# Yahoo! UI Library

### element 2.2.2

Yahoo! UI Library > element > Attribute.js (source view)

    /**
     * Provides Attribute configurations.
     * @namespace YAHOO.util
     * @class Attribute
     * @constructor
     * @param hash {Object} The intial Attribute.
     * @param {YAHOO.util.AttributeProvider} The owner of the Attribute instance.
     */

    YAHOO.util.Attribute = function(hash, owner) {
        if (owner) {
            this.owner = owner;
            this.configure(hash, true);
        }
    };

    YAHOO.util.Attribute.prototype = {
    	/**
         * The name of the attribute.
    	 * @property name
    	 * @type String
    	 */
        name: undefined,

    	/**
         * The value of the attribute.
    	 * @property value
    	 * @type String
    	 */
        value: null,

    	/**
         * The owner of the attribute.
    	 * @property owner
    	 * @type YAHOO.util.AttributeProvider
    	 */
        owner: null,

    	/**
         * Whether or not the attribute is read only.
    	 * @property readOnly
    	 * @type Boolean
    	 */
        readOnly: false,

    	/**
         * Whether or not the attribute can only be written once.
    	 * @property writeOnce
    	 * @type Boolean
    	 */
        writeOnce: false,

    	/**
         * The attribute's initial configuration.
         * @private
    	 * @property _initialConfig
    	 * @type Object
    	 */
        _initialConfig: null,

    	/**
         * Whether or not the attribute's value has been set.
         * @private
    	 * @property _written
    	 * @type Boolean
    	 */
        _written: false,

    	/**
         * The method to use when setting the attribute's value.
         * The method recieves the new value as the only argument.
    	 * @property method
    	 * @type Function
    	 */
        method: null,

    	/**
         * The validator to use when setting the attribute's value.
    	 * @property validator
    	 * @type Function
         * @return Boolean
    	 */
        validator: null,

        /**
         * Retrieves the current value of the attribute.
         * @method getValue
         * @return {any} The current value of the attribute.
         */
        getValue: function() {
            return this.value;
        },

        /**
         * Sets the value of the attribute and fires beforeChange and change events.
         * @method setValue
         * @param {Any} value The value to apply to the attribute.
         * @param {Boolean} silent If true the change events will not be fired.
         * @return {Boolean} Whether or not the value was set.
         */
        setValue: function(value, silent) {
            var beforeRetVal;
            var owner = this.owner;
            var name = this.name;

            var event = {
                type: name,
                prevValue: this.getValue(),
                newValue: value
            };

            if (this.readOnly || ( this.writeOnce && this._written) ) {
                return false; // write not allowed
            }

            if (this.validator && !this.validator.call(owner, value) ) {
                return false; // invalid value
            }

            if (!silent) {
                beforeRetVal = owner.fireBeforeChangeEvent(event);
                if (beforeRetVal === false) {
                    YAHOO.log('setValue ' + name +
                            'cancelled by beforeChange event', 'info', 'Attribute');
                    return false;
                }
            }

            if (this.method) {
                this.method.call(owner, value);
            }

            this.value = value;
            this._written = true;

            event.type = name;

            if (!silent) {
                this.owner.fireChangeEvent(event);
            }

            return true;
        },

        /**
         * Allows for configuring the Attribute's properties.
         * @method configure
         * @param {Object} map A key-value map of Attribute properties.
         * @param {Boolean} init Whether or not this should become the initial config.
         */
        configure: function(map, init) {
            map = map || {};
            this._written = false; // reset writeOnce
            this._initialConfig = this._initialConfig || {};

            for (var key in map) {
                if ( key && YAHOO.lang.hasOwnProperty(map, key) ) {
                    this[key] = map[key];
                    if (init) {
                        this._initialConfig[key] = map[key];
                    }
                }
            }
        },

        /**
         * Resets the value to the initial config value.
         * @method resetValue
         * @return {Boolean} Whether or not the value was set.
         */
        resetValue: function() {
            return this.setValue(this._initialConfig.value);
        },

        /**
         * Resets the attribute config to the initial config state.
         * @method resetConfig
         */
        resetConfig: function() {
            this.configure(this._initialConfig);
        },

        /**
         * Resets the value to the current value.
         * Useful when values may have gotten out of sync with actual properties.
         * @method refresh
         * @return {Boolean} Whether or not the value was set.
         */
        refresh: function(silent) {
            this.setValue(this.value, silent);
        }
    };

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