Storing event methods in button 'data' attribute - Listeners shortcut OOP approach

[crobinson42]

I'm fascinated with a shortcut for javascript apps and event listeners - i'd like to share this with everyone (newbies especially)!

On your page you have several buttons:

<button class="add">Add</button>
<button class="update">Update</button>
<button class="delete">Delete</button>

Then you have listeners (I use jQuery):

$('button.add').click(function(){ 
//do something
});
$('button.update').click(function(){ 
//do something
});
$('button.delete').click(function(){ 
//do something
});

^^^ This can add up to be a lot of code and messy - here's an OO approach to listeners:

Add data attribute to your buttons:

<button data-method="add">Add</button>
<button data-method="update">Update</button>
<button data-method="delete">Delete</button>

Now, in your javascipt you want to write less listener code so you check for the data-method value and call that method:

//listener for all button clicks
$('button').click(function(){

var method = $(this).data('method');//get the method/action of the button being clicked

buttonEvents[method]();//call the method of the button in the "buttonEvents" object by the key
});

var buttonEvents = {
add: function(){
//do something
},
update: function(){
//do something
},
delete: function(){
//do something
}
};

There you have it! shortening up the listener code in a jiff!

Bullets
The 'buttonEvents' object is the scope you are calling the key/variable expression. Because of this, you do not user the '.' instead use '[]' similar to an array (arrays and objects are very closely related)

[traq]

Very nice. data-* attributes are underrated.

Minor suggestion:

var method = $(this).data('method');//get the method/action of the button being clicked

You don't have to create a jQuery object, here: it's expensive, and there's no advantage over "vanilla" js. This line could be:

var method = this.getAttribute( 'data-method' );

Of course, you don't need to use jQuery to assign the event listener, either, but that takes care of some complexity in making things work cross-browser.