What is a JavaScript prototype?
A JavaScript prototype is used to add new properties and methods to an existing object constructor.
An object constructor is made in JavaScript as follows:
function Player(firstName, lastName, team, position) {this.firstName = firstName;this.lastName = lastName;this.team = team;this.position = position;}
The object can then be assigned values as follows:
var player1 = new Player("Diego", "Maradona", "Argentina", "Forward");var player2 = new Player("Alan", "Shearer", "England", "Forward");
Now, if you wanted to add a new property to the Player object, JavaScript’s prototype property will be needed. This way, the property added will be shared among all instances of the object.
All JavaScript objects inherit properties and methods from a prototype:
Dateobjects inherit fromDate.prototype.Arrayobjects inherit fromArray.prototype.Playerobjects (from the example above) inherit fromPlayer.prototype.
The Object.prototype is on top of the prototype inheritance chain; Date objects, Array objects, and Player objects all inherit from Object.prototype.
Code
The following code snippet highlights the syntax needed to use prototypes to add a new “sport” property to the Player object:
function Player(firstName, lastName, team, position) {this.firstName = firstName;this.lastName = lastName;this.team = team;this.position = position;}var player1 = new Player("Diego", "Maradona", "Argentina", "Forward");Player.prototype.sport = "Football";console.log(player1.lastName + " was good at " + player1.sport);
New methods can also be added to the object constructor using prototype, as shown below:
function Player(firstName, lastName, team, position) {this.firstName = firstName;this.lastName = lastName;this.team = team;this.position = position;}var player1 = new Player("Diego", "Maradona", "Argentina", "Forward");Player.prototype.showName = function() {return this.firstName + " " + this.lastName;};console.log(player1.showName());
