Mastering JavaScript Objects: Methods, Properties, Prototypes, and __proto__ in Real-Time User Management System

In JavaScript, objects are foundational to most of its functionality. Here's a breakdown of the terms Methods, Properties, Prototypes, and proto in the context of JavaScript objects:

1. Methods

• Definition: A method is simply a function that is a property of an object.
• Purpose: Methods allow objects to perform actions, usually related to the data stored in the object.

let car = {
  brand: "Toyota",
  start: function() { // This is a method
    console.log("Car started");
  }
};

car.start(); // Output: Car started

Here, start is a method of the car object.

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2. Properties

• Definition: A property is a value associated with a key (name) inside an object.
• Purpose: Properties define the characteristics of the object.

let car = {
  brand: "Toyota",  // This is a property
  color: "Red"      // Another property
};

console.log(car.brand); // Output: Toyota

In this example, brand and color are properties of the car object.

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3. Prototypes

• Definition: A prototype is a mechanism by which JavaScript objects inherit properties and methods from another object. Every JavaScript object has a prototype, and it allows inheritance.
• Purpose: Prototypes provide a way to share methods and properties across objects without needing to redefine them in every instance.

function Person(name) {
  this.name = name;
}

Person.prototype.greet = function() { // Adding a method to the prototype
  console.log(`Hello, my name is ${this.name}`);
};

let john = new Person("John");
john.greet(); // Output: Hello, my name is John

Here, greet is added to the prototype of the Person function, so all instances of Person (like john) can access this method without having to define it individually for each instance.

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4. proto

• Definition: The __proto__ property is a reference to the prototype object from which the object was inherited. It links the current object to its prototype.
• Purpose: It enables access to the methods and properties defined on an object's prototype.

let car = {
  brand: "Toyota"
};

let sportsCar = {
  speed: "fast"
};

// Set sportsCar's prototype to car
sportsCar.__proto__ = car;

console.log(sportsCar.brand); // Output: Toyota (inherited from car)

In this example, sportsCar inherits the brand property from the car object via its __proto__ link. Though sportsCar doesn't have a brand property directly, it can access it because car is its prototype.

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Summary:

• Methods: Functions that are properties of objects.
• Properties: Values that define characteristics of an object.
• Prototypes: Mechanisms that allow objects to inherit properties and methods from other objects.
• proto: The internal reference to the prototype of an object.

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Here's a real-time project scenario that demonstrates the practical use of various Object methods in JavaScript. In this scenario, you are building a user management system for an online application that allows users to manage their profiles. We'll walk through how and why to use each of the provided methods.

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Real-Time Project Scenario: User Management System

Project Overview:

In this project, users can register and update their profiles. We store user data in an object, and different functionalities like grouping users by roles, freezing certain properties, ensuring specific validation checks, and handling user input transformations are needed.

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1. Object.assign(): Merging User Data

Scenario: When a user updates their profile, we need to merge the updated data into the existing user object.

Why Use It: Object.assign() allows us to combine properties from different objects. We can merge the existing user object with the updated values easily.

Example:

const existingUser = { name: "John", age: 30, role: "admin" };
const updatedData = { age: 31, city: "New York" };

// Merging updated data into the existing user object
const mergedUser = Object.assign({}, existingUser, updatedData);
console.log(mergedUser); 
// Output: { name: "John", age: 31, role: "admin", city: "New York" }

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2. Object.create(): User Role Prototyping

Scenario: Suppose we need to create a user object that inherits specific methods related to the role of the user, such as admin or guest.

Why Use It: Object.create() lets us create objects that inherit from a prototype, allowing reusable functionality across similar objects.

Example:

const rolePrototype = {
  getRole: function() {
    return this.role;
  }
};

// Creating a user object with role prototype
const adminUser = Object.create(rolePrototype);
adminUser.role = "admin";
console.log(adminUser.getRole()); // Output: "admin"

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3. Object.defineProperty(): Setting Read-Only Properties

Scenario: In a user profile, the userID should be immutable after it is created. We need to make sure that the userID cannot be changed.

Why Use It: Object.defineProperty() allows us to control the characteristics of a property, such as whether it can be written to or modified.

Example:

const user = { name: "Alice" };
Object.defineProperty(user, 'userID', {
  value: '12345',
  writable: false,  // Making userID read-only
  enumerable: true
});

console.log(user.userID); // Output: 12345
user.userID = '67890'; // This will not change userID
console.log(user.userID); // Output: 12345

Sure! Here are examples demonstrating the difference between enumerable: true and enumerable: false using the Object.defineProperty method.

