Update inheritance_and_the_prototype_chain (mdn#30106)

* Update inheritance_and_the_prototype_chain Clarify the introductory para and add cross-references * Apply suggestions from code review Co-authored-by: github-actions[bot] <41898282+github-actions[bot]@users.noreply.github.com> --------- Co-