What is the difference between prototypal inheritance and classical inheritance?

What is the difference between prototypal inheritance and classical inheritance?

Prototypal inheritance is a feature in JavaScript where objects inherit directly from other objects. In contrast, classical inheritance, common in languages like Java, involves classes inheriting from other classes.

Can you give me an example of prototypal inheritance?

Sure! In JavaScript, you can create an object and set its prototype to another object using Object.create(). For example:

const animal = { eats: true };
const rabbit = Object.create(animal);
console.log(rabbit.eats); // true

How does classical inheritance work?

In classical inheritance, you define a class and then create subclasses that inherit from it. For example:

class Animal {
    void eat() { }
}
class Dog extends Animal {
    void bark() { }
}

Which one is better to use?

It depends on the use case. Prototypal inheritance is more flexible and dynamic, while classical inheritance can be more structured and easier to understand for those familiar with traditional OOP.