Accessing an object name

[TonyV]

Hey all, for debugging purposes, I'd like to be able to access an
object's instance name from within the object class. For example, I'd
like to be able to do something like this:

------------------------------------------------------------
function FooClass() {
// definition of FooClass members
}

FooClass.protot ype.Debug = function() {
// Need help here to display correct information
alert("My name is ...?");
}

var monkeybutter = new FooClass();
monkeybutter.De bug(); // I'd like this to display "My name is
monkeybutter"
------------------------------------------------------------

Is this possible, and if so, how?

[Kailash Nadh]

On Nov 26, 5:57 pm, TonyV <kingskip...@gm ail.comwrote:

Hey all, for debugging purposes, I'd like to be able to access an
object's instance name from within the object class. For example, I'd
like to be able to do something like this:

------------------------------------------------------------
function FooClass() {
// definition of FooClass members

}

FooClass.protot ype.Debug = function() {
// Need help here to display correct information
alert("My name is ...?");

}

var monkeybutter = new FooClass();
monkeybutter.De bug(); // I'd like this to display "My name is
monkeybutter"
------------------------------------------------------------

Is this possible, and if so, how?

arguments.calle e construct might be of help.
http://www.devguru.com/Technologies/...arguments.html

Kailash Nadh | http://kailashnadh.name

[VK]

On Nov 26, 8:57 pm, TonyV <kingskip...@gm ail.comwrote:

Hey all, for debugging purposes, I'd like to be able to access an
object's instance name from within the object class. For example, I'd
like to be able to do something like this:

------------------------------------------------------------
function FooClass() {
// definition of FooClass members

}

FooClass.protot ype.Debug = function() {
// Need help here to display correct information
alert("My name is ...?");

}

var monkeybutter = new FooClass();
monkeybutter.De bug(); // I'd like this to display "My name is
monkeybutter"

var monkeybutter = new FooClass('monke ybutter');
function FooClass() {
this._name = arguments[0] || 'anonymous';
// definition of FooClass members
}

FooClass.protot ype.Debug = function() {
alert("My name is " + this._name);
}

[John G Harris]

On Mon, 26 Nov 2007 at 09:57:29, in comp.lang.javas cript, TonyV wrote:

>Hey all, for debugging purposes, I'd like to be able to access an
object's instance name from within the object class. For example, I'd
like to be able to do something like this:

------------------------------------------------------------
function FooClass() {
// definition of FooClass members
}

FooClass.proto type.Debug = function() {
// Need help here to display correct information
alert("My name is ...?");
}

var monkeybutter = new FooClass();

var a = monkeybutter;
var b = a;
var c = b;

>monkeybutter.D ebug(); // I'd like this to display "My name is
monkeybutter "

Now what do you want to display : "a", "b", "c", or "monkeybutt er"?
(Note : all those variables point to the same object).

What if you also did

d.e.f["fred"]().g.h = c;

Now what do you want to display?

>------------------------------------------------------------

Is this possible, and if so, how?

After a bit of thought you now realise that that was the wrong question.
As usual, you need to start with the right first question :

"What do I *really* want to do?"

From your first paragraph it looks as though you want each FooClass
object to hold its own object identifier. Then VK's solution is your
answer, though call it 'oid', not 'name', as 'name' is too likely to be
needed for real names. Now the oid can be something convenient or
significant, not restricted to the name of a global variable.

John
--
John Harris

[TonyV]

On Nov 27, 3:50 pm, John G Harris <[e-mail] mon.co.ukwrote:

var a = monkeybutter;
var b = a;
var c = b;

monkeybutter.De bug(); // I'd like this to display "My name is
monkeybutter"

Now what do you want to display : "a", "b", "c", or "monkeybutt er"?
(Note : all those variables point to the same object).

Easy: "monkeybutt er."

After a bit of thought you now realise that that was the wrong question.
As usual, you need to start with the right first question :

"What do I *really* want to do?"

What I want to do is to have a debugging function in my class that
will tell me which instance of said class the particular debugging
information that follows applies to.

[John G Harris]

On Wed, 28 Nov 2007 at 12:22:45, in comp.lang.javas cript, TonyV wrote:

>On Nov 27, 3:50 pm, John G Harris <[e-mail] mon.co.ukwrote:

> var a = monkeybutter;
var b = a;
var c = b;

>monkeybutter.D ebug(); // I'd like this to display "My name is
monkeybutter "

Now what do you want to display : "a", "b", "c", or "monkeybutt er"?
(Note : all those variables point to the same object).

Easy: "monkeybutt er."

