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javaScript function constructors

JavaScript Function Constructors

The ultimate objective of Object Orient Programming is to create objects with ease. Languages like Java have classes and each class can have a constructor, and its job is to set initial properties of the object. In JavaScript, you can create an object by directly using constructors. JavaScript lets you use a function as a constructor, if called in a specific way. And, that’s what this entire article is all about!

Usually, the job of a function is to run a specific job. Let’s say, I want to add two numbers. will write a function that takes two arguments and return the addition of the two numbers.

Sample of a function for adding two numbers:

let add = function(number1, number2) {
 return number1 + number2;

let sum = add(1, 2);

Now, let’s look at an example of a function constructor.

let Car = function(color) {
 this.color = color;

let redCar = new Car('red');

As shown in the above example, a regular function takes arguments. It performs an action within the body of the function and returns the result. A regular function may or may not return anything.
Function constructor, on the other hand, accepts color as an argument and sets it to its this.The constructor function does not contain a return statement. Instead, it returns a new object with the property that is passed as an argument.

The basic syntax difference for executing a regular function and a constructor function is the usage of the new keyword.

If you were to manually create an object without using the constructor function, the syntax will look like following:

let redCar = {
 color: 'red'

If you inspect the newly created object in a browser, this is how it would look like:

JavaScript function constructor inspect

As you can notice, it has a color property which is set to ‘red’; The property, __proto__, is its creator. If you expand the __proto__, you will see the following:

JavaScript function constructor inspect

The reference to the constructor that set the initial property is the Car constructor that you used to create redCar.

Drawbacks of not using new

Now, let’s consider a scenario where you execute a constructor function as a regular function without using the keyword ‘new’.

let Car = function(color) {
  this.color = color;

let redCar = Car('red');

In this case, this.color = color will create a new property color in the global space. You can verify the result by using console.log(window.color);

To prevent such error, add se use strict, which throws the following exception:

error calling function constructor without 'new' keyword

You can also use the to throw a customized error message..

let Car = function(color) {
  if (! throw 'Car() must be called with new';
  this.color = color;

let redCar = new Car('red');

Private Vs Public properties

In JavaScript, all object properties are public, which means you can access it directly. For example, redCar.color. JavaScript does not have a native support for private property. Private properties are the properties you cannot access directly by using a dot notation. However, you can call a getter or have a getter method like getColor to access it and use closure.

let Car = function(_color) {
  this.setColor = function(color){
    _color = color;
  this.getColor = function() {
    return _color;

let redCar = new Car('red');


Here _color is a private variable that cannot be accessed by the object using redCar._color.
Since it is a closure, the methods have access to them.

Adding methods to a Constructor

Best way to have methods is to set methods in prototype space. For more information about settings methods in the prototype space, go to Prototype.

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