Instantiation

[b]What does the new operator do?[/b]

 function Ninja(){
   this.name = "Ninja";
 } 

 var ninjaA = Ninja(); 
 assert( !ninjaA, "Is undefined, not an instance of Ninja." ); 

 var ninjaB = new Ninja(); 
 assert( ninjaB.name == "Ninja", "Property exists on the ninja instance." ); 

[b]We have a 'this' context that is a Ninja object.[/b]

 function Ninja(){ 
   this.swung = false; 

   // Should return true 
   this.swingSword = function(){ 
     this.swung = !this.swung; 
     return this.swung;
   }; 
 } 

 var ninja = new Ninja(); 
 assert( ninja.swingSword(), "Calling the instance method." ); 
 assert( ninja.swung, "The ninja has swung the sword." );

 var ninjaB = new Ninja();
 assert( !ninjaB.swung, "Make sure that the ninja has not swung his sword." );

[b]QUIZ: Add a method that gives a name to the ninja.[/b]

 function Ninja(name){
   // Implement!
}

var ninja = new Ninja("John");
assert( ninja.name == "John", "The name has been set on initialization" );

ninja.changeName("Bob");
assert( ninja.name == "Bob", "The name was successfully changed." );

[b]Add a new property and method to the object.[/b]

 function Ninja(name){
   this.changeName = function(name){
     this.name = name;
   };

   this.changeName( name );
}

var ninja = new Ninja("John");
assert( ninja.name == "John", "The name has been set on initialization" );

ninja.changeName("Bob");
assert( ninja.name == "Bob", "The name was successfully changed." );

[b]What happens when we forget to use the new operator?[/b]

function User(first, last){ 
   this.name = first + " " + last; 
 } 

 var user = User("John", "Resig"); 
 assert( typeof user == "undefined", "Since new wasn't used, the instance is undefined." ); 

[b]What happens when we forget to use the new operator? (cont.)[/b]

 function User(first, last){ 
   this.name = first + " " + last; 
 } 

 window.name = "Resig"; 
 var user = User("John", name); 

 assert( name == "John Resig", "The name variable is accidentally overridden." ); 

[b]We need to make sure that the new operator is always used.[/b]

 function User(first, last){ 
   if ( !(this instanceof User) ) 
     return new User(first, last); 

   this.name = first + " " + last; 
 } 

 var name = "Resig"; 
 var user = User("John", name); 

 assert( user, "This was defined correctly, even if it was by mistake." ); 
 assert( name == "Resig", "The right name was maintained." ); 

[b]QUIZ: Is there another, more generic, way of doing this?[/b]

 function User(first, last){ 
   if ( !(this instanceof ___) ) 
     return new User(first, last); 

   this.name = first + " " + last; 
 } 

 var name = "Resig"; 
 var user = User("John", name); 

 assert( user, "This was defined correctly, even if it was by mistake." ); 
 assert( name == "Resig", "The right name was maintained." ); 

[b]A solution using arguments.callee.[/b]

 function User(first, last){ 
   if ( !(this instanceof arguments.callee) ) 
     return new User(first, last); 

   this.name = first + " " + last; 
 } 

 var name = "Resig"; 
 var user = User("John", name); 

 assert( user, "This was defined correctly, even if it was by mistake." ); 
 assert( name == "Resig", "The right name was maintained." ); 

[b]Flexib