Object preventExtension vs seal vs freeze

ECMAScript 5 introduced new Object methods to Javascript. Among them preventExtensions, seal, freeze methods will be compared to each other.

preventExtensions

An object called by this method can't have any new properties being added.

Example

let person = {
  name: "Agustin",
  age: 27,
};
Object.preventExtensions(person);
Object.isExtensible(person); // return false
person.surname = "Ramirez";
console.log(person.surname); // return undefined
person.name = "Maria";
console.log(person); // return { name: "Maria", age: 27 }
delete person.age;
console.log(person); // return { name: "Maria" }

seal

An object called by this method can not have any new properties being added or current properties deleted.

Example

let person = {
  name: "Agustin",
  age: 27,
};
Object.seal(person);
Object.isSealed(person); // return true
// In strict mode this will throw a `TypeError`
person.foo = "something";
console.log(person.foo); // return undefined
person.name = "Maria";
console.log(person); // return { name: "Maria", age: 27 }
delete person.age;
console.log(person); // return { name: "Maria", age: 27 }
Object.defineProperty(person, "name", {
  get: () => "Juan",
}); // Throw TypeError
console.log(person); // return { name: "Maria", age: 27 }

freeze

An object called by this method can not have any further changes done to it.

Example

let person = {
  name: "Agustin",
  age: 27,
};
Object.freeze(person);
Object.isFrozen(person); // return true
person.name = "Maria";
console.log(person); // return { name: "Agustin", age: 27 }

shallow only

All of these methods only work on object properties shallowly, meaning that just work with the direct property references.

let person = {
  name: "Agustin", // Prevented, Sealed and Frozen
  age: 27, // Prevented, Sealed and Frozen
  address: {
    // Un-prevented, un-sealed and un-frozen
    country: "Argentina", // Un-prevented, un-sealed and un-frozen
    city: "Corrientes", // Un-prevented, un-sealed and un-frozen
  },
};

Feature matrix

Feature	default	preventExtensions	seal	freeze
add new properties	✓
remove existing properties	✓	✓
change existing property values	✓	✓	✓

Link: Today I Learned | Cybertec