Issues with ES6 classes

[ceane]

I'm having issues with ES6 classes in React. It seems that esprima-harmony differs from how 6to5 is implementing classes, as well as how classes are implemented in beta versions of browsers.

With esprima-harmony I am able to use classes (using React.createClass(MyClass.prototype)), however,

If I use any of these methods:

with 6to5

React.createClass(MyComponent.prototype);

In Chrome 39 and IE11 Windows 10 Preview

React.createClass(MyComponent);

I get this error: Error: Invariant Violation: createClass(...): Class specification must implement arendermethod.. And if I try using React.createFactory in 6to5 I get this error: TypeError: undefined is not an object (evaluating 'nextElement.props').

I can't figure out what would be so different between Object.defineProperty and directly defining prototypes, other than the fact that properties set on the prototype aren't automatically enumerable.

ES6 code

class MyComponent {
  render() {
    return null;
  }
}

esprima-harmony compiles:

function MyComponent() {}
MyComponent.prototype.render = function() {return null;}

6to5 compiles:

var _classProps = function(child, staticProps, instanceProps) {
  if (staticProps) Object.defineProperties(child, staticProps);
  if (instanceProps) Object.defineProperties(child.prototype, instanceProps);
};

var MyComponent = (function() {
  var MyComponent = 
     function MyComponent() {};

  _classProps(MyComponent, null, {
    render: {
      writable: true,

      value: function() { 
        return null;
      }
    }
  });

  return MyComponent;
})();

How should I resolve this issue?

[sebmarkbage]

This seems to be a bug in 6to5. Methods in ES6 classes should be enumerable. Please report it to the 6to5 project.

[ceane]

It seems that methods are not enumerable on ES6 classes.

In a class body, a prototype method declaration:

m(args) { body }

is equivalent to:

m: {
   value: function m(args) { body },
   enumerable: false,
   writable: true,
   configurable: true
}

Prototype getters and setters are similar.

[sebmarkbage]

That document is outdated. AFAIK, the spec draft has changed since then.

On Nov 25, 2014, at 8:28 AM, Ceane Lamerez notifications@github.com wrote:

It seems that methods are not enumerable on ES6 classes.

In a class body, a prototype method declaration:

m(args) { body }
is equivalent to:

m: {
value: function m(args) { body },
enumerable: false,
writable: true,
configurable: true
}
Prototype getters and setters are similar.

—
Reply to this email directly or view it on GitHub.

[ceane]

Yes it would seem so, however on IE 11 preview and Chrome 39, it seems that still class methods are not enumerable.
Test with IE11, Windows 10 Tech preview

var Y = class H {
  render() {
   return null;
  }
};

var G = new Y();

G.propertyIsEnumerable('render');
> false

Happy Thanksgiving, BTW.

[ceane]

ES6 draft class definition

Also in the latest upcoming ES6 draft (October 2014), it seems that the PropertyDescriptor of methods on a class are as

1. Let desc be the PropertyDescriptor{[[Value]]: F, [[Writable]]: true, [[Enumerable]]: false, [[Configurable]]: true}.
   ...
2. For each ClassElement m in order from methods
   a. If IsStatic of m is false, then
   i. Let status be the result of performing PropertyDefinitionEvaluation for m with argument proto.
   b. Else,
   i. Let status be the result of performing PropertyDefinitionEvaluation for m with argument F.

So it seems that class methods are not enumerable with the current ES6 spec.

[sebmarkbage]

The first one is just the constructor which is not enumerable.

The rest of the elements uses PropertyDefinitionEvaluation which SHOULD make them enumerable.

On Dec 4, 2014, at 2:15 PM, Ceane Lamerez notifications@github.com wrote:

ES6 draft class definition

Also in the latest upcoming ES6 draft (October 2014), it seems that the PropertyDescriptor of methods on a class are as

Let desc be the PropertyDescriptor{[[Value]]: F, [[Writable]]: true, [[Enumerable]]: false, [[Configurable]]: true}.
...
For each ClassElement m in order from methods
a. If IsStatic of m is false, then
i. Let status be the result of performing PropertyDefinitionEvaluation for m with argument proto.
b. Else,
i. Let status be the result of performing PropertyDefinitionEvaluation for m with argument F.
So it seems that class methods are not enumerable with the current ES6 spec.

—
Reply to this email directly or view it on GitHub.

[ceane]

I see this now, number 7.

1. Let desc be the Property Descriptor{[[Value]]: propValue, [[Writable]]: true, [[Enumerable]]: true, [[Configurable]]: true}

I will report this to 6to5 as well as the browser vendors.

[therajumandapati]

Should this be re-opened because of the latest announcement given below ?
https://twitter.com/webreflection/status/560929583974088704

Unfortunately/fortunately, 6to5 already made necessary changes to make them not enumerable.

React version being used: 0.12.2.

class _Header {

    renderItems () {
        return (
                <ul>
                    <li><Link className="btn btn-primary" to="newidea">New</Link></li>
                    <li><Link className="btn btn-primary" to="ideas">Ideas</Link></li>
                </ul>
        );
    }

    render () {
        return (
            <div>
                <h1 className="dashboard-header">Idea Store</h1>
                <br />
                {this.renderItems()}
            </div>
        )
    }
};

export default {Header : React.createClass(_Header.prototype)};

The above code generates a prototype object with the above given methods as properties. But, for (var name in spec) { fails as the properties are not enumerable and hence React doesn't find the render method on the prototype.

[therajumandapati]

@sebmarkbage Any thoughts ?

[ToucheSir]

@mvpspl619 FWIW you can pass the class option to 6to5's (or Babel's now, I guess) loose mode to generate classes with enumerable members.

[therajumandapati]

@ToucheSir Thanks.

As that's a temporary way to make React work with ES6, I am curious to find out if anything is being done on this front to make React work with ES6 non-enumerable class methods in the future release ?

[sebmarkbage]

The problem with enumerability is that it can't be polyfilled in old IE (we still support IE8). Both the detection and definition. If we want to support IE8 we don't want there to be different React behaviors depending on which browser you use, so we can't depend on detecting enumerability. Otherwise someone may accidentally rely on it working, yet in IE8 it will break (and nobody properly tests IE8 these days).

Luckily, we have first class support for ES6 classes in 0.13.

http://facebook.github.io/react/blog/2015/01/27/react-v0.13.0-beta-1.html

[therajumandapati]

@sebmarkbage Thanks for that.

I have dependency problems with react-router and react-async for using react@0.13.0-beta-1. Trying to figure out a solution.