How to make alias in javascript

Question

I've made a Utilities javascript "class" that performs some utility functions.

Instead of having to call Utilities.XYZ, I'd like to be able to do something like #.XYZ.

Robert Koritnik · Accepted Answer · 2011-05-18 17:31:49Z

9

# is invalid identifier character in Javascript but you can use something else

var $U = Utilities;

this will make it possible to use $U.XYZ. Since $ is used by many Javascript libraries you can use $U as an alias for Utilities. Easy to understand/remember and short to type. This is aslo more versatile than single sign identifier, because you can define several aliases each for their own longer coutnerpart:

$A, $B, ... $Z

edited May 18, 2011 at 17:31

answered May 18, 2011 at 17:25

Robert Koritnik

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2 Comments

Darcy Over a year ago

Thanks, I ended up going with your solution.

Robert Koritnik Over a year ago

@Darcy: Great! It will get accepted then... (in two days or something) ;)

T.J. Crowder · Accepted Answer · 2011-05-18 17:30:25Z

4

# isn't a legal identifier, but _ and $ are.

var $ = Utilities;

Note that $ is used by several libraries (including but not limited to jQuery, Prototype, and MooTools), and _ is used by underscore.js. And of course you can always add a character or two.

The full list of valid identifier characters is in the specification, but essentially, an identifier may start with $, _, or any alphabetic character; and then subsequent characters may be any of those as well as digits and (in recent versions of JavaScript) accented letters in various languages.

edited May 18, 2011 at 17:30

answered May 18, 2011 at 17:24

T.J. Crowder

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3 Comments

Darcy Over a year ago

Dang that's what I thought :(. I use jquery so I can't use $....maybe I'll go with underscore. Thanks

T.J. Crowder Over a year ago

@Darcy: Well, you can use $ with jQuery if you really want to: api.jquery.com/jQuery.noConflict You'd just have to either use jQuery everywhere, or come up with your own alias ($j or even $.j if you like).

Darcy Over a year ago

Thanks for the tip. I went with Robert's suggestion of using $U. This works well because I have a validation class and I can use $V for it :)

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