EventSpitter

A minimal but versatile JavaScript pub/sub module, very similar to Node's EventEmitter, but more flexible and working also in the browser. It can be required with CommonJS, AMD and standard browser <script> tag. Coffeescript version provided too.

Usage

var es = new EventSpitter;

// Attach a listener to an event 'foo'
es.on("foo", function( evt, arg1, arg2 ) {
  console.log( "I was triggered by event " + evt );
  console.log( "I was passed additional arguments " + arg1 + " and " + arg2 );
});

// Attach a listener using a regular expression
es.on(/^f/, function() {
  console.log("I am listening to any event starting with 'f'");
});

// Emit an event 'foo' passing additional arguments 123 and "xyz"
es.emit("foo", 123, "xyz");

// Most methods are chainable
es.on("bar", function() {
  console.log("bar!");
}).emit("foo").emit("bar");

EventSpitter vs. EventEmitter

Altough EventSpitter and Node's EventEmitter are a lot similar, EventSpitter is not meant as a drop-in replacement, as the API is not identical. Some notable differences are that EventSpitter:

• is meant to work also in the browser

• lets you match events using regular expressions

• passes the name of the event as the first argument to callbacks

• returns this in most method, enabling chainability

• does not treat the 'error' event in any special way

Methods

on( matcher, cbk ), addListener( matcher, cbk )

Adds the callback cbk as a listener for any event matched by matcher, which can be a String or a RegExp.

once( matcher, cbk )

Works like on, except that it only subscribes for the event the first time it is emitted, and then immediately unsubscribes.

emit( event, [arg1], [arg2], [...] )

Executes each listener for the event, passing it the event name and each additional argument (like arg1, arg2, etc.)

listeners( event )

Returns an array of all the callbacks which are executed when event is emitted.

off( [matcher], [cbk] ), removeListener( [matcher], [cbk] ), removeAllListeners( [matcher], [cbk] )

If called with no arguments, removes every event listener. If called only with an event matcher (String or RegExp), it removes all listeners listening to that matcher. If called passing a matcher and a callback, it removes only that one callback from the listeners listening to that matcher.

Changelog

• 0.0.4 - Available as a Bower component

• 0.0.3 - Fix bugs with RegExp listeners

• 0.0.2 - Fix bug with off when there are no subscriptions

• 0.0.1 - Fix bug with listeners method modifying the array of subscriptions

• 0.0.0 - First alpha release