>After a bit of thought you now realise that that was the wrong question.
As usual, you need to start with the right first question :

"What do I *really* want to do?"

What I want to do is to have a debugging function in my class that
will tell me which instance of said class the particular debugging
information that follows applies to.

I'm afraid you're confusing us.

Your first sentence says you want to know which variable you used to
access an object.

Your second sentence says you want to know which object you accessed.

Which do you really want?

John
--
John Harris

[John W. Kennedy]

John G Harris wrote:

On Wed, 28 Nov 2007 at 12:22:45, in comp.lang.javas cript, TonyV wrote:

>On Nov 27, 3:50 pm, John G Harris <[e-mail] mon.co.ukwrote:

>> var a = monkeybutter;
var b = a;
var c = b;

monkeybutter .Debug(); // I'd like this to display "My name is
monkeybutter "
Now what do you want to display : "a", "b", "c", or "monkeybutt er"?
(Note : all those variables point to the same object).

Easy: "monkeybutt er."

>>After a bit of thought you now realise that that was the wrong question.
As usual, you need to start with the right first question :

"What do I *really* want to do?"

What I want to do is to have a debugging function in my class that
will tell me which instance of said class the particular debugging
information that follows applies to.

I'm afraid you're confusing us.

Your first sentence says you want to know which variable you used to
access an object.

Your second sentence says you want to know which object you accessed.

Which do you really want?

It's easy enough to understand once you accept that he's asking for
something grossly impossible; he wants an object to magically remember
the name of the first variable it was ever assigned to.
--
John W. Kennedy
"Compact is becoming contract,
Man only earns and pays."
-- Charles Williams. "Bors to Elayne: On the King's Coins"

[TonyV]

On Nov 29, 8:58 pm, "John W. Kennedy" <jwke...@attglo bal.netwrote:

It's easy enough to understand once you accept that he's asking for
something grossly impossible; he wants an object to magically remember
the name of the first variable it was ever assigned to.
--
John W. Kennedy

There's nothing magical about it, and in spite of the condescending
tone of that reply, it's not rocket science what I'm asking. I want
to know if there's a way for an object instance to have access to
information about itself, such as its name, if it has one.

If it can't, then just say so. If it can, then I'd appreciate knowing
how.

var a = monkeybutter;
var b = a;
var c = b;

monkeybutter.De bug(); // I'd like this to display "My name is
monkeybutter"

Now what do you want to display : "a", "b", "c", or "monkeybutt er"?
(Note : all those variables point to the same object).

In a case like this, as I said, I'd love to have "monkeybutt er," but
I'd even be pleased for something like an array containing the values
"monkeybutt er," "a," "b," and "c" if multiple references to the same
object instance exists.

I never said I wanted to know which object was being accessed. I've
been consistent in what I need the whole time: I need to know which
object *instance* is being accessed to report for debugging purposes.
If there's some kind of problem with an object instance, I'd like for
the instance to be able to report, "Hey, this specific thing has
something wrong with it. (As opposed to all the other things of the
same type that you've declared.)" I guess I'm confused as to why
there's so much confusion, the question seems pretty straight-forward,
even if the answer is not.

[Thomas 'PointedEars' Lahn]

TonyV wrote:

On Nov 29, 8:58 pm, "John W. Kennedy" <jwke...@attglo bal.netwrote:

>It's easy enough to understand once you accept that he's asking for
something grossly impossible; he wants an object to magically remember
the name of the first variable it was ever assigned to.
--
John W. Kennedy

There's nothing magical about it, and in spite of the condescending
tone of that reply, it's not rocket science what I'm asking.

Yes, there is; and yes, you are. The variable stores but an object
reference, one of maybe many, which may have been created in a number
of different ways.
PointedEars
--
var bugRiddenCrashP ronePieceOfJunk = (
navigator.userA gent.indexOf('M SIE 5') != -1
&& navigator.userA gent.indexOf('M ac') != -1
) // Plone, register_functi on.js:16

[VK]

On Nov 30, 10:02 pm, TonyV <kingskip...@gm ail.comwrote:

I never said I wanted to know which object was being accessed. I've
been consistent in what I need the whole time: I need to know which
object *instance* is being accessed to report for debugging purposes.

You cannot do it - not in JavaScript nor in other languages AFAIK but
my knowledge is limited.

If there's some kind of problem with an object instance, I'd like for
the instance to be able to report, "Hey, this specific thing has
something wrong with it.

For that you have to custom mark each new instance as suggested in my
first post so to report it later.

No other way around. I hope it answers your question.