Revealing constructor pattern event-emitter

event-emitter.js

// This event emitter emits events, but reserves the right to publish events to
// for its creator. It uses a WeakMap for true encapsulation.

const eesToEventMaps = new WeakMap();

export default class EventEmitter {
    constructor(publisher) {
        const eventMap = Object.create(null);
        eesToEventMaps.set(this, eventMap);

        publisher(makePublish(this));
    }

    on(eventName, handler) {
        const eventMap = eesToEventMaps.get(this);

        let handlers = eventMap[eventName];
        if (!handlers) {
            handlers = eventMap[eventName] = [];
        }

        handlers.push(handler);
    }

    off(eventName, handler) {
        const eventMap = eesToEventMaps.get(this);

        const handlers = eventMap[eventName];
        if (!handlers) {
            return;
        }

        const index = handlers.indexOf(handler);
        if (index === -1) {
            return;
        }

        handlers.splice(index, -1);
    }
}

function makePublish(ee) {
    const eventMap = eesToEventMaps.get(ee);

    return function (eventName, ...args) {
        const handlers = eventMap[eventName];
        if (handlers) {
            handlers.forEach(h => h(...args));
        }
    };
}

usage.js

const myEE = new EventEmitter(publish => {
  // Wait for interesting things to happen, then call
  // `publish("eventName", ...args)`.
});

passToOtherCode(myEE);

// The other code only gets access to `on` and `off`: it cannot trigger spurious
// events, but only listen for them. This makes it safe to pass `myEE` to
// multiple consumers without worrying about them accidentally stepping on each
// other's toes.

// (Of course, they could intentionally step on each other's toes, e.g. by
// overwriting `on` or `off`. For true security you'll need to deeply-freeze
// `myEE`, and do a few more things, e.g. to protect against plan interference
// attacks. We're not focused on that right now, but instead on the API
// ergonomics.)

This pattern is awesome!

@domenic, please let me know if I'm close: this pattern of the constructor accepting a publish makes this EventEmitter class not ideal for extending, and more ideal for other code to contain references to an EventEmitter.