JavaScript Polymorphism

Polymorphism in JavaScript refers to the ability of objects to have multiple forms or behaviors based on their underlying data type or the context in which they are used. It allows you to use a single interface to represent different types of objects, enabling code reuse and flexibility.

In JavaScript, polymorphism can be achieved through method overriding and method overloading:

1. Method Overriding: Method overriding occurs when a subclass provides its own implementation of a method that is already defined in its parent class. This allows the subclass to have a specialized behavior while still adhering to the interface of the parent class. When a method is invoked on an object, JavaScript looks for the method in the object itself. If it is not found, it traverses up the prototype chain until it finds the method or reaches the top-level object.
2. Method Overloading: Method overloading refers to defining multiple methods with the same name but different parameter lists. In JavaScript, you cannot directly define multiple methods with the same name and different parameter lists like in some other programming languages. However, you can simulate method overloading by checking the number of arguments or the type of arguments passed to a function and performing different operations based on the arguments. For example, you can define a single function that accepts different argument types and performs different actions based on the argument type.

Polymorphism allows you to write flexible and reusable code by treating objects of different types uniformly through a common interface. It promotes code organization, readability, and maintainability. JavaScript’s dynamic and flexible nature enables easy implementation of polymorphism through method overriding and overloading techniques.