google caja, what's wrong with "new" ?

In JavaScript we mainly have two type of variables:

• primitives (string, number, boolean, null or undefined)


• object related (Array, Object, Function, unknown for IE)

Due to this difference, a primitive string and a new String are two different worlds:

var s1 = "abc";
var s2 = new String("abc");

s1 instanceof String; // false
s2 instanceof String; // true

The nature of primitive constructor is to return a typeof constructor, but if we use new in front of the same constructor, it will obviously return an instance of that constructor.

This is the nature of javascript, summarized in this snippet:

function I1(){
    return 1;
};

function I2(){};

var i1 = new I1();
var i2 = new I2();

In both cases, o1 and i2 will be respectively an instanceof I1, and I2.
In few words, if a function is caled via new, the assigned value will be an instance o the constructor itself or, if it returns an instanceof Something, the instanceof something value.

function I3(){
    return new I2();
};
var iPretendsToBe3 = new I3();

iPretendsToBe3 instanceof I3; // false
iPretendsToBe3 instanceof I2; // true

The same happens with Array, Function, and Object constructors.
These kind of variables are considered objects, for the simple reason you can add runtime a property, without losing it:

var s = "abc";
var o = Object("abc"); // returns a new String

s.test = true;
o.test = true;

s.test; // undefined
o.test; // true

When we use the Object function, we will obtain an object, instanceof passed argument.
Indeed, using latest example, o instanceof String will be true.

If A Function Returns An Instance Of Something, "new" Is Redundant

While if a function returns a primitive value (string, number, boolean, undefined, unknown for IE) this value will be simply lost the moment we will use new in front of that function.

function sum(a, b){
    return a + b;
};
var o = new sum();

o instanceof sum; // true

Obviously, if we call sum without the keyword "new", the function will return the sum of argument a plus argument b.

Due to this duality JavaScript functions feature, when we perform a new Array, Object, or Function, we are doing something a bit redundant, because the constructor itself will always return an instance of called constructor.

Array() instanceof Array;             //true
new Array() instanceof Array;         //true

Function() instanceof Function;       //true
new Function() instanceof Function;   //true

In the specific Function case, it is like thie scenario:

function Test(){
    return function anonymous(){};
};

var f1 = Test();
var f2 = new Test();

In both cases, new or not new, the returned instance wlll be the anonymous function, which has priority over the new keyword.
Accordingly, f2 will be virtually an instanceof Test constructor between the call and the return anonymous space, something completely useless.

In my good old ActionScript memories, there were cases where the usage of Array() was not suggested because using new Array() you could have created more Arrays (I am talking about thousands of iteraction and AS1 or AS2).
Well, unless somebody demonstrate that JavaScript engines are that buggy, there is not a single reason to prefer new Function (same is for new Object and new Array) over the simple native function call.

All this post is about an interesting one opened in jQuery developer list, where at the end of the day, jQuery had to implement a common mistake/bad practice.

As summary, google-caja, please revisit some spec because this one, as example, does not make much sense :(