en.javascript.info/1-js/09-classes/02-class/article.md

Classes

The "class" construct allows to define prototype-based classes with a clean, nice-looking syntax. It also introduces new great features, useful for object-oriented programming.

The "class" syntax

The class syntax is versatile, we'll start with a simple example first.

Here's a prototype-based class User:

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

User.prototype.sayHi = function() {
  alert(this.name);
}

let user = new User("John");
user.sayHi();

...And that's the same using class syntax:

class User {

  constructor(name) {
    this.name = name;
  }

  sayHi() {
    alert(this.name);
  }

}

let user = new User("John");
user.sayHi();

It's easy to see that the two examples are alike. Just please note that methods in a class do not have a comma between them. Novice developers sometimes forget it and put a comma between class methods, and things don't work. That's not a literal object, but a class syntax.

What is a class?

So, what exactly is a class? We may think that it defines a new language-level entity, but that would be wrong.

In Javascript, a class is a kind of a function.

The definition class User {...} create such function and puts the methods into User.prototype. So the structure is similar.

Here's the code to dig into the class and see that:

class User {
  constructor(name) { this.name = name; }
  sayHi() { alert(this.name); }
}

*!*
// proof: User is a function
alert(typeof User); // function
*/!*

*!*
// proof: User is the "constructor" function
*/!*
alert(User === User.prototype.constructor); // true

*!*
// proof: there are two methods in its "prototype"
*/!*
alert(Object.getOwnPropertyNames(User.prototype)); // constructor, sayHi

Here's the illustration of what class User creates:

So class is a special syntax to define a constructor together with its prototype methods. There are also quite a few additional features here and there, we'll study them later on.

Class Expression

Just like functions, classes can be defined inside another expression, passed around, returned etc.

Here's a class-returning function ("class factory"):

function makeClass(phrase) {
*!*
  // declare a class and return it
  return class {
    sayHi() {
      alert(phrase);
    };
  };
*/!*
}

let User = makeClass("Hello");

new User().sayHi(); // Hello

That's quite normal if we recall that class is just a special form of a function-with-prototype definition.

And, like Named Function Expressions, such classes also may have a name, that is visible inside that class only:

// "Named Class Expression" (alas, no such term, but that's what's going on)
let User = class *!*MyClass*/!* {
  sayHi() {
    alert(MyClass); // MyClass is visible only inside the class
  }
};

new User().sayHi(); // works, shows MyClass definition

alert(MyClass); // error, MyClass not visible outside of the class

Differences of classes vs functions

Classes have some differences compared to regular functions:

Constructors require new

Unlike a regular function, a class constructor can't be called without new:

class User {
  constructor() {}
}

alert(typeof User); // function
User(); // Error: Class constructor User cannot be invoked without 'new'

Different string output

If we output it like alert(User), some engines show "class User...", while others show "function User...".

Please don't be confused: the string representation may vary, but that's still a function, there is no separate "class" entity in JavaScript language.

Class methods are non-enumerable

A class definition sets enumerable flag to false for all methods in the "prototype". That's good, because if we for..in over an object, we usually don't want its class methods.

Classes have a default constructor() {}

If there's no constructor in the class construct, then an empty function is generated, same as if we had written constructor() {}.

Classes always use strict

All code inside the class construct is automatically in strict mode.

Getters/setters, other shorthands

Classes also include getters/setters, generators, computed properties etc.

Here's an example for user.name implemented using get/set:

class User {

  constructor(name) {
    // invokes the setter
    this.name = name;
  }

*!*
  get name() {
*/!*
    return this._name;
  }

*!*
  set name(value) {
*/!*
    if (value.length < 4) {
      alert("Name is too short.");
      return;
    }
    this._name = value;
  }

}

let user = new User("John");
alert(user.name); // John

user = new User(""); // Name too short.

Internally, getters and setters are created on User.prototype, like this:

Object.defineProperties(User.prototype, {
  name: {
    get() {
      return this._name
    },
    set(name) {
      // ...
    }
  }
});

Here's an example with computed properties:

function f() { return "sayHi"; }

class User {
  [f()]() {
    alert("Hello");
  }

}

new User().sayHi();

For a generator method, similarly, prepend it with *.

Class properties

Class-level properties is a recent addition to the language.

In the example before, User only had methods. Let's add a property:

class User {
  name = "Anonymous";

  sayHi() {
    alert(`Hello, ${this.name}!`);
  }
}

new User().sayHi();

The property is not placed into User.prototype. Instead, it is created by new, separately for every object. So, the property will never be shared between different objects of the same class.

Summary

The basic class syntax looks like this:

class MyClass {
  prop = value;

  constructor(...) {
    // ...
  }

  method(...) {}

  get something(...) {}
  set something(...) {}

  [Symbol.iterator]() {}
  // ...
}

MyClass is technically a function, while methods are written to MyClass.prototype.

In the next chapters we'll learn more about classes, including inheritance and other features.