Subj : Re: Equivalent of JS_InitClass for global object?
To   : "John J. Lee" <jjl@pobox.com>
From : Brendan Eich <brendan@meer.net>
Date : Tue Aug 26 2003 02:03 pm

John J. Lee wrote:

>>Plus, you can count on window object identity invariance:
>>otherWindow.myWindow = window; <load a new document in window>;
>>assert(otherWindow.myWindow == window).
>>    
>>
>
>I don't understand what that has to do with my windows not being
>global objects.
>

Forgot to mention that assert(this == window) at top-level must hold, 
too.  Per the previous paragraph, you're stuck with windows as global 
objects.

But say you could separate the two: would you preserve the non-global 
window object named by the global "window" property across document 
loads?  If so, you would have to clear all non-builtin/default 
properties, or face security holes and name pollution problems.

The solution to both problems (persistent object identity, 
security/collision-free scope maintenance) is to have the window be the 
global object.  It's been that way since mid-1995.

/be

.