Javascript for PHP developers: Part I: Static Class

Here is how I would code a static class in Javascript by borrowing from my PHP experience:

Javascript

PHP

<br />// Function declaration<br />// Serves as "static class" declaration<br />// Will be attached to the 'window' object<br />// by default.<br />JLD = function() {<br /> // Static variable<br /> // Only accessible within 'JLD' <br /> var var1 = 666;<br />}<br /> <br />// Static Function declaration<br />// under the "static class" JLD<br />// Typeof JLD.fnc1 = "function"<br />JLD.fnc1 = function() {<br /><br /> // can't access var1 inside function JLD<br /> alert( "JLD.fnc1 called. var1= " + JLD.var1 );<br />}<br /><br />// 'fields' of JLD<br />JLD.var2 = 777; //typeof JLD.var2 = "number"<br />JLD.var3 = "some string"; //typeof JLD.var3 = "string"<br /><br />// Static Function declaration<br />// under the "class" JLD<br />JLD.fnc2 = function() {<br /> <br /> // can access var2 though<br /> alert( "JLD.fnc2 called. var2= " + JLD.var2 );<br />}<br /><br />

<br /> class JLD {<br /> <br /> function JLD() {<br /> var $var1 = 666;<br /> }<br /><br /> function fnc1() {<br /> // of course can't access $var1<br /> }<br /><br /> static $var2 = 777;<br /> static $var3 = "some string";<br /><br /> function fnc2() {<br /> // can access $var2 & $var3<br /> echo self::$var2;<br /> echo self::$var3;<br /> }<br />}<br />

Greasemonky Quick Search

I have to sift through countless RSS feeds all day seeking more information based on keywords I find. I wanted to automate the process just a bit so I devised a GreaseMonkey Firefox user script.

Usage is simple: just select the text to search and press " alt c " which will automatically bring-up the result page on Google Search.

One can find the script here on UserScripts.org.

Embedding FreeMind mindmaps

FreeMind is a very handy (and free ;-) tool. I recently started playing around Google Mashup Editor and wanted to document in my way the API; I thus used FreeMind yet again.

I have embedded the mindmap in a Google Page available here.

Embedding the mindmap is easy:
<div id="mm" src="http://jeanlou.dupont.googlepages.com/GME.mm" width="800" height="800"></div>

and place the Javascript code at the bottom of the page:

<script src="http://jeanlou.dupont.googlepages.com/freemind.js" type="text/javascript"></script>

Syntax Highlighting

I have devised a straightforward way of performing syntax highlighting of Javascript code. Follow this link to the demonstration page: http://jeanlou.dupont.googlepages.com/syntaxhighlighting.

Javascript Class template

Here is a sample class template in Javascript:
<br />// constructor<br /> function obj(){<br /> // code here<br /> }<br /><br /> // properties<br /> obj.prototype.p = {<br /> var1: true,<br /> var2: false // no comma for last element<br /> }<br /> <br /> // methods<br /> obj.prototype.method = function() {<br /> // code here<br /> }<br />