Object.create: Is it the Better Alternative to 'new' in JavaScript?

Object.create: A Modern Alternative to "new"

In JavaScript 1.9.3 (ECMAScript 5), the introduction of the Object.create method became a topic of discussion. This method offers an alternative to the traditional "new" operator for creating objects. Let's explore the advantages and how to use it effectively.

The Challenge

In the example provided, the goal is to replace the use of "new" with Object.create to create a User object named "bob."

Current Approach

The current approach involves defining a plain object "userB" and using Object.create to create "bob" as a delegate of "userB." However, this approach introduces a public "init" method that is unnecessary and the name and ID properties are not initialized correctly.

A More Effective Approach

Object.create truly shines when it comes to differential inheritance, where objects inherit directly from existing objects. In this case, we can initialize the "bob" object with the desired properties as the second argument to Object.create:

var userB = {
  sayHello: function() {
    console.log('Hello ' + this.name);
  }
};

var bob = Object.create(userB, {
  id: {
    value: MY_GLOBAL.nextId(),
    enumerable: true
  },
  name: {
    value: 'Bob',
    enumerable: true
  }
});

In this approach, we specify the "id" and "name" properties as an object literal with the property attributes (enumerable, writable, configurable). This allows us to set the initial values and control their accessibility.

Conclusion

Object.create provides a powerful mechanism for object creation with flexible inheritance and property initialization options. By embracing Object.create, developers can improve the maintainability and flexibility of their JavaScript codebase.

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