Proto vs. Prototype in JavaScript: What's the Key Difference?

Proto vs. Prototype: Clarifying the Distinction

In JavaScript, understanding the difference between proto and prototype is crucial for navigating the object-oriented paradigm.

The provided diagram illustrates the hierarchical structure of object prototypes, highlighting that each object has a prototype. However, the key distinction lies in their roles and relationships.

Proto

• Every object has an internal property named __proto__, which contains a reference to its prototype.
• This prototype serves as the actual object used for inheritance during the lookup chain.
• For instance, (new Foo).__proto__ would point to Foo.prototype.

Prototype

• Prototype is an explicit property of a constructor function that refers to the object used to construct proto when creating new objects.
• It provides a mechanism for shared properties and methods among objects of the same type.
• For example, Foo.prototype provides the blueprint for all objects created with the Foo constructor, such as (new Foo).__proto__.

Key Differences:

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