JavaScript Creational Design Patterns Factory Functions
Example
A factory function is simply a function that returns an object.
Factory functions do not require the use of the new keyword, but can still be used to initialize an object, like a constructor.
Often, factory functions are used as API wrappers, like in the cases of jQuery and moment.js, so users do not need to use new.
The following is the simplest form of factory function; taking arguments and using them to craft a new object with the object literal:
function cowFactory(name) {
return {
name: name,
talk: function () {
console.log('Moo, my name is ' + this.name);
},
};
}
var daisy = cowFactory('Daisy'); // create a cow named Daisy
daisy.talk(); // "Moo, my name is Daisy"
It is easy to define private properties and methods in a factory, by including them outside of the returned object. This keeps your implementation details encapsulated, so you can only expose the public interface to your object.
function cowFactory(name) {
function formalName() {
return name + ' the cow';
}
return {
talk: function () {
console.log('Moo, my name is ' + formalName());
},
};
}
var daisy = cowFactory('Daisy');
daisy.talk(); // "Moo, my name is Daisy the cow"
daisy.formalName(); // ERROR: daisy.formalName is not a function
The last line will give an error because the function formalName is closed inside the cowFactory function. This is a closure.
Factories are also a great way of applying functional programming practices in JavaScript, because they are functions.
