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https://github.com/michaelfranzl/captain-hook

Tiny configurable and isomorphic event emitter library for mixing into JavaScript objects
https://github.com/michaelfranzl/captain-hook

actions eventemitter filters hooks javascript javascript-library mixin plugin-api

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Tiny configurable and isomorphic event emitter library for mixing into JavaScript objects

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README 

        
# captain-hook



![Test](https://github.com/michaelfranzl/captain-hook/workflows/Test/badge.svg)



## Configurable event emitter behavior for mixing into JavaScript objects/prototypes/classes



An event emitter API clearly defines interaction between separate pieces of code (e.g. main application vs. plugins). Event emitting allows you to keep the functionality of your application general (make it more suitable to be published Open Source), while external (perhaps even proprietary) code makes the application's behavior more specific.



Methods of your objects will be able to emit "events" to external "event handlers". External code can add event handlers via `.on()` and remove them via `.off()`, while your own object can call them via `._emit()`. The names of these three methods can be explicitly configured via the factory function.



The name "Captain Hook" is a play on the term ["Software Hook"](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hooking).



# Why invent yet another event emitter?



* Attribute/method names are configurable

* Returns to the event emitter return values from event handlers as an array

* When adding event handlers, a supplied option object allows

  * sorting the handler according to given priority,

  * setting the `this` context of the handler,

  * setting of a tag/label of the handler.

* Event handlers can only be removed when their tag is known. Prevents interaction between subscribers.

* The storage object for event handlers and their options can be privately scoped if needed. This is to ensure that external plugins cannot remove or inspect each other's event handlers (privacy).

* Flexible use: add the mix-in to prototypes, plain objects, classes or to instances thereof (see below).

* No dependencies.

* Only ~100 lines of code.

* Only ~2.4 kilobytes minified.

* Works in browsers and in Node.js.

* Extensive tests.



The [test file](tests/test.js) describes usage and features.



# Development



Run tests:



```sh

npm test

```



Generate `README.md` with API documentation parsed from `jsdoc` sources:



```sh

node scripts/make_readme.cjs

```



# How to use



The default export of the module is a factory function (see `CaptainHook()` in the API section).



The following 5 methods are equivalent in their effects.



## 1\. Mix into prototypes



Methods will be shared across all instances.



If you prefer classes:



```javascript

captain_hook = CaptainHook(); // use defaults



class Dog {

  constructor(name) {

    this.name = name;

  }

  poop() {

    console.log(`I am pooping.`)

    this._emit('poop');

  }

}



Object.assign(Dog.prototype, captain_hook);



luna = new Dog('Luna');

luna.on('poop', function() { console.log(`Cleaning up poop of ${this.name}`); } )

luna.poop();

// -> I am pooping

// -> Cleaning up poop of Luna



elvis = new Dog('Elvis');

elvis.on('poop', function() { console.log("Oh no, another dog pooped!"); })

elvis.poop();

// -> I am pooping

// -> Oh no, another dog pooped!

```



If you prefer prototype functions:



```javascript

captain_hook = CaptainHook();



function Dog(name) {

  this.name = name;

}



Object.assign(Dog.prototype, captain_hook);



Dog.prototype.poop = function() {

  console.log(`I am pooping.`)

  this._emit('poop');

}



luna = new Dog('Luna');

luna.on('poop', function() { console.log(`Cleaning up poop of ${this.name}`); } )

luna.poop();

// -> I am pooping

// -> Cleaning up poop of Luna



elvis = new Dog('Elvis');

elvis.on('poop', function() { console.log("Oh no, another dog pooped!"); })

elvis.poop();

// -> I am pooping

// -> Oh no, another dog pooped!

```



If you prefer to work with plain objects:



```javascript

captain_hook = CaptainHook();



proto_dog = {};

proto_dog.poop = function() {

  console.log(`I am pooping.`);

  this._emit('poop', this.name);

}



proto_eventful_dog = Object.assign(proto_dog, captain_hook);



// create a new object from a prototype

luna = Object.create(proto_eventful_dog);

luna.name = 'Luna';

luna.on('poop', function() { console.log(`Cleaning up poop of ${this.name}`); });

luna.poop();

// -> I am pooping

// -> Cleaning up poop of Luna



// create a new object from a prototype

elvis = Object.create(proto_eventful_dog);

elvis.name = 'Elvis';

elvis.on('poop', function() { console.log("Oh no, another dog pooped!"); });

elvis.poop();

// -> I am pooping

// -> Oh no, another dog pooped!

```



## 2\. Mix into instances



Each instance will have a full copy of the attributes and methods.



