JavaScript private methods

Solution 1:

You can do it, but the downside is that it can't be part of the prototype:

function Restaurant() {
    var myPrivateVar;

    var private_stuff = function() {  // Only visible inside Restaurant()
        myPrivateVar = "I can set this here!";
    }

    this.use_restroom = function() {  // use_restroom is visible to all
        private_stuff();
    }

    this.buy_food = function() {   // buy_food is visible to all
        private_stuff();
    }
}

Solution 2:

Using self invoking function and call

JavaScript uses prototypes and does't have classes (or methods for that matter) like Object Oriented languages. A JavaScript developer need to think in JavaScript.

Wikipedia quote:

Unlike many object-oriented languages, there is no distinction between a function definition and a method definition. Rather, the distinction occurs during function calling; when a function is called as a method of an object, the function's local this keyword is bound to that object for that invocation.

Solution using a self invoking function and the call function to call the private "method" :

var MyObject = (function () {
    
  // Constructor
  function MyObject(foo) {
    this._foo = foo;
  }

  function privateFun(prefix) {
    return prefix + this._foo;
  }
    
  MyObject.prototype.publicFun = function () {
    return privateFun.call(this, ">>");
  }
    
  return MyObject;

}());

var myObject = new MyObject("bar");
myObject.publicFun();      // Returns ">>bar"
myObject.privateFun(">>"); // ReferenceError: private is not defined

The call function allows us to call the private function with the appropriate context (this).

Simpler with Node.js

If you are using Node.js, you don't need the IIFE because you can take advantage of the module loading system:

function MyObject(foo) {
  this._foo = foo;
}
    
function privateFun(prefix) {
  return prefix + this._foo;
}

MyObject.prototype.publicFun = function () {
  return privateFun.call(this, ">>");
}
    
module.exports= MyObject;

Load the file:

var MyObject = require("./MyObject");
    
var myObject = new MyObject("bar");
myObject.publicFun();      // Returns ">>bar"
myObject.privateFun(">>"); // ReferenceError: private is not defined

(new!) Native private methods in future JavaScript versions

TC39 private methods and getter/setters for JavaScript classes proposal is stage 3. That means any time soon, JavaScript will implement private methods natively!

Note that JavaScript private class fields already exists in modern JavaScript versions.

Here is an example of how it is used:

class MyObject {

  // Private field
  #foo;
    
  constructor(foo) {
    this.#foo = foo;
  }

  #privateFun(prefix) {
   return prefix + this.#foo;
  }
    
  publicFun() {
    return this.#privateFun(">>");
  }

}

You may need a JavaScript transpiler/compiler to run this code on old JavaScript engines.

PS: If you wonder why the # prefix, read this.

(deprecated) ES7 with the Bind Operator

Warning: The bind operator TC39 proposition is near dead https://github.com/tc39/proposal-bind-operator/issues/53#issuecomment-374271822

The bind operator :: is an ECMAScript proposal and is implemented in Babel (stage 0).

export default class MyObject {
  constructor (foo) {
    this._foo = foo;
  }

  publicFun () {
    return this::privateFun(">>");
  }
}

function privateFun (prefix) {
  return prefix + this._foo;
}

Solution 3:

You can simulate private methods like this:

function Restaurant() {
}

Restaurant.prototype = (function() {
    var private_stuff = function() {
        // Private code here
    };

    return {

        constructor:Restaurant,

        use_restroom:function() {
            private_stuff();
        }

    };
})();

var r = new Restaurant();

// This will work:
r.use_restroom();

// This will cause an error:
r.private_stuff();

More information on this technique here: http://webreflection.blogspot.com/2008/04/natural-javascript-private-methods.html

Solution 4:

In these situations when you have a public API, and you would like private and public methods/properties, I always use the Module Pattern. This pattern was made popular within the YUI library, and the details can be found here:

http://yuiblog.com/blog/2007/06/12/module-pattern/

It is really straightforward, and easy for other developers to comprehend. For a simple example:

var MYLIB = function() {  
    var aPrivateProperty = true;
    var aPrivateMethod = function() {
        // some code here...
    };
    return {
        aPublicMethod : function() {
            aPrivateMethod(); // okay
            // some code here...
        },
        aPublicProperty : true
    };  
}();

MYLIB.aPrivateMethod() // not okay
MYLIB.aPublicMethod() // okay