CODEWITHSUNDEEP
javascriptprototypeprototypal-inheritance
Alexander Abramovich
Alexander Abramovich

Reputation: 11458

How to access object prototype in javascript?

In all the articles it is written that JavaScript is a prototype-based language, meaning that every object has a prototype (or, more precisely, prototype chain).

So far, I've tried the following code snippet:

var F = function();
F.prototype.member1 = 1;
var object1 = new F();
console.log(object1.member1); // prints 1

How can I access the prototype object of object1? Is there a browser-neutral way to do that (I mean, not relying on __proto__ property? Seen this link, but maybe there are new developments since 2010) If I can't, could you share please the rationale behind the hood?

Upvotes: 76

Views: 96448

Answers (5)

Kado
Kado

Reputation: 1

var F = function();
F.prototype.member1 = 1;
var intance = new F();
console.log(instance['member1']);

Upvotes: -2

Andrew D.
Andrew D.

Reputation: 8220

var f = function();
var instance = new f();

If you know name of instance class function, you can simply access prototype as:

var prototype = f.prototype;
prototype.someMember = someValue;

If you don't:

1)

var prototype = Object.getPrototypeOf(instance);
prototype.someMember = someValue;

2) or

var prototype = instance.__proto__;
prototype.someMember = someValue;

3) or

var prototype = instance.constructor.prototype; // works only if constructor is properly assigned and not modified
prototype.someMember = someValue;

For compatibility you can place into your code the following snippet (and use always Object.getPrototypeOf(instance) to return prototype):

if(!Object.getPrototypeOf) {

  if(({}).__proto__ === Object.prototype && ([]).__proto__ === Array.prototype) {

    Object.getPrototypeOf = function getPrototypeOf(object) {
      return object.__proto__;
    };

  } else {

    Object.getPrototypeOf = function getPrototypeOf(object) {

      // May break if the constructor has been changed or removed
      return object.constructor ? object.constructor.prototype : void 0;

    };

  }
}

UPDATE:

According to ECMA-262 6th Edition (June 2015) __proto__ property is standardized as additional feature for Web browsers. All latest editions of top browsers supports it now. Read more about __proto__:

Upvotes: 130

HelloWorld
HelloWorld

Reputation: 2330

It looks like 

Object.getPrototypeOf(passedObject);

will work for this, and is compatible with modern browsers.

Here are the compatibility tables on MDN

Upvotes: 11

r3mark
r3mark

Reputation: 526

var F = function();
F.prototype.member1 = 1;
F.prototype.getClass = F;

var object1 = new F();
object1.member1 = 2;

console.log(object1.getClass.prototype.member1); // prints 1
console.log(object1.member1); // prints 2

Upvotes: 2

user652649
user652649

Reputation: 

var F = function(){};
var object1 = new F();
alert(object1.constructor === F);
alert(object1.constructor.prototype === F.prototype);

Upvotes: 6

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