In the example below, note that we pass the configuration `handlers_prop: null`. This makes the storage of the event handler functions truly private, preventing information leaks to external code.



```javascript

class Dog {

  constructor(name) {

    var captain_hook = CaptainHook({handlers_prop: null});

    Object.assign(this, captain_hook);

    this.name = name;

  }

  poop() {

    console.log(`I am pooping.`)

    this._emit('poop');

  }

}



luna = new Dog('Luna');

luna.on('poop', function() { console.log(`Cleaning up poop of ${this.name}`); })

luna.poop();

// -> I am pooping

// -> Cleaning up poop of Luna



elvis = new Dog('Elvis');

elvis.on('poop', function() { console.log("Oh no, another dog pooped!"); })

elvis.poop();

// -> I am pooping

// -> Oh no, another dog pooped!



// Note that there is no way to read or modify the added event handlers via the `luna` or `elvis` instances.

```



If you prefer to work with plain objects:



```javascript

dog = {};

dog.poop = function() {

  console.log(`I am pooping.`);

  this._emit('poop', this.name);

}



luna = Object.assign({}, CaptainHook({handlers_prop: null}), dog);

luna.name = 'Luna';

luna.on('poop', function() { console.log(`Cleaning up poop of ${this.name}`); });

luna.poop();

// -> I am pooping

// -> Cleaning up poop of Luna



elvis = Object.assign({}, CaptainHook({handlers_prop: null}), dog);

elvis.on('poop', function() { console.log("Oh no, another dog pooped!"); })

elvis.poop();

// -> I am pooping

// -> Oh no, another dog pooped!



// Note that there is no way to read or modify the added event handlers via the `luna` or `elvis` instances.

```



# API Reference



{{>main}}



# Use cases



There are three distinct use cases for event handlers:



1. Simple callbacks (simple data type arguments, no return value)

2. Content filtering (arguments modified by reference, no return value)

3. Queries (with return value)



All three cases can be covered with the `on()` method.



To illustrate, we are going to implement a simple Cat:



```javascript

var Cat = function() {

  var self = this; // be explicit



  // Generate the mix-in object with default property names

  var hook_mixin = CaptainHook();



  // Mix in the generated hook functionality.

  // This makes available to us self.on(), self.off(), self._emit()

  Object.assign(self, hook_mixin);



  self.makeSound = function() {

    var obj = {sound: 'meow'};

    self._emit('makeSound', obj);

    console.log(`I make sound: "${obj.sound}"`);

  };



  self.scratch = function() {

    var allowed = self._emit('scratch').reduce(function(acc, val) {

      return acc && val

    }, true);



    // All event handlers need to return true if this action is to be allowed.

    if (allowed) {

      console.log("Scratch!");

    } else {

      console.log("I am not allowed to scratch, so I won't do it!");

    }

  };



  self.beHungry = function() {

    Promise.all(self._emit('askForFood'))

    .then(function(given_foods) {

      console.log("I am eating", given_foods);

    })

  }

};

```



Instantiate the application:



```javascript

var felix = new Cat();

```



Generic behavior:



```javascript

felix.makeSound();

// -> I make sound: "meow"



felix.scratch();

// -> Scratch!

```



Use event handlers in three possible ways:



**1\. Simple observer** (no return value, no content filtering):



```javascript

felix.on('makeSound', function() {

  console.log("Felix is about to make a sound.")

});



felix.makeSound();



// -> Felix is about to make a sound.

// -> I make sound: "meow"

```



**2\. Filter content passed by reference** (no return value):



```javascript

felix.on('makeSound', function(opts) {

  opts.sound += ' hiss';

});



felix.makeSound();

// -> I make sound: "meow hiss"

```



**3\. Query responses.** Note that event handlers do not have access to the return values of any other event handler. Here, we define two event handlers who vote for different outcomes:



```javascript

felix.on('scratch', function() {

  return false; // I do not allow scratching.

});



felix.on('scratch', function() {

  return true; // I allow scratching.

});



felix.scratch();

// -> I am not allowed to scratch, so I won't do it!

```



This is also useful for Promises:



```javascript

felix.on('askForFood', function() {

  console.log('Felix is asking for food');

  return new Promise(function(resolve, reject) {

    setTimeout(function() {

      console.log('I am giving felix food');

      resolve('dryfood');

    }, 1000);

  })

});



felix.on('askForFood', function() {

  console.log('Felix is asking for food');

  return new Promise(function(resolve, reject) {

    setTimeout(function() {

      console.log('I am giving felix food');

      resolve('sardines');

    }, 2000);

  })

});



felix.beHungry()

// after 2 seconds -> I am eating ["dryfood", "sardines"]

```