Why refer to static variables (function properties) outside the function definition?
<p>I was looking at <a href="http://stackoverflow.com/questions/1535631/static-variables-in-javascript">Static variables in JavaScript</a> and I noticed something I'd seen before, that the function is defined and <em>after</em> the function definition the function prototype is updated:</p>

<pre><code>function MyClass () { // constructor function
  //function definition here
}

//now add a (static?) method *outside* the function definition
MyClass.prototype.publicMethod = function () {
  alert(this.publicVariable);
};

//add a static property *outside* the function definition
MyClass.staticProperty = "baz";
</code></pre>

<p>Here's my question - why not define them inside the function defintion, like this:</p>

<pre><code>  function MyFunc(){
    MyFunc.staticVar = 1;
    //static method showing static var
    MyFunc.showVarStatic  = function(){
        alert(MyFunc.staticVar);
    }
    //instance method referring to static var
    this.showVarInstance = function(){
        alert(MyFunc.staticVar);
    }
    //instance method - doesn't change static var
    this.inc1 = function(){
        this.staticVar += 1;//no such property
    }
    //static method, changes var
    this.inc2 = function(){
        MyFunc.staticVar += 1;//increments static property
    }
  }
</code></pre>

<p>This seems to behave as expected in IE8, FF, and Chrome.  Is this just a personal preference / style thing?  I like it, because my whole function is contained in those curly brackets.</p>

<p>[EDIT: after doing more reading and experimenting, I have better understand of how javascript functions <em>are</em> constructors, and how they differ from, for example, C# classes - here's some code I used to demonstrate this]</p>

<pre><code>//this is deceiving, notSoStaticVar won't exist until MyFunc1 has been run
//and then it will be reset whenever MyFunc1 (a constructor) is run
function MyFunc1(){
    MyFunc1.notSoStaticVar = "I belong to MyFunc1";
    this.instanceVar = "I belong to instances of MyFunc1";
}

//this code will be run inline one time, 
//so the static property of MyFunc2 will exist
//(I like how all the functionality is in one code block, but it's kind of messy)
MyFunc2 = (function(){
    var temp = function(){
        this.instanceVar = "I belong to an instance of MyFunc2";
    }
    temp.staticVar = "I belong to MyFunc2";
    return temp;
})();

//this seems to be equivalent to MyFunc2, but the code is cleaner
MyFunc3 = function(){
}
MyFunc3.prototype.instanceVar = "I belong to an instance of MyFunc3";
MyFunc3.staticVar = "I belong to MyFunc3";

//tests
console.log(MyFunc1.notSoStaticVar);//undefined!
var a = new MyFunc1();
console.log(MyFunc1.notSoStaticVar);//"I belong to MyFunc1"
console.log(a.instanceVar);//"I belong to instances of MyFunc1"
MyFunc1.notSoStaticVar = "I will be changed when another instance of MyFunc1 is created";
console.log(MyFunc1.notSoStaticVar);//"I will be changed when another instance of MyFunc1 is created"
var b = new MyFunc1();
console.log(MyFunc1.notSoStaticVar);//"I belong to MyFunc1" - was reset by constructor!

//now test MyFunc2
console.log(MyFunc2.staticVar);//"I belong to MyFunc2"
MyFunc2.staticVar = "I am not affected by the construction of new MyFunc2 objects";
var c = new MyFunc2();
console.log(c.instanceVar);//"I belong to an instance of MyFunc2"
console.log(MyFunc2.staticVar);//"I am not affected by the construction of new MyFunc2 objects"

//now test MyFunc3
console.log(MyFunc3.staticVar);//"I belong to MyFunc3"
MyFunc3.staticVar = "I am not affected by the construction of new MyFunc3 objects";
var d = new MyFunc3();
console.log(d.instanceVar);//"I belong to an instance of MyFunc3"
console.log(MyFunc3.staticVar);//"I am not affected by the construction of new MyFunc3 objects"

//interesting
console.log(c);//"temp" &lt;-- not really intuitive!
console.log(d);//"MyFunc3" &lt;-- makes sense
</code></pre>