Example with enumerable: true

In this example, we define a property with enumerable set to true. This property will show up in enumeration operations.

const user1 = { name: "Alice" };

// Define an enumerable property
Object.defineProperty(user1, 'userID', {
  value: '12345',
  writable: false,  // Making userID read-only
  enumerable: true  // This property is enumerable
});

// Check enumerable properties
console.log("For...in loop:");
for (let key in user1) {
  console.log(key); // Logs: name, userID
}

console.log("Object.keys():", Object.keys(user1)); // Logs: ['name', 'userID']
console.log("JSON.stringify():", JSON.stringify(user1)); // Logs: {"name":"Alice","userID":"12345"}

Example with enumerable: false

In this example, we define a property with enumerable set to false. This property will not show up in enumeration operations.

const user2 = { name: "Bob" };

// Define a non-enumerable property
Object.defineProperty(user2, 'userID', {
  value: '67890',
  writable: false,  // Making userID read-only
  enumerable: false // This property is not enumerable
});

// Check enumerable properties
console.log("For...in loop:");
for (let key in user2) {
  console.log(key); // Logs: name (userID is not logged)
}

console.log("Object.keys():", Object.keys(user2)); // Logs: ['name'] (userID is not included)
console.log("JSON.stringify():", JSON.stringify(user2)); // Logs: {"name":"Bob"} (userID is not included)

Summary of Output

• For user1 (with enumerable: true):

  • Logs both name and userID in the for...in loop.
  • Object.keys() returns ['name', 'userID'].
  • JSON.stringify() includes both properties.

• For user2 (with enumerable: false):

  • Only logs name in the for...in loop.
  • Object.keys() returns ['name'].
  • JSON.stringify() only includes the name property.

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4. Object.defineProperties(): Setting Multiple Properties

Scenario: When registering a new user, we want to define both the userID and role, where userID is immutable, but role is writable.

Why Use It: Object.defineProperties() is useful when defining multiple properties at once with different characteristics.

Example:

const newUser = {};
Object.defineProperties(newUser, {
  userID: {
    value: '98765',
    writable: false,
    enumerable: true
  },
  role: {
    value: 'guest',
    writable: true,
    enumerable: true
  }
});

console.log(newUser); 
// Output: { userID: "98765", role: "guest" }

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5. Object.entries(): Iterating Through User Data

Scenario: We need to display all the key-value pairs of a user’s profile for easy viewing in the admin panel.

Why Use It: Object.entries() converts an object into an array of key-value pairs, which makes it easier to iterate through the data.

Example:

const userProfile = { name: "Alice", age: 28, city: "Paris" };
const entries = Object.entries(userProfile);

entries.forEach(([key, value]) => {
  console.log(`${key}: ${value}`);
});
// Output: 
// name: Alice
// age: 28
// city: Paris

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6. Object.freeze(): Freezing User Profiles

Scenario: After a user submits their profile, you want to make the entire profile immutable to prevent any accidental modifications.

Why Use It: Object.freeze() prevents adding, removing, or changing any property of the object.

Example:

const userProfile = { name: "John", age: 31, city: "New York" };
Object.freeze(userProfile);

userProfile.city = "San Francisco"; // This change won't be applied
console.log(userProfile.city); // Output: "New York"

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7. Object.fromEntries(): Transforming Form Data into an Object

Scenario: After receiving user profile data from a form submission, we get it as an array of key-value pairs and need to convert it back into an object.

Why Use It: Object.fromEntries() converts an array of key-value pairs into an object.

Example:

const formData = [['name', 'Alice'], ['age', '28'], ['city', 'Paris']];
const userProfile = Object.fromEntries(formData);

console.log(userProfile); 
// Output: { name: "Alice", age: "28", city: "Paris" }

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8. groupBy() (Custom Implementation): Group Users by Role

Scenario: We need to categorize users into different groups based on their roles (e.g., admin, guest).

Why Use It: JavaScript doesn’t have a built-in groupBy() function, but we can create one to group users by a certain property like their role.

Example:

const users = [
  { name: "Alice", role: "admin" },
  { name: "Bob", role: "guest" },
  { name: "Charlie", role: "admin" },
];

const groupBy = (array, key) => {
  return array.reduce((acc, obj) => {
    const keyValue = obj[key];
    if (!acc[keyValue]) acc[keyValue] = [];
    acc[keyValue].push(obj);
    return acc;
  }, {});
};

const groupedUsers = groupBy(users, 'role');
console.log(groupedUsers);
// Output: 
// { 
//   admin: [{ name: "Alice", role: "admin" }, { name: "Charlie", role: "admin" }],
//   guest: [{ name: "Bob", role: "guest" }]
// }

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9. Object.hasOwn(): Checking User-Specific Properties

Scenario: Before allowing a user to access a feature, we want to check if they have a specific property like role.

