I m doing some server-side javascript bits and pieces that essentially need both access to websites full DOMs and the ability to open sites cross-domain, and at least so far, PhantomJS seems the best tool for the job.

However, it lacks an Object.watch() method, which I d rather like to have. As such, I m trying to use the shim posted as an answer elsewhere on Stackoverflow (available here: https://gist.github.com/384583) to give me access to just such methods.

It isn t working.

It s also well beyond my level of JavaScript understanding - so I m wondering if anyone could help me understand both exactly what it s doing, and why it might not be working?

Thanks for the help,

Toby

(Code quoted below:

// Cross-browser object.watch and object.unwatch

// object.watch
if (!Object.prototype.watch) {
    Object.prototype.watch = function (prop, handler) {
        var oldval = this[prop], newval = oldval,
        getter = function () {
            return newval;
        },
        setter = function (val) {
            oldval = newval;
            return newval = handler.call(this, prop, oldval, val);
        };
        if (delete this[prop]) { // can t watch constants
            if (Object.defineProperty) { // ECMAScript 5
                Object.defineProperty(this, prop, {
                    get: getter,
                    set: setter,
                    enumerable: true,
                    configurable: true
                });
            } else if (Object.prototype.__defineGetter__ &&     Object.prototype.__defineSetter__) { // legacy
                Object.prototype.__defineGetter__.call(this, prop, getter);
                Object.prototype.__defineSetter__.call(this, prop, setter);
            }
        }
    };
}

// object.unwatch
if (!Object.prototype.unwatch) {
    Object.prototype.unwatch = function (prop) {
        var val = this[prop];
        delete this[prop]; // remove accessors
        this[prop] = val;
    };
}

And my test code:

tO = {
    "v":0,
    "vplus":function(){this.v ++}
};
tO.watch("v", function(prop, oldval, newval) {
    console.log("The property "+prop+" is now "+tO.v+". Newval is "+newval+" and oldval     "+oldval+".");
    if (newval == 5){phantom.exit()};
});
tO.v = 1;
var i = 0
for(i=0; i<10; i++) {
    tO.v = i; 
    console.log(tO.v);
    if(tO.v == 9){
        console.log("got to 9");
    };
};