Does TypeScript support events on classes?

Question

I am just wondering if in TypeScript you can define custom events on your classes or interfaces?

What would this look like?

Answer 1

I think you are asking if a class instance can implement addEventListener() and dispatchEvent() like a DOM element. If the class is not a DOM node, then you would have to write your own event bus. You would define an interface for a class that can publish events, then implement the interface in the your classes. Here is a naive example;

interface IEventDispatcher{
  // maintain a list of listeners
  addEventListener(theEvent:string, theHandler:any);

  // remove a listener
  removeEventListener(theEvent:string, theHandler:any);

  // remove all listeners
  removeAllListeners(theEvent:string);

  // dispatch event to all listeners
  dispatchAll(theEvent:string);

  // send event to a handler
  dispatchEvent(theEvent:string, theHandler:any);
}

class EventDispatcher implement IEventDispatcher {
  private _eventHandlers = {};

  // maintain a list of listeners
  public addEventListener(theEvent:string, theHandler:any) {
    this._eventHandlers[theEvent] = this._eventHandlers[theEvent] || [];
    this._eventHandlers[theEvent].push(theHandler);
  }

  // remove a listener
  removeEventListener(theEvent:string, theHandler:any) {
    // TODO
  }

  // remove all listeners
  removeAllListeners(theEvent:string) {
    // TODO
  }

  // dispatch event to all listeners
  dispatchAll(theEvent:string) {
    var theHandlers = this._eventHandlers[theEvent];
    if(theHandlers) {
      for(var i = 0; i < theHandlers.length; i += 1) {
        dispatchEvent(theEvent, theHandlers[i]);
      }
    }
  }

  // send event to a handler
  dispatchEvent(theEvent:string, theHandler:any) {
    theHandler(theEvent);
  }
}