Why Use It: Object.hasOwn() ensures that the property exists directly on the object and not in the prototype chain.

Example:

const user = { name: "Alice", role: "admin" };
console.log(Object.hasOwn(user, 'role')); // true
console.log(Object.hasOwn(user, 'age'));  // false

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10. Object.is(): Strict Equality for Profile Comparison

Scenario: We want to strictly compare two profile objects to check if they are exactly the same, including NaN.

Why Use It: Object.is() compares two values and correctly handles special cases, such as comparing NaN.

Example:

const user1 = { name: "John" };
const user2 = { name: "John" };
console.log(Object.is(user1, user2)); // false (different references)
console.log(Object.is(NaN, NaN));     // true

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11. Object.keys() and Object.values(): Displaying User Data

Scenario: We want to get an array of keys (property names) or values (property values) from a user's profile.

Why Use It: Object.keys() is used to retrieve the keys, and Object.values() retrieves the values of an object.

Example:

const user = { name: "John", age: 30, city: "New York" };

console.log(Object.keys(user));   // ["name", "age", "city"]
console.log(Object.values(user)); // ["John", 30, "New York"]

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12. Object.hasOwnProperty(): Custom Property Check

Scenario: When working with inherited objects, we need to ensure a property exists directly on an object and not on its prototype.

Why Use It: Object.hasOwnProperty() is useful for checking if a property belongs to the object itself, not its prototype chain.

Example:

const user = { name: "Alice" };
console.log(user.hasOwnProperty('name'));  // true
console.log(user.hasOwnProperty('toString'));  // false (inherited from prototype)

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Here’s a detailed comparison of similar or related Object methods and additional topics, explaining how they differ in usage and when to use each one. This will help you choose the right method for specific use cases in your project.

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1. Object.assign() vs Object.create()

Similarity:

Both Object.assign() and Object.create() are used to create objects.

Differences:

Method	Purpose	When to Use
Object.assign()	Copies the properties of one or more objects into another object.	When you need to merge or shallow copy objects (e.g., updating user data or combining settings).
Object.create()	Creates a new object with a specified prototype.	When you need to set up prototypal inheritance, such as creating users with role-specific behaviors.

Example:

// Object.assign: Merging objects
const target = {};
const source = { name: "John" };
Object.assign(target, source); // { name: "John" }

// Object.create: Inheriting from a prototype
const rolePrototype = { role: "admin" };
const adminUser = Object.create(rolePrototype);
console.log(adminUser.role); // "admin"

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2. Object.defineProperty() vs Object.defineProperties()

Similarity:

Both methods define properties with configurable characteristics (e.g., writable, enumerable).

Differences:

Method	Purpose	When to Use
Object.defineProperty()	Defines or modifies a single property on an object.	Use when you need fine-grained control over a single property (e.g., making userID read-only).
Object.defineProperties()	Defines or modifies multiple properties at once.	Use when you need to set up multiple properties with different configurations in one go.

Example:

// Object.defineProperty: Setting a single property
const user = {};
Object.defineProperty(user, 'userID', { value: '123', writable: false });

// Object.defineProperties: Setting multiple properties
Object.defineProperties(user, {
  role: { value: 'admin', writable: true },
  age: { value: 30, enumerable: true }
});

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3. Object.entries() vs Object.keys() vs Object.values()

Similarity:

All three methods return information about the properties of an object, but in different forms.

Differences:

Method	Purpose	When to Use
Object.entries()	Returns an array of key-value pairs.	Use when you need both keys and values (e.g., iterating over a profile’s data for display).
Object.keys()	Returns an array of keys (property names).	Use when you need only the property names (e.g., validating fields in a user form).
Object.values()	Returns an array of values.	Use when you only need the property values (e.g., aggregating numerical values like expenses in a budget app).

Example:

const userProfile = { name: "John", age: 30, city: "New York" };

// Object.entries: Key-value pairs
console.log(Object.entries(userProfile)); // [["name", "John"], ["age", 30], ["city", "New York"]]

// Object.keys: Only keys
console.log(Object.keys(userProfile));    // ["name", "age", "city"]

// Object.values: Only values
console.log(Object.values(userProfile));  // ["John", 30, "New York"]

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4. Object.freeze() vs Object.seal()

Similarity:

Both methods control modifications to an object but differ in the level of restriction they impose.

Differences:

Method	Purpose	When to Use
Object.freeze()	Makes an object completely immutable (cannot add, remove, or change properties).	Use when you need a strict immutability guarantee, such as locking down a user’s profile after registration.
Object.seal()	Prevents adding or removing properties but allows modification of existing ones.	Use when you need to prevent property addition/removal but still allow changes to existing properties.

