Develop Reference

Use of debounce on Ext 3.4 framework

I want to implement the debounce function on Ext.Button, so I extended it and override the onClick function, like this:
MyButton = Ext.extend(Ext.Button, {
onClick: function(e) {
var that = this;
var args = e;
clearTimeout(this.timeoutDebounce);
this.timeoutDebounce = setTimeout(function(){
MyButton.superclass.onClick.apply(that, [args])
}, this.debounce);
}
});
Debounce is a parameter passed on the x-type declaration.
The problem here is that the "args" parameter I'm passing to onClick has changed when it's called from "click" to "mouvemove" and it doesn't fire the events it should.
Is there a way to record the "e" parameter received in the function to pass to onClick on superclass?

The function passed to setTimeout must be wrapped in order to keep the value presented in current scope:
function createCallback(args) {
return function() {
MyButton.superclass.onClick.apply(that, [args]);
}
}
Also, e is passed by reference, so you need to create a copy of it. Using ExtJS, you can use Ext.apply method:
Ext.apply({}, e);
The full code should be:
var MyButton = Ext.extend(Ext.Button, {
onClick: function(e) {
var that = this;
function createCallback(args) {
return function() {
MyButton.superclass.onClick.apply(that, [args]);
// you can also use call since you know the arguments:
// MyButton.superclass.onClick.call(that, args);
}
}
clearTimeout(this.timeoutDebounce);
var copy = Ext.apply({}, e);
this.timeoutDebounce = setTimeout(createCallback(copy), this.debounce);
}
});

You should clone the object:
var args = Ext.apply({}, e);
this.timeoutDebounce = setTimeout((function(args){
return function(){MyButton.superclass.onClick.apply(that, [args])};
})(args), this.debounce);

Call a returned function from outside its function

I'm trying to call a function that's returned from a function. Here's what I mean:
myFunction.something; // (Wrong)
function myFunction() {
return {
something: function() {
...
}
};
}
When I try calling myFunction.something nothing happens. How can I call a returned function outside of its function?
JSFiddle
var index = 0;
var animID = requestAnimationFrame(myFunction.something);
function myFunction() {
return {
something: function() {
index++;
console.log(index);
if (index === 5) cancelAnimationFrame(animID);
else animID = requestAnimationFrame(myFunction.something);
}
};
}

I would first of all recommend using descriptive variable names; utils rather than myFunction, and incrementFrame rather than something, for example. I would second of all recommend reconsidering your approach to code organization and simply putting all of your helper functions directly in an object, then referencing that object:
var index = 0;
var animID = requestAnimationFrame(utils.incrementFrame);
var utils = {
incrementFrame: function() {
index++;
console.log(index);
if (index === 5) cancelAnimationFrame(animID);
else animID = requestAnimationFrame(utils.incrementFrame);
}
}
There are a few differences between these approaches, some of them frustratingly subtle. The primary reason I recommend using an object for organization rather than a function which returns an object is because you don't need to use a function for organization; you are unnecessarily complicating your code.

myfunction is not the object that you get from calling myfunction(), it's the function itself and does not have a .something method.
You could call it again (as in myfunction().something()), but a better approach would be to store a reference to the object you've already created:
function myFunction() {
var index = 0;
var o = {
something: function() {
index++;
console.log(index);
if (index < 5) requestAnimationFrame(o.something);
// btw you don't need to cancel anything once you reach 5, it's enough to continue not
}
};
return o;
}
myFunction().something();
Alternatively you might want to drop the function altogether, or use the module pattern (with an IIFE), as you seem to use it like a singleton anyway.

Try this:
myFunction().something()
myFunction() calls the myFunction function
them we use the dot notation on the returned value (which is an object) to find the something member of it
that member is a function too, so add another set of brackets () to call it

Call function after writing it
var index = 0;
function myFunction() {
return {
something: function() {
index++;
console.log(index);
if (index === 5) cancelAnimationFrame(animID);
else animID = requestAnimationFrame(myFunction().something);
}
};
}
var animID = requestAnimationFrame(myFunction().something);

Javascript concatenate a function similar to how text can be added

In javscript we can do this
var text = "the original text";
text+=";Add this on";
If a library has a function already defined (e.g)
//In the js library
library.somefunction = function() {...};
Is there a way to add something on so that I can have two functions run?
var myfunction = function() {...};
Something like:
library.somefunction += myfunction
So that both myfunction() and the original library.somefunction() are both run?

