The class operator: a bridge between object and function exemplers

[Allen Wirfs-Brock]

On Nov 14, 2011, at 1:15 PM, Axel Rauschmayer wrote:

>> The class operator  can prefix any UnaryExpression, not just object literals.  That means that the class operator can be used to classify objects:
>> 
>> if (class p === Point) ...
>> 
>> Note that many object-oriented abstraction designers consider this for of class testing to be an anti-pattern. 
>> 
>> It also works with instances of the standard ES built-in constructors:
>> 
>> if (class new Array(1,2,3,4) === Array) ... //this will be true
>> 
>> so are these:
>> 
>> if (class [1,2,3,4] === Array) ...
>> if (class [].pop === Function) ...
> 
> Is it a good idea to overload this operator?
> 
> 1. class objectExemplar: “turn the `objectExemplar` into a class”
> 2. class obj: “get the class of obj”
> 
> I would give operator #2 the name `classof` and let `class` only return the own property value of `constructor`.


I'm not over-loading the class operator. I the above I was simply pointing out that this is what the operator I defined does in those circumstances. The concept of a constructor function being the "class" of an object is one of those things that has been around JS apparently from the beginning. It just didn't have a suggestively named operator.  However an object is instantiated, this operator is simply reporting that the "class"of the object  whatever is accessible as the object's "constructor".

Allen