Prototype-based programming

Prototype-based programming is a style of object-oriented programming in which behavior reuse (known as inheritance) is performed via a process of reusing existing objects via delegation that serve as prototypes.

This model can also be known as prototypal, prototype-oriented, classless, or instance-based programming.

Delegation is the language feature that supports prototype-based programming.

Description

A fruit bowl serves as one example. A "fruit" object would represent the properties and functionality of fruit in general. A "banana" object would be cloned from the "fruit" object, and would also be extended to include general properties specific to bananas. Each individual "banana" object would be cloned from the generic "banana" object.

The first prototype-oriented programming language was Self, developed by David Ungar and Randall Smith in the mid-1980s to research topics in object-oriented language design.

Some current prototype-oriented languages are JavaScript (and other ECMAScript implementations, JScript and Flash's ActionScript 1.0), Lua, Cecil, NewtonScript, Io, Ioke, MOO, REBOL, Lisaac and AHk.

See also

• Class-based programming (contrast)]]
• Differential inheritance
• Inheritance (object-oriented programming) - computer programming principle in which an object or class is based on another object (prototypal inheritance) or class (class-based inheritance), using the same implementation (inheriting from an object or class) specifying implementation to maintain the same behavior (realizing an interface; inheriting behavior).
• JavaScript
• Object-oriented programming

External links

• Prototype-based programming @ Wikipedia