Observer Pattern

Observer are interested in the state of a subject, and are updated by changes in subject

by Steven Senkus

HTML

<button id="addNewObserver">Add New Observer checkbox</button>
<input id="mainCheckbox" type="checkbox"/>
<div id="observersContainer"></div>

<pre>THIS EXAMPLE IS BUGGY IN jsFiddle; try it somewhere else!</pre>

JavaScript

function ObserverList(){
  this.observerList = [];
}

ObserverList.prototype.Add = function( obj ){
  return this.observerList.push( obj );
};

ObserverList.prototype.Empty = function(){
  this.observerList = [];
};

ObserverList.prototype.Count = function(){
  return this.observerList.length;
};


ObserverList.prototype.Get = function( index ){
  if( index > -1 && index < this.observerList.length ){
    return this.observerList[ index ];
  }
};

ObserverList.prototype.Insert = function( obj, index ){
  var pointer = -1;

  if( index === 0 ){
    this.observerList.unshift( obj );
    pointer = index;
  }else if( index === this.observerList.length ){
    this.observerList.push( obj );
    pointer = index;
  }

  return pointer;
};

ObserverList.prototype.IndexOf = function( obj, startIndex ){
  var i = startIndex, pointer = -1;

  while( i < this.observerList.length ){
    if( this.observerList[i] === obj ){
      pointer = i;
    }
    i++;
  }

  return pointer;
};


ObserverList.prototype.RemoveAt = function( index ){
  if( index === 0 ){
    this.observerList.shift();
  }else if( index === this.observerList.length -1 ){
    this.observerList.pop();
  }
};


// Extend an object with an extension
function extend( extension, obj ){
  for ( var key in extension ){
    obj[key] = extension[key];
  }
}
 

function Subject(){
  this.observers = new ObserverList();
}

Subject.prototype.AddObserver = function( observer ){
  this.observers.Add( observer );
};  

Subject.prototype.RemoveObserver = function( observer ){
  this.observers.RemoveAt( this.observers.IndexOf( observer, 0 ) );
};  

Subject.prototype.Notify = function( context ){
  var observerCount = this.observers.Count();
  for(var i=0; i < observerCount; i++){
    this.observers.Get(i).Update( context );
  }
};

// The Observer
function Observer(){
  this.Update = function(){
    // ...
  };
}

// References to our DOM elements

var controlCheckbox = document.getElementById( "mainCheckbox" ),
  addBtn =...