Using a function in two different ways

Question

I'm creating a function that attaches to other functions.

Like:

string("Hi").capitilize()//returns hi

I want to be able to use $$.string in two different ways. 1 is attaching it to functions. The 2nd one is the function alone:

string("Hi")

That is suppose to just return Hi. But all i'm getting is: [object Object]

The main code that allows me to do the first one, to attach to functions is:

var g = function (a) { 
        this._string = typeof a == "string" ? a : a.toString();
        return a;
}
var string = function (a) {
            return new g(a);
}

Then I have another variable with all of the functions in it and then bind it with prototype.

Is it possible to make this just return the string if I just have string("Hi") and still allow the functions to work if you add them?

Answer 1

The basic problem is that a function can't tell where it's return value is headed. The call your function is over by the time that the . operator is being evaluated, and therefore your code can't make anything happen at that point.

Now, what you can do is return an object that's got a toString() implementation on its prototype, so that when your object is used in a situation where it'll be treated as a string it'll convert appropriately.

var g = function (a) { 
        this._string = typeof a == "string" ? a : a.toString();
        return a;
}
g.prototype.toString = function() {
  return this._string;
}
var string = function (a) {
            return new g(a);
}
alert( new string("Hi") );