You can use this kind of code (leave scope empty to use default scope):
var createSequence = function(originalFn, newFn, scope) {
if (!newFn) {
return originalFn;
}
else {
return function() {
var result = originalFn.apply(scope || this, arguments);
newFn.apply(scope || this, arguments);
return result;
};
}
}
Then:
var sequence = createSequence(library.somefunction, myFunction);

I think what you want to create is a Hook (function) - you want to call library.somefunction but add a bit of your own code to run before. If that's the case, you can make your myfunction either call or return the library function after it's done with your bit of code.
var myfunction = function() {
// your code
// ...
return library.somefunction();
}

JavaScript class function this operator

I have a JS class that contains a AJAX post. I'm trying to refer to the class members from within the post function using this but it doesn't seem to be working.
For example, from this:
function Classy() {
this.goal = 0;
$.post(
"class/initial.php",
function(back) {
this.goal = back.goal;
}, "json");
this.SampleFunction = function() {
alert(this.goal);
}
}
tester = new Classy();
tester.SampleFunction();
The alert box outputs a value of 0, even though this is definitely not what is coming back from the php file. I think the issue is I need something other than this to refer to the parent class. Anyone have any ideas?

function Classy() {
this.goal = 0;
// jQuery.proxy returns a function
$.post("class/initial.php", $.proxy(function (back) {
this.goal = back.goal;
}, this), "json");
// ^-------- is manually set in your handler
this.SampleFunction = function () {
alert(this.goal);
}
}
You can use the jQuery.proxy()[docs] method to ensure the proper this value.
Another possibility is to use the long form jQuery.ajax()[docs] method, where you can set the context: parameter to give you the desired this value.
function Classy() {
this.goal = 0;
$.ajax({
type:'POST',
url:"class/initial.php",
dataType: 'json',
context: this, // <--set the context of the callbacks
success: function (back) {
this.goal = back.goal;
}
});
this.SampleFunction = function () {
alert(this.goal);
}
}

this means something different inside the anonymous function which jQuery invokes in a callback. So just capture it first:
function Classy() {
this.goal = 0;
var $t = this;
$.post(
"class/initial.php",
function(back) {
$t.goal = back.goal;
}, "json");
this.SampleFunction = function() {
alert(this.goal);
}
}

In event handlers, this refers to the object which fired the event. An AJAX success callback is really an event handler for the XMLHttpRequest object that does the work, so in this case, this refers to the XMLHttpRequest object (well, actually a jqXHR object). To get a reference to your object, assign this to a variable that you can reference from within your event handler:
function Classy() {
this.goal = 0;
var that = this;
$.post("class/initial.php", function(back) {
that.goal = back.goal;
}, "json");
}

Can I name a JavaScript function and execute it immediately?

I have quite a few of these:
function addEventsAndStuff() {
// bla bla
}
addEventsAndStuff();
function sendStuffToServer() {
// send stuff
// get HTML in response
// replace DOM
// add events:
addEventsAndStuff();
}
Re-adding the events is necessary because the DOM has changed, so previously attached events are gone. Since they have to be attached initially as well (duh), they're in a nice function to be DRY.
There's nothing wrong with this set up (or is there?), but can I smooth it a little bit? I'd like to create the addEventsAndStuff() function and immediately call it, so it doesn't look so amateuristic.
Both following respond with a syntax error:
function addEventsAndStuff() {
alert('oele');
}();
(function addEventsAndStuff() {
alert('oele');
})();
Any takers?

There's nothing wrong with the example you posted in your question.. The other way of doing it may look odd, but:
var addEventsAndStuff;
(addEventsAndStuff = function(){
// add events, and ... stuff
})();
There are two ways to define a function in JavaScript. A function declaration:
function foo(){ ... }
and a function expression, which is any way of defining a function other than the above:
var foo = function(){};
(function(){})();
var foo = {bar : function(){}};
...etc
function expressions can be named, but their name is not propagated to the containing scope. Meaning this code is valid:
(function foo(){
foo(); // recursion for some reason
}());
but this isn't:
(function foo(){
...
}());
foo(); // foo does not exist
So in order to name your function and immediately call it, you need to define a local variable, assign your function to it as an expression, then call it.

