I'm just barely getting into NodeJS a bit and have hit a snag trying to create a (VERY)basic MVC implementation for it.

It es down to the following. I have a main object for a Controller that I'm trying to create a prototype for; The code as follows:

var Controller = function(obj) {

    this.request = null;
    this.response = null;
    this.params = null;
    this.layout = 'default';    

}

Controller.prototype = new function() {

    this.processAction = function(action) {
        console.log("Processing Action.");
    }

}

module.exports = new Controller();

I've stripped most of the values / functions out for this problem as they don't really relate. Basically from my understanding using the module.exports will export the object to a variable using the require() function. I have the following in my dispatcher:

var Controller = require('./Controller.js');

The problem is whenever I printout the variable Controller I get the first part of the object but the prototype has not been included. See the following printout:

{ request: null,
  response: null,
  params: null,
  layout: 'default' }

Thus calling the prototype function Controller.processAction() results in a no method error. Am I declaring this prototype wrong or is there something I'm missing related to NodeJS?

[EDIT]

I've also tried the following style for adding a prototype to no avail.

Controller.prototype = {
    'processAction' : function(action) {
        console.log("Processing Action");
    }
}

[EDIT 2]

Nevermind, the above worked console.log doesn't report the additional functionality in the prototype, interesting.

I'm just barely getting into NodeJS a bit and have hit a snag trying to create a (VERY)basic MVC implementation for it.

It es down to the following. I have a main object for a Controller that I'm trying to create a prototype for; The code as follows:

var Controller = function(obj) {

    this.request = null;
    this.response = null;
    this.params = null;
    this.layout = 'default';    

}

Controller.prototype = new function() {

    this.processAction = function(action) {
        console.log("Processing Action.");
    }

}

module.exports = new Controller();

I've stripped most of the values / functions out for this problem as they don't really relate. Basically from my understanding using the module.exports will export the object to a variable using the require() function. I have the following in my dispatcher:

var Controller = require('./Controller.js');

The problem is whenever I printout the variable Controller I get the first part of the object but the prototype has not been included. See the following printout:

{ request: null,
  response: null,
  params: null,
  layout: 'default' }

Thus calling the prototype function Controller.processAction() results in a no method error. Am I declaring this prototype wrong or is there something I'm missing related to NodeJS?

[EDIT]

I've also tried the following style for adding a prototype to no avail.

Controller.prototype = {
    'processAction' : function(action) {
        console.log("Processing Action");
    }
}

[EDIT 2]

Nevermind, the above worked console.log doesn't report the additional functionality in the prototype, interesting.

• javascript
• node.js
• function-prototypes

• Your exact code works fine. Have you actually tried calling .processAction() or are you just assuming that since it doesn't show up in a log it doesn't exist? Some versions of node don't properly iterate through __proto__ – user578895 Commented Jun 22, 2011 at 22:21
• You're absolutely right. It didn't show up in the log so I assumed it wasn't there. Thanks for the help. – Aric Commented Jun 22, 2011 at 22:24
• In case you don't know new function() returns an object not a function. – Raynos Commented Jun 23, 2011 at 7:34

2 Answers 2

Controller.prototype = {
    processAction : function(){
        // code
    },

    anotherMethod : function(){
    }
}

use:

Controller.prototype = {
    processAction : function(action) {
        console.log("Processing Action.");
    }
}