docs/cloning.md
# Cloning an instance
Structure adds a method `#clone` in order to be able to create a **shallow** copy of an instance. This methods accepts an optional overwrite object that permits you to overwrite some attributes of the copy.
```js
const { attributes } = require('structure');
const User = attributes({
name: String,
})(class User {});
const user = new User({
name: 'Me',
});
const cloneUserWithNoOverwrite = user.clone(); // User { name: 'Me }
const cloneWithOverwrite = user.clone({ name: 'Myself' }); // User { name: 'Myself' }
```
If the structure has a nested structure inside of it, the `#clone` method **will not** clone it but just point the new instance to the old value of the nested attribute.
```js
const { attributes } = require('structure');
const Book = attributes({
name: String,
})(class Book {});
const User = attributes({
name: String,
favoriteBook: Book,
})(class User {});
const user = new User({
name: 'Me',
favoriteBook: new Book({ name: 'The Silmarillion' }),
});
const cloneUserWithNoOverwrite = user.clone();
cloneUserWithNoOverwrite.favoriteBook === user.favoriteBook; // true, it was not cloned
const cloneWithOverwrite = user.clone({
favoriteBook: { name: 'The Lord of the Rings' },
});
cloneWithOverwrite.favoriteBook === user.favoriteBook; // false, it was **replaced** with the new value
cloneWithOverwrite.favoriteBook; // Book { name: 'The Lord of the Rings' }
```
## Strict mode
When cloning an instance, you can clone it in [strict mode](strict-mode.md) as well, so if the resulting clone is invalid it throws an error. To do that, pass a second argument to the `#clone` method with the option `strict` as `true`.
```js
const { attributes } = require('structure');
const User = attributes({
name: {
type: String,
required: true,
},
age: Number,
})(class User {});
const user = new User({
name: 'Me',
});
const clonedUser = user.clone(
{ name: null },
{ strict: true } // strict mode option
);
// Error: Invalid Attributes
// details: [
// { message: '"name" is required', path: ['name'] }
// ]
```