Object.preventExtensions()
The Object.preventExtensions()
method prevents new
properties from ever being added to an object (i.e. prevents future extensions to the
object).
Syntax
Object.preventExtensions(obj)
Parameters
obj
-
The object which should be made non-extensible.
Return value
The object being made non-extensible.
Description
An object is extensible if new properties can be added to it.
Object.preventExtensions()
marks an object as no longer extensible, so that
it will never have properties beyond the ones it had at the time it was marked as
non-extensible. Note that the properties of a non-extensible object, in general, may
still be deleted. Attempting to add new properties to a non-extensible object
will fail, either silently or by throwing a TypeError
(most commonly, but
not exclusively, when in strict
mode).
Object.preventExtensions()
only prevents addition of own properties.
Properties can still be added to the object prototype.
This method makes the [[prototype]]
of the target immutable; any
[[prototype]]
re-assignment will throw a TypeError
. This
behavior is specific to the internal [[prototype]]
property, other
properties of the target object will remain mutable.
There is no way to make an object extensible again once it has been made non-extensible.
Examples
Using Object.preventExtensions
// Object.preventExtensions returns the object
// being made non-extensible.
var obj = {};
var obj2 = Object.preventExtensions(obj);
obj === obj2; // true
// Objects are extensible by default.
var empty = {};
Object.isExtensible(empty); // === true
// ...but that can be changed.
Object.preventExtensions(empty);
Object.isExtensible(empty); // === false
// Object.defineProperty throws when adding
// a new property to a non-extensible object.
var nonExtensible = { removable: true };
Object.preventExtensions(nonExtensible);
Object.defineProperty(nonExtensible, 'new', {
value: 8675309
}); // throws a TypeError
// In strict mode, attempting to add new properties
// to a non-extensible object throws a TypeError.
function fail() {
'use strict';
// throws a TypeError
nonExtensible.newProperty = 'FAIL';
}
fail();
A non-extensible object's prototype is immutable:
var fixed = Object.preventExtensions({});
// throws a 'TypeError'.
fixed.__proto__ = { oh: 'hai' };
Non-object coercion
In ES5, if the argument to this method is not an object (a primitive), then it will
cause a TypeError
. In ES2015, a non-object argument will be treated as if
it was a non-extensible ordinary object, return it.
Object.preventExtensions(1);
// TypeError: 1 is not an object (ES5 code)
Object.preventExtensions(1);
// 1 (ES2015 code)
Specifications
Specification |
---|
ECMAScript Language Specification # sec-object.preventextensions |
Browser compatibility
Report problems with this compatibility data on GitHubdesktop | mobile | server | ||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
preventExtensions | ChromeFull support6 | EdgeFull support12 | FirefoxFull support4 | Internet ExplorerFull support9 | OperaFull support12 | SafariFull support5.1 | WebView AndroidFull support1 | Chrome AndroidFull support18 | Firefox for AndroidFull support4 | Opera AndroidFull support12 | Safari on iOSFull support6 | Samsung InternetFull support1.0 | DenoFull support1.0 | Node.jsFull support0.10.0 |
ES2015 behavior for non-object argument | ChromeFull support44 | EdgeFull support12 | FirefoxFull support35 | Internet ExplorerFull support11 | OperaFull support31 | SafariFull support9 | WebView AndroidFull support44 | Chrome AndroidFull support44 | Firefox for AndroidFull support35 | Opera AndroidFull support32 | Safari on iOSFull support9 | Samsung InternetFull support4.0 | DenoFull support1.0 | Node.jsFull support4.0.0 |
Legend
- Full support
- Full support