Object constructor as function in Javascript

Question

Say I have a simple Javascript object:

var Thing = function (data) {
    this.data = data;
}

Would there be a shorter way of doing something like the following?:

var makeThing = function(data) { return new Thing(data); };
var things = $.map(array, makeThing);

@RobG: I strongly suspect alias for jQuery; the OP is invoking jQuery.map. — Amadan
– Amadan, Commented Feb 27, 2014 at 2:31

Amadan · Accepted Answer · 2014-02-27 01:36:56Z

3

The shortest I can see is

var things = $.map(data, function(x) { return new Thing(x); })

as a trivial compression.

If you are sure you can do newer JS,

var things = data.map(function(x) { return new Thing(x); })

is shorter still.

answered Feb 27, 2014 at 1:36

Amadan

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2 Comments

John Merchant Over a year ago

But is it possible to reference the constructor of the object as a function? Something like: data.map(Thing.constructor)

Amadan Over a year ago

Thing is the constructor function. However, you won't get a new object from it without the new operator. JavaScript works a little bit like Objective C in this regard - when you do [[Thing alloc] init], with two different functions for allocation and initialisation of the object. new is allocating a new object; Thing is setting it up (and is termed "constructor"). You can invoke the "constructor" on anything, but it will just end up tacking extra properties on an existing object.

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