There is a good shorthand to this (not needing to declare any variables bar the assignment of the function):
var func = (function f(a) { console.log(a); return f; })('Blammo')

There's nothing wrong with this set up (or is there?), but can I smooth it a little bit?
Look at using event delegation instead. That's where you actually watch for the event on a container that doesn't go away, and then use event.target (or event.srcElement on IE) to figure out where the event actually occurred and handle it correctly.
That way, you only attach the handler(s) once, and they just keep working even when you swap out content.
Here's an example of event delegation without using any helper libs:
(function() {
var handlers = {};
if (document.body.addEventListener) {
document.body.addEventListener('click', handleBodyClick, false);
}
else if (document.body.attachEvent) {
document.body.attachEvent('onclick', handleBodyClick);
}
else {
document.body.onclick = handleBodyClick;
}
handlers.button1 = function() {
display("Button One clicked");
return false;
};
handlers.button2 = function() {
display("Button Two clicked");
return false;
};
handlers.outerDiv = function() {
display("Outer div clicked");
return false;
};
handlers.innerDiv1 = function() {
display("Inner div 1 clicked, not cancelling event");
};
handlers.innerDiv2 = function() {
display("Inner div 2 clicked, cancelling event");
return false;
};
function handleBodyClick(event) {
var target, handler;
event = event || window.event;
target = event.target || event.srcElement;
while (target && target !== this) {
if (target.id) {
handler = handlers[target.id];
if (handler) {
if (handler.call(this, event) === false) {
if (event.preventDefault) {
event.preventDefault();
}
return false;
}
}
}
else if (target.tagName === "P") {
display("You clicked the message '" + target.innerHTML + "'");
}
target = target.parentNode;
}
}
function display(msg) {
var p = document.createElement('p');
p.innerHTML = msg;
document.body.appendChild(p);
}
})();
Live example
Note how if you click the messages that get dynamically added to the page, your click gets registered and handled even though there's no code to hook events on the new paragraphs being added. Also note how your handlers are just entries in a map, and you have one handler on the document.body that does all the dispatching. Now, you probably root this in something more targeted than document.body, but you get the idea. Also, in the above we're basically dispatching by id, but you can do matching as complex or simple as you like.
Modern JavaScript libraries like jQuery, Prototype, YUI, Closure, or any of several others should offer event delegation features to smooth over browser differences and handle edge cases cleanly. jQuery certainly does, with both its live and delegate functions, which allow you to specify handlers using a full range of CSS3 selectors (and then some).
For example, here's the equivalent code using jQuery (except I'm sure jQuery handles edge cases the off-the-cuff raw version above doesn't):
(function($) {
$("#button1").live('click', function() {
display("Button One clicked");
return false;
});
$("#button2").live('click', function() {
display("Button Two clicked");
return false;
});
$("#outerDiv").live('click', function() {
display("Outer div clicked");
return false;
});
$("#innerDiv1").live('click', function() {
display("Inner div 1 clicked, not cancelling event");
});
$("#innerDiv2").live('click', function() {
display("Inner div 2 clicked, cancelling event");
return false;
});
$("p").live('click', function() {
display("You clicked the message '" + this.innerHTML + "'");
});
function display(msg) {
$("<p>").html(msg).appendTo(document.body);
}
})(jQuery);
Live copy

Your code contains a typo:
(function addEventsAndStuff() {
alert('oele');
)/*typo here, should be }*/)();
so
(function addEventsAndStuff() {
alert('oele');
})();
works. Cheers!
[edit] based on comment: and this should run and return the function in one go:
var addEventsAndStuff = (
function(){
var addeventsandstuff = function(){
alert('oele');
};
addeventsandstuff();
return addeventsandstuff;
}()
);

You might want to create a helper function like this:
function defineAndRun(name, func) {
window[name] = func;
func();
}
defineAndRun('addEventsAndStuff', function() {
alert('oele');
});

Even simpler with ES6:
var result = ((a, b) => `${a} ${b}`)('Hello','World')
// result = "Hello World"
var result2 = (a => a*2)(5)
// result2 = 10
var result3 = (concat_two = (a, b) => `${a} ${b}`)('Hello','World')
// result3 = "Hello World"
concat_two("My name", "is Foo")
// "My name is Foo"

If you want to create a function and execute immediately -
// this will create as well as execute the function a()
(a=function a() {alert("test");})();
// this will execute the function a() i.e. alert("test")
a();

Try to do like that:
var addEventsAndStuff = (function(){
var func = function(){
alert('ole!');
};
func();
return func;
})();

For my application I went for the easiest way. I just need to fire a function immediately when the page load and use it again also in several other code sections.
function doMyFunctionNow(){
//for example change the color of a div
}
var flag = true;
if(flag){
doMyFunctionNow();
}