Example:

const user = { name: "Alice", role: "guest" };

// Object.freeze: Completely immutable
Object.freeze(user);
user.name = "Bob"; // Won't change
delete user.role;  // Won't delete

// Object.seal: Modify existing, but can't add/remove
Object.seal(user);
user.name = "Bob";  // Allowed
delete user.role;   // Not allowed

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5. Object.hasOwnProperty() vs Object.hasOwn()

Similarity:

Both methods check if an object has a particular property, but there are slight technical differences.

Differences:

Method	Purpose	When to Use
Object.hasOwnProperty()	Checks if a property exists directly on the object (older).	Use for older JavaScript codebases where backward compatibility is needed.
Object.hasOwn()	Similar to hasOwnProperty() but designed as a more modern and robust method (ES2022).	Use in modern JavaScript projects for checking if an object has a direct property (avoids issues with prototypes).

Example:

const user = { name: "John" };

// Object.hasOwnProperty
console.log(user.hasOwnProperty('name')); // true
console.log(user.hasOwnProperty('age'));  // false

// Object.hasOwn
console.log(Object.hasOwn(user, 'name')); // true
console.log(Object.hasOwn(user, 'age'));  // false

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6. Object.is() vs ===

Similarity:

Both are used for comparing values, but they handle special cases differently.

Differences:

Method	Purpose	When to Use
Object.is()	Compares two values, with special handling for NaN, -0, and +0.	Use when you need strict equality, especially when comparing special values like NaN or zero.
===	Standard strict equality check.	Use for typical strict equality checks, but be aware that NaN === NaN is false, and -0 === +0 is true.

Example:

console.log(NaN === NaN);      // false
console.log(Object.is(NaN, NaN)); // true

console.log(-0 === +0);        // true
console.log(Object.is(-0, +0));   // false

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7. Object.fromEntries() vs Object.entries()

Similarity:

Both methods convert between objects and key-value pairs, but in opposite directions.

Differences:

Method	Purpose	When to Use
Object.entries()	Converts an object into an array of key-value pairs.	Use when you need to iterate or manipulate key-value pairs from an object.
Object.fromEntries()	Converts an array of key-value pairs into an object.	Use when you receive data as an array of pairs (e.g., form data) and need to transform it back into an object.

Example:

const userProfile = { name: "Alice", age: 28 };
const entries = Object.entries(userProfile);

// From key-value pairs to object
const newProfile = Object.fromEntries(entries);
console.log(newProfile); // { name: "Alice", age: 28 }

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8. Object.keys() vs Object.getOwnPropertyNames()

Similarity:

Both methods retrieve the keys of an object.

Differences:

Method	Purpose	When to Use
Object.keys()	Returns only the enumerable (visible) property keys of an object.	Use when you only need the enumerable properties (common for iterating over user objects).
Object.getOwnPropertyNames()	Returns both enumerable and non-enumerable property keys.	Use when you need all properties, including non-enumerable ones (e.g., metadata, hidden properties).

Example:

const user = { name: "Alice" };
Object.defineProperty(user, 'role', { value: 'admin', enumerable: false });

console.log(Object.keys(user)); // ["name"]
console.log(Object.getOwnPropertyNames(user)); // ["name", "role"]

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In this enhanced version, we will dive deeper into creating your own methods and properties in JavaScript objects, as well as using prototypes. This will help provide even more flexibility and power in a real-time project scenario.

1. Creating Custom Methods and Properties in JavaScript Objects:

JavaScript objects allow you to define your own properties and methods. This can be useful when you want to extend the capabilities of an object to perform specific tasks related to your application.

Example Scenario: Adding a Role Check in the User Management System

Imagine you're building a user management system where each user has specific roles, like "admin" or "editor." You want to create a method to check the user's role.

   // Create a user object
   const user = {
     name: 'John Doe',
     role: 'admin',

     // Define a custom method to check the role
     checkRole() {
       if (this.role === 'admin') {
         return `${this.name} has admin access`;
       } else {
         return `${this.name} is a regular user`;
       }
     }
   };

   console.log(user.checkRole()); // John Doe has admin access

Here, we defined a custom method checkRole within the user object to determine if the user has admin privileges. This can be expanded to check for multiple roles and permissions.

1. Using Object Prototypes to Extend Functionality

JavaScript prototypes allow you to add properties or methods to all instances of a particular object type. For example, you can add methods to an object prototype, so all objects created with a specific constructor can access that method.

Example Scenario: Extending the User Object with Prototypes

Let’s say you want all users in the system to have access to a method that can toggle their roles between "admin" and "user" without redefining it for every user object.

   // Define the constructor function for User
   function User(name, role) {
     this.name = name;
     this.role = role;
   }

   // Add a method to User prototype to toggle role
   User.prototype.toggleRole = function() {
     this.role = this.role === 'admin' ? 'user' : 'admin';
   };

   // Create user instances
   const user1 = new User('Alice', 'user');
   const user2 = new User('Bob', 'admin');

   console.log(user1.role); // user
   user1.toggleRole(); // Toggling role
   console.log(user1.role); // admin

In this example, toggleRole is added to the User.prototype, meaning any user instance created will inherit this method. This is useful for reusing code and maintaining DRY (Don't Repeat Yourself) principles in a real-time system.

By mastering custom methods, properties, and prototypes, you can create more advanced, maintainable, and efficient systems tailored to the needs of your application, such as the User Management System scenario described.

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1. __proto__ (Dunder Proto or Double Underscore Proto)

In JavaScript, __proto__ and prototype are two related but distinct concepts that often confuse developers, especially when working with objects and inheritance. Here's a breakdown:

• __proto__ is an internal property of an object that points to its prototype.
• It refers to the actual prototype that was used to create the object instance.
• This is part of JavaScript's prototypal inheritance system. When you try to access a property or method on an object, if it's not found directly on the object, JavaScript will look up the prototype chain via __proto__.

Key Points:

• Every object has a __proto__ property (except Object.prototype, which is the root of the prototype chain).
• __proto__ is a reference to the object's prototype, which is shared among all instances of that object.

Example:

const person = {
  name: 'Alice',
  sayHello() {
    console.log(`Hello, my name is ${this.name}`);
  }
};

// Creating another object that inherits from 'person'
const student = {
  __proto__: person,
  grade: 'A'
};

console.log(student.name); // Inherited from 'person' => 'Alice'
student.sayHello();        // Inherited method => 'Hello, my name is Alice'

In this example, student doesn't directly have the name property or the sayHello method, but it can access them because its __proto__ points to person.

2. prototype

• prototype is a property of constructor functions (functions used to create objects).
• When you create an object using a constructor function (like using new), the newly created object’s __proto__ property is set to point to the constructor’s prototype object.
• Only functions have the prototype property, and it's used to set up inheritance.

Key Points:

• Functions (that act as constructors) have a prototype property.
• Instances of that function will have their __proto__ set to the prototype of the constructor.
• You can add properties and methods to the constructor’s prototype, and they will be shared across all instances.

Example:

function User(name) {
  this.name = name;
}

// Adding a method to the User prototype
User.prototype.sayHello = function() {
  console.log(`Hello, my name is ${this.name}`);
};

// Creating new user instances
const user1 = new User('John');
const user2 = new User('Jane');

// Both instances inherit the sayHello method from User.prototype
user1.sayHello(); // 'Hello, my name is John'
user2.sayHello(); // 'Hello, my name is Jane'

In this case:

• The User function has a prototype property, and any instance created by new User() will have its __proto__ linked to User.prototype.
• The sayHello method is defined on User.prototype, so both user1 and user2 can use it without having a separate copy of it.

Key Differences between __proto__ and prototype:

Aspect	__proto__	prototype
What it refers to	The prototype of an object instance	The prototype of a constructor function
Where it’s used	On all objects	On functions (constructor functions)
Functionality	Used to access the prototype chain of an object	Used to define methods/properties shared by instances
Access	Can be accessed directly (e.g., obj.__proto__)	Used during object creation with new keyword

Example Illustrating Both:

// Constructor function
function Animal(name) {
  this.name = name;
}

// Adding a method to the prototype of the constructor
Animal.prototype.makeSound = function() {
  console.log(`${this.name} makes a sound`);
};

// Creating an instance
const dog = new Animal('Rex');

// dog.__proto__ points to Animal.prototype
console.log(dog.__proto__ === Animal.prototype); // true

// dog can access the method from Animal.prototype
dog.makeSound(); // Rex makes a sound

• Animal is the constructor function.
• Animal.prototype contains the method makeSound.
• When dog is created, dog.__proto__ is set to Animal.prototype, allowing dog to inherit the makeSound method.

Conclusion

• __proto__ is an internal property of every object that points to its prototype. It's used to look up properties in the prototype chain.
• prototype is a property of functions (especially constructor functions) that allows you to add methods and properties that will be inherited by all instances created from the constructor.

By understanding the difference between __proto__ and prototype, you can take full advantage of JavaScript's prototypal inheritance system for efficient object creation and method sharing.