Comment by jashkenas | Hacker News Reader

Comment by jashkenas | Hacker News Reader

Quick point of clarification. The post says:

    > As it turns out that isn’t entirely true since coffeescript 
    > is a class based object oriented language and javascript is 
    > prototype based. This was actually a mark against 
    > coffeescript for me since part of my desire to learn 
    > javascript was to dally in prototype based OOP.

CoffeeScript is prototype based to the precise same extent that JavaScript is. The "class" keyword is just sugar for JavaScript's constructor function + prototype chain combination. To mangle Shakespeare:

What's in a name? That which we call a class by any other name would smell as sweet.

Call it a prototype if you like -- it's the same thing in code.

thanks Jeremy, do you mind if I insert your comment in the main body of my post?

I am still a student of computer science and in my university's Java encapsulated worldview they've not discussed the finer points of non class-based OOP. I will do more research on the subject.

Go for it. In a nutshell:

An object is a unit of code and data that can be treated as a distinct entity. Classes and prototypes are both way to make objects. With a prototype, you start with an actual object as an example, and make more objects just like it. With a class, you start with the abstract set of properties that describe a type of object, and make more objects from that blueprint.

Think of it as the Platonic ideal of a thing (the class), versus the canonical example of a thing (the prototype).

To get specific: The idea of Bicycle, versus my blue bike with red streamers. Both can be used to make more bikes, in JavaScript.

    newBike = new Bicycle
    newBike = Object.create(myBlueBike)

Awesome. Thanks for that. I've always enjoyed the link between Platonic forms and object Classes.

ahhhphilosophy.jpg

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