
        // ...
    }

    return my; 
}(dashboard || {}));