Prototype-based programming

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Prototype-based programming , also known as classless object orientation , is a form of object-oriented programming that dispenses with the language element of the class . Objects are not created by instantiating a class, but by cloning existing objects. With this cloning, all properties ( attributes and methods ) of the prototype object are copied, but they can be overwritten and the new object can be given new properties.

All existing objects can be prototypes of new objects.

Some languages ​​completely copy the objects when they are cloned and there is no link between the clone and its prototype; however, most prototype-based languages ​​use a special attribute that maintains a connection from the clone to the prototype. All objects cloned from the prototype also inherit subsequent changes to the prototype via this connection .

The objects can be understood as an associative array ; The key of this table are usually slot mentioned, wherein not usually between attributes (data) and methods (operations) of the object is discriminated: Methods slots often refer only to lie outside of the object code.

Advantages and disadvantages

Prototype-based languages ​​allow greater flexibility in modeling, as they do not force the programmer to put his objects in a static class structure that is defined at compile time . Objects remain structurally changeable at runtime . However, this flexibility also includes the risk of poorer maintainability of the program.

Many optimizations that the compiler can already make in class-based languages ​​at the time of translation cannot be implemented because of the dynamic nature of prototype-based languages.

example

The following example in ECMAScript 5 first creates an object object1that we will then use as a prototype. It has the attributes aand b, to which the values ​​1 and 2 are assigned. 

var object1 = { a : 1, b : 2 };

There is a predefined function for cloning in ECMAScript 5 Object.create(). The desired prototype is given as an argument. This clone is named in the example object2. 

var object2 = Object.create( object1 );

Further attributes can now be assigned to this new object 

object2.c = 3;
object2.d = 4;

The cloned object now has four attributes:

  • a = 1 (inherited from the prototype)
  • b = 2 (inherited from the prototype)
  • c = 3 (added after cloning)
  • d = 4 (added after cloning)

List of prototype-based programming languages

In principle, any programming language that supports pointers can be programmed on the basis of prototypes. There are ready- made modules for Ruby and Perl that support this.

See also