Object.setPrototypeOf()

The Object.setPrototypeOf() method sets the prototype (i.e., the internal [[Prototype]] property) of a specified object to another object or null.

Syntax

Object.setPrototypeOf(obj, prototype);

Parameters

obj

The object which is to have its prototype set.

prototype

The object's new prototype (an object or null).

Return value

The specified object.

Description

Throws a TypeError exception if the object whose [[Prototype]] is to be modified is non-extensible according to Object.isExtensible(). Does nothing if the prototype parameter isn't an object or null (i.e., number, string, boolean, or undefined). Otherwise, this method changes the [[Prototype]] of obj to the new value.

Object.setPrototypeOf() is in the latest ECMAScript 6 standard draft. It is generally considered the proper way to set the prototype of an object, vs. the more controversial Object.prototype.__proto__ property.

Examples

var dict = Object.setPrototypeOf({}, null);

Polyfill

Using the older Object.prototype.__proto__ property, we can easily define Object.setPrototypeOf if it isn't available already:

// Only works in Chrome and FireFox, does not work in IE:
Object.setPrototypeOf = Object.setPrototypeOf || function(obj, proto) {
  obj.__proto__ = proto;
  return obj; 
}

Appending Prototype Chains

A combination of Object.getPrototypeOf() and Object.prototype.__proto__ permits appending a whole prototype chain to a new prototype object:

/**
*** Object.appendChain(@object, @prototype)
*
* Appends the first non-native prototype of a chain to a new prototype.
* Returns @object (if it was a primitive value it will transformed into an object).
*
*** Object.appendChain(@object [, "@arg_name_1", "@arg_name_2", "@arg_name_3", "..."], "@function_body")
*** Object.appendChain(@object [, "@arg_name_1, @arg_name_2, @arg_name_3, ..."], "@function_body")
*
* Appends the first non-native prototype of a chain to the native Function.prototype object, then appends a
* new Function(["@arg"(s)], "@function_body") to that chain.
* Returns the function.
*
**/

Object.appendChain = function(oChain, oProto) {
  if (arguments.length < 2) { 
    throw new TypeError('Object.appendChain - Not enough arguments');
  }
  if (typeof oProto !== 'object' && typeof oProto !== 'string') {
    throw new TypeError('second argument to Object.appendChain must be an object or a string');
  }

  var oNewProto = oProto,
      oReturn = o2nd = oLast = oChain instanceof this ? oChain : new oChain.constructor(oChain);

  for (var o1st = this.getPrototypeOf(o2nd);
    o1st !== Object.prototype && o1st !== Function.prototype;
    o1st = this.getPrototypeOf(o2nd)
  ) {
    o2nd = o1st;
  }

  if (oProto.constructor === String) {
    oNewProto = Function.prototype;
    oReturn = Function.apply(null, Array.prototype.slice.call(arguments, 1));
    this.setPrototypeOf(oReturn, oLast);
  }

  this.setPrototypeOf(o2nd, oNewProto);
  return oReturn;
}

Usage

First example: Appending a chain to a prototype

function Mammal() {
  this.isMammal = 'yes';
}

function MammalSpecies(sMammalSpecies) {
  this.species = sMammalSpecies;
}

MammalSpecies.prototype = new Mammal();
MammalSpecies.prototype.constructor = MammalSpecies;

var oCat = new MammalSpecies('Felis');

console.log(oCat.isMammal); // 'yes'

function Animal() {
  this.breathing = 'yes';
}

Object.appendChain(oCat, new Animal());

console.log(oCat.breathing); // 'yes'

Second example: Transforming a primitive value into an instance of its constructor and append its chain to a prototype

function MySymbol() {
  this.isSymbol = 'yes';
}

var nPrime = 17;

console.log(typeof nPrime); // 'number'

var oPrime = Object.appendChain(nPrime, new MySymbol());

console.log(oPrime); // '17'
console.log(oPrime.isSymbol); // 'yes'
console.log(typeof oPrime); // 'object'

Third example: Appending a chain to the Function.prototype object and appending a new function to that chain

function Person(sName) {
  this.identity = sName;
}

var george = Object.appendChain(new Person('George'),
                                'console.log("Hello guys!!");');

console.log(george.identity); // 'George'
george(); // 'Hello guys!!'

Specifications

Browser compatibility

See also

• Reflect.setPrototypeOf()
• Object.prototype.isPrototypeOf()
• Object.getPrototypeOf()
• Object.prototype.__proto__