Javascript - Function Declaration within Object

Question

I am attempting to use a function declaration within an object but am so far unable to. I know I can use function expressions within an object but is it possible to use function declarations instead?

This works:

 var objContainer = {};
 objContainer.callback = function(data) {
 objContainer.server_date = data.responseXML.documentElement.getAttribute("answer");
 alert("Object should have XML response: " + objContainer.server_date);
 };

This doesn't:

 var objContainer = {};
 function objContainer.callback(data) {
 objContainer.server_date = data.responseXML.documentElement.getAttribute("answer");
 alert("Object should have XML response: " + objContainer.server_date);
 }

I also tried using a function declaration using object literal notation but it also fails:

 var objContainer = {
 function callback(data) {
 var objContainer.server_date = data.responseXML.documentElement.getAttribute("answer");
 alert("Object should have XML response: " + objContainer.server_date);
 }
 };

• Denys Séguret: You could use a factory but that wouldn't be so different from the first code. what's your problem with it ?
• Kendall Frey: I don't understand what benefit the declaration has that the expression doesn't.

Answer 1

I know I can use function expressions within an object but is it possible to use function declarations instead?

No. Only expressions.

The closest you could get would be to have a function declaration in scope, and then assign the function to an object property by name.

function foo () { }
var bar = { func: foo };

Answer 2

If I'm understanding you correctly, you just want to use the "function funcname() { .. }" syntax instead of "obj.prop = function() { .. }" correct? The only way you'll be able to do that is using something like this:

function objContainer() {
 this.callback = callback;
 function callback(data) {
 alert(data);
 }
};
var myObjectContainer = new objContainer();
myObjectContainer.callback('hello world');

When you call a function using "varName = new funcName()" it creates an object.

Answer 3

For the last one example I think this is what you want:

var objContainer = {
 callback : function(data) {
 var objContainer.server_date = data.responseXML.documentElement.getAttribute("answer");
 alert("Object should have XML response: " + objContainer.server_date);
 }
 };
// then you could use the object like this:
objContainer.callback();