(I'm new to JavaScript) If all objects inherit their properties from a prototype, and if the default object is Object, why does the following script return undefined in both cases (I was expecting 'Object')?
obj1 = {}; //empty object
obj2 = new Object();
console.log(obj1.prototype);
console.log(obj2.prototype);
Pardon me if it's a silly question!
.prototype is not a property of a live object and thus it doesn't exist so it reports undefined. The .prototype property is on the constructor which in this case is Object.prototype. For a given object in a modern browser, you can get the active prototype with this:
var obj1 = {};
var p = Object.getPrototypeOf(obj1);
A non-standard and now deprecated way to get the prototype is:
var obj1 = {};
var p = obj1.__proto__;
In JavaScript's prototypal inheritance, you have constructors and instances.
The constructors, such as Object, is where you find the .prototype chain.
But on the instances, the prototype chain is not really accessible.
__proto__ property.
[[Prototype]], which is a reference to the prototype of their constructor at the time they were instantiated.