How does JavaScript .prototype work?

In a language implementing classical inheritance like Java, C# or C++ you start by creating a class–a blueprint for your objects–and then you can create new objects from that class or you can extend the class, defining a new class that augments the original class.

In JavaScript you first create an object (there is no concept of class), then you can augment your own object or create new objects from it. It’s not difficult, but a little foreign and hard to metabolize for somebody used to the classical way.

Example:

//Define a functional object to hold persons in JavaScript
var Person = function(name) {
  this.name = name;
};

//Add dynamically to the already defined object a new getter
Person.prototype.getName = function() {
  return this.name;
};

//Create a new object of type Person
var john = new Person("John");

//Try the getter
alert(john.getName());

//If now I modify person, also John gets the updates
Person.prototype.sayMyName = function() {
  alert('Hello, my name is ' + this.getName());
};

//Call the new method on john
john.sayMyName();

Until now I’ve been extending the base object, now I create another object and then inheriting from Person.

//Create a new object of type Customer by defining its constructor. It's not 
//related to Person for now.
var Customer = function(name) {
    this.name = name;
};

//Now I link the objects and to do so, we link the prototype of Customer to 
//a new instance of Person. The prototype is the base that will be used to 
//construct all new instances and also, will modify dynamically all already 
//constructed objects because in JavaScript objects retain a pointer to the 
//prototype
Customer.prototype = new Person();     

//Now I can call the methods of Person on the Customer, let's try, first 
//I need to create a Customer.
var myCustomer = new Customer('Dream Inc.');
myCustomer.sayMyName();

//If I add new methods to Person, they will be added to Customer, but if I
//add new methods to Customer they won't be added to Person. Example:
Customer.prototype.setAmountDue = function(amountDue) {
    this.amountDue = amountDue;
};
Customer.prototype.getAmountDue = function() {
    return this.amountDue;
};

//Let's try:       
myCustomer.setAmountDue(2000);
alert(myCustomer.getAmountDue());

var Person = function (name) {
    this.name = name;
};
Person.prototype.getName = function () {
    return this.name;
};
var john = new Person("John");
alert(john.getName());
Person.prototype.sayMyName = function () {
    alert('Hello, my name is ' + this.getName());
};
john.sayMyName();
var Customer = function (name) {
    this.name = name;
};
Customer.prototype = new Person();

var myCustomer = new Customer('Dream Inc.');
myCustomer.sayMyName();
Customer.prototype.setAmountDue = function (amountDue) {
    this.amountDue = amountDue;
};
Customer.prototype.getAmountDue = function () {
    return this.amountDue;
};
myCustomer.setAmountDue(2000);
alert(myCustomer.getAmountDue());

While as said I can’t call setAmountDue(), getAmountDue() on a Person.

//The following statement generates an error.
john.setAmountDue(1000);

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