jQuery function declaration explanation

Question

I\'ve opened jQuery 1.7.1 library and wanted to study the code, but I\'ve found a that functions are declared in strange way (for me). For example:

show: functio         


        

Answer 1

Writing it the first way is in essence, setting a function as property of an object.

For example:

// I can create a new empty object
var myObject = {};

// or I can create a new object with a basic property
var myObject = { 
        color: "blue" 
    };

// I can also create an object with methods (like jQuery)
var myObject = { 
        color: "blue", 
        showColor: function(){ 
            alert(this.color); 
        } 
    };

// and you can use the object like this
myObject.showColor(); // calls the showColor method and will alert "blue"

This helps jQuery to encapsulate, namespace, and organize code.

Here are a couple of pretty good write-ups:

• Why do you need to invoke an anonymous function on the same line?
• http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/JavaScript/Anonymous_Functions
• http://www.evotech.net/blog/2008/07/javascript-object-literals-a-definition/