Prototype-based programming is a style of object-oriented programming in which classes are not present, and behavior reuse (known as inheritance in class-based languages) is performed via a process of cloning existing objects that serve as prototypes. This model can also be known as classless, prototype-oriented or instance-based programming. Delegation is the language feature that supports prototype-based programming.
The first prototype-oriented programming language was Self developed by David Ungar and Randall Smith in the mid 1980s to research topics in object-oriented language design. Since the late 1990s, the classless paradigm has grown increasingly popular. Some current prototype-oriented languages are ECMAScript (and its implementations JavaScript, JScript and Flash's ActionScript), Cecil, NewtonScript, Io, MOO, REBOL, and Lisaac.
Read more about Prototype-based Programming: Comparison With Class-based Models, Object Construction, Delegation, Concatenation, Criticism, Languages
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