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Why JavaScript is a Prototype-based OOP

Emmanuel Fordjour Kumah on March 30, 2023

In object-oriented programming, we can distinguish between two types of languages. Class-based and prototype-based languages. Class-based language...

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Sharmila kannan • Apr 1 '23

Very useful and detailed! Thank you

byby • Apr 2 '23

I found the explanations and examples you provided to be very clear and helpful. It's great to have a better understanding of how the language works. Keep up the good work!

ucheetah • Aug 11

soooo well explained thank you

goatscrub • Aug 27 '23

Thanks for this great explanations, for me it's more clear now.
I think it's really important to understand all these concepts, and your article helps me a lot.

Sorry if I am wrong, there is a mistake example just before section «Dimming Properties» with toUpperCase function.

I think the explanation is wrong, JS engine don't lookup to user object searching for toUpperCase method, because before that, string primitive was converted into String object ("boxing"), and on that object engine found toUpperCase method.

If toUpperCase method is created on user object, we can call it with user.toUpperCase() and not with user.name.toUpperCase().

Again, thanks, great explanations :)

Emmanuel Fordjour Kumah • Sep 6 '23

Thanks for the clarifcation. I will relook at that section

Manuel Artero Anguita 🟨 • Mar 31 '23

Extremely deep post! congrats! Clicked here because I'm a nerd of class vs. prototype and I love this topic. I wrote one about the same topic (but considerably shorter 😅)
great work!

Emmanuel Fordjour Kumah • Mar 31 '23 • Edited

Thanks Manuel, I will take a look at yours too.

fruntend • Apr 3 '23

Сongratulations 🥳! Your article hit the top posts for the week - dev.to/fruntend/top-10-posts-for-f...
Keep it up 👍

Emmanuel Fordjour Kumah • Apr 3 '23

Yaaaay, thank you all for your valuable feedbacks and reads

aduonye • Nov 20 '23

Your explanation was clear.
If I may summarize, there are two approaches to Object Oriented Programming(OOP) which are: 1. Classical Approach and 2. Prototype Approach.

The Prototype approach is the default standard for creating OOP in JavaScript.

The Prototype Approach has two methods to achieve OOP viz Using Object.create() method or Using constructor function method.

In all these, using classes for OOP in JavaScript is like a sweetener to writing OOp in JavaScript.

Thanks for your time and clear examples. I have bookmarked this piece and would refer techies to it. Well-done!

Emmanuel Fordjour Kumah • Nov 24 '23

Thanks for your feedback. Appreciate it

tonnerkiller • Apr 5 '23

Great article that will help me understand OOP in JS better.
One thing still seems strange: If I understand correctly, there are two syntactical approaches in JS that cannot be mixed, one being the proto approach of the objects and the other being the prototype property of functions.
So my objects would be either classes or functions, but I should not mix. Right?