Adding listener functions to a JavaScript object

Question

I have the following code which defines a Car. Each Car has a color, along with a setColor(color) function. I want to add listener functions which are called whenever setColor(color) is called, and I want to be able to tack these listener functions on whenever I want. Is this a suitable approach? Is there a cleaner way?

function Car() {

    this._color = 'red';
    this._callbacks = {};

    this.setColor = function(color) {
        this._color = color;
        console.log(">>> set car color to " + color);
        if (this._callbacks['setColor']) {
            this._callbacks['setColor']();
        }
    };

    this.addListener = function(functionName, handler) {
        if (this._callbacks[functionName]) {
            var oldCallback = this._callbacks[functionName];
            this._callbacks[functionName] = function() {
                oldCallback();
                handler();
            }
        } else {
            this._callbacks[functionName] = function() {
                handler();
            }
        }
    };


}

var car = new Car();
car.setColor('blue');
car.addListener('setColor', function() { console.log("This is listener # 1"); });
car.setColor('green');
car.addListener('setColor', function() { console.log("This is listener # 2"); });
car.setColor('orange');

Output:

>>> setColor to blue
>>> setColor to green
This is listener # 1
>>> setColor to orange
This is listener # 1
This is listener # 2

Answer 1

I think an array to store the listeners would be a cleaner approach. Also, you should use the prototype object, or make the semiprivate properties real private variables.

function Car() {
    this._color = 'red';
    this._callbacks = {setColor:[]};
};
Car.prototype.setColor = function(color) {
    this._color = color;
    console.log(">>> set car color to " + color);
    for (var i=0; i<this._callbacks['setColor'].length; i++)
        this._callbacks['setColor'][i]();
};
Car.prototype.addListener = function(functionName, handler) {
    this._callbacks[functionName].push(handler);
};

Or:

function Car() {
    var color = 'red';
    var callbacks = {};

    this.setColor = function(c) {
        color = c;
        console.log(">>> set car color to " + color);
        for (var i=0; 'setColor' in callbacks && i<callbacks['setColor'].length; i++)
            callbacks['setColor'][i]();
    };
    this.addListener = function(functionName, handler) {
        if (functionName in callbacks)
            callbacks[functionName].push(handler);
        else
            callbacks[functionName] = [handler];
    };
}

Answer 2

Something like this, perhaps.

//the 'class'
function Car() {

    //set up a static listeners object - an array for each method
    Car.listeners = {setColor: []};

    //called by methods on invocation, to fire their listeners
    Car.executeListeners = function(methodName) {
        for (var i=0, len = Car.listeners[methodName].length; i<len; i++)
            Car.listeners[methodName][i].apply(this);
    };

    //method - on invocation, fire any listeners
    this.setColor = function(color) {
        this.color = color;
        Car.executeListeners.call(this, 'setColor');
    };
}

//instance
var car = new Car();

//add a listener to instance.setColor invocations
Car.listeners.setColor.push(function() {
    alert("hello - this car's color is "+this.color);
});

//set color (triggers listener)
car.setColor('orange');

Note you are assigning prototype-esq methods to the instances rather than to the prototype itself - the place for inherited, reusable functionality. Inheritance is also faster in performance terms.