Eliminating Redundancy when Constructing Javascript Objects

[PeterAlt]

Hello all! This is my first post here. I've been going crazy lately trying to master the art of working with and creating my own objects with Javascript. I see the HUGE power potential of object orientation within the scripts I could write, but I am having a real difficult time grasping what appears to be extremely simple concepts. As of now, I've pretty much got it, but not completely.

Okay, here is an example of a segment of code I wrote (I will follow that with my specific question):

function w(tag) {
       this.t = tag; this.s = "<"+tag+">"; this.e = "</"+tag+">";
       this.c = function (con) { return this.s+con+this.e; }
       this.d = function (sty, con) { return "<"+this.t+" "+sty+">"+con+this.e; }
       this.i = function (src) { return "<"+this.t+" src='"+src+"'>"; }
       this.j = function (src, sty) { return "<"+this.t+" src='"+src+"' "+sty+">"; }
   }
   ul=new w("ul"); li=new w("li"); tr=new w("tr"); th=new w("th"); td=new w("td");
   p=new w("p"); table=new w("table"); img=new w("img");
 

I wrote the above code as a shortcut to wrap content with HTML. Originally, this code was multitudes larger than it is now. Each time I get a better understanding of javascript object construction, I re-wrote the code above over and over again, each time shorting it. But, I know it is possible to shorten it even further. Here's precisely what I am talking about:

   ul=new w("ul"); li=new w("li"); tr=new w("tr"); th=new w("th"); td=new w("td");
   p=new w("p"); table=new w("table"); img=new w("img");
 

...Seems VERY redunant! I want those lines to look like this...

   ul=new w(); li=new w(); tr=new w(); th=new w(); td=new w(); p=new w();
   table=new w(); img=new w();
 

The constructor SHOULD be able to know what's calling it and use that information to determine what 'tag' (in my example) I want each new 'w' (in my example) to use for these new objects being created!

Also, here's another example:

    function example(name) {
         this.name=name;
    }
 

In the above example, the variable "name" is used 3 times. Tripple Redunant (in my opinion). There must be a way to reduce this redundancy as well!

I look forward to your replies! Thank you in advance!

Peter A.

[acoder]

Welcome to TSDN!

Changed the thread title. Please use a good thread title. Also remember to use code tags when posting code. Thanks!

[RBPierce]

I think you are missing out on the purpose of Objects. Objects are black boxes, factories- you put something into them, you get something out of them. The object is blind to the context of where it gets stored (the name of the created object)- the input (parameters) are all it cares about. Thus, your statement that:

The constructor SHOULD be able to know what's calling it and use that information to determine what 'tag' (in my example) I want each new 'w' (in my example) to use for these new objects being created!

doesn't make sense. It doesn't matter to the Object what you NAME the object- what it cares about is what you GIVE it.

(How's that for anthromorphizing code?)

(Yes, I know that there are caveats where the Object MAY care about context wrt global vars and the like, but not here- not with the name of the instantiated object. )