extensions.js

The aim of this plugin is to add methods JavaScript natives to include missing and helpful functionality.

DATES

Date.prototype.isDate()

var date = new Date()
  , badDate = new Date('This is not a date')

date.isDate();    // returns true
badDate.isDate(); // returns false

{}.isDate();      // returns false
"March".isDate()  // returns false
(55).isDate()     // returns false

This method returns true or false depending on if the Date object is a valid date. No more !isNaN(dateObj.getTime())

Date.prototype.getLabel()

var date = new Date();
date.getLabel();    //  Returns in this format: "MTH DD YYYY"

This returns the date as a formatted date string.

Date.prototype.getDelta()

var date1 = new Date( 2000, 0, 1), date2 = new Date( 2000, 0, 4);
date1.getDelta( date2 );  // Returns object with delta

//  ============ OR ==============

var date1 = new Date( 2000, 0, 1), date2 = "January 4th, 2000";
date1.getDelta( date2 );  // Also accepts date strings

Returns an object with the caluclated delta difference. Currently only up to day (ie no months are ever returned).

ARRAYS

###Array.prototype.merge()

var arr = [1, 2, 3];
arr.merge([4, 5, 6];  // Returns [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]

This combines the two arrays together. This does alter the original array, as well as returns the new value of the array.

OBJECTS

###Object.prototype.peel()

var obj = { name : { first : "Al", last : "Bundy" } };
obj.peel('name.last');  // returns "Bundy"
obj.peel('path.not.in.object'); // Returns 0

This allows you to reach into objects and get their values, if it exists. If it doesn't, will return 0. The advantage of this is you avoid a dreaded obj.name && obj.name.first situation, and not have to worry about a malformed object blowing up your application.

STRINGS

###String.prototype.formatPhone()

var badlyFormattedPhone = "737-4844832 x58";
badlyFormattedPhone.formatPhone()
// returns "(737) 484-4832 x58"

This strips every non-number in the string, then formats occordingly. If there aren't enough numbers, will fill the missing numbers with an underscore "_". If the number is longer than a US phone number, it will consider the extra numbers an extension.

###String.prototype.trim()

var str = "   No more spaces!          ";
str.trim();  // Returns "No more spaces!"

This method returns the string without leading or ending spaces.

####A Small Note

According to some, you shouldn't be adding prototypes to native JavaScript. Here's an argument for that.