JavaScript Prototypal Inheritance: Object.create() vs Direct Assignment

We set the prototype of the child (such as Bird) to that of the parent (such as Animal) using Object.create.

Bird.prototype = Object.create(Animal.prototype);

Why don't we directly assign the parent's prototype to the child's prototype like this?

Bird.prototype = Animal.prototype;

If you directly assign Bird.prototype = Animal.prototype, both Bird.prototype and Animal.prototype will refer to the same object.

Any modifications made to Bird.prototype will directly affect Animal.prototype, which might not be the desired behavior.

When you use Object.create(Animal.prototype), you're creating a new object that inherits directly from Animal.prototype. This new object serves as the prototype for Bird.prototype.

This method ensures that if you add properties or methods to Bird.prototype, it won't affect Animal.prototype.