Question

Every time I need a static variable, I end up tacking it on as a property to the object that uses it and needs it to persist.

Particularly, this index here(MT.MAOrb.startR.index) I need to be static or hold it’s value until the function is called again by a callback.

Is using this form the best way to do this?

MT.MAOrb.startR.index

/**
 ** MAOrb
 */


MT.MAOrb =
{
    pre : function() {
        var o_p = {
            model : 'MAOrb'
            };
        return o_p;
    },
    post : function( o_p ) {
        MT.MAOrb.startR( o_p );
    },
    startR: function( o_p ){
        var sky = document.getElementById( 'Ab1' );
        if( MT.MAOrb.startR.index === undefined ) {
            var size = Object.size( o_p );  
            console.log( 'size' + size );
            var index1 = MT.MAOrb.random( 0, size - 1 );
            console.log( 'index1' + index1 );
            MT.MAOrb.startR.index = index1;
            MT.MAOrb.startR.o_p = o_p;
        }else{ 
            MT.MAOrb.startR.index++; 
        }
        var image_element = MT.MAOrb.makeElement( MT.MAOrb.startR.o_p[ MT.MAOrb.startR.index ] );
        sky.appendChild( image_element );
        MT.MAOrb.moveLinear( image_element );
    },// ....more code here
};

Answer 1

If you are trying to emulate a public static property, then that’s a totally A-OK way to do it.

JavaScript is not a classical object oriented language. It is prototypical.

One ramification is that there really isn’t a concept of static in the language.

The way you’re doing it is totally fine, as long as you don’t mind that another object can directly read and modify the property.