The "inherits" package, available on NPM, enables browser-friendly inheritance that is entirely compatible with the standard node.js inherits() function. It is designed to provide a standard implementation of the "inherits" function from the node.js util module in a node environment. However, it also offers a browser-friendly alternative implementation. This makes it ideal for developers who are looking to include the "inherits" function in their client-side code, but do not wish to include the entire "util" package, which tends to be large and unnecessary if the "inherits" function is all they need.
To use the "inherits" package in your JavaScript project, you will first need to install it via NPM. Once installed, you can require it in your JavaScript file using the require syntax. Afterwards, you can use the function as per the standard node.js inherits() function. Here's a basic usage example:
var inherits = require('inherits');
// You can now use `inherits` in your project
It's important to note that there are differences between version ~1.0 and ~2.0 of this package. The latter uses super_ instead of super for referencing the superclass. Furthermore, the newer version overwrites the current prototype, while the older version preserves any existing fields on it. Therefore, exercise caution when switching from version ~1.0 to ~2.0.
The documentation for the "inherits" package can be found on its GitHub repository: isaacs/inherits. This includes the instructions on how to use it, various intricacies of its implementation, and differences across its versions. It's an excellent resource to understand how you can use the "inherits" function in both node.js and browser environments in the most efficient way. For more in-depth information on the inherits() function, you can also refer to the official Node.js documentation: Node.js util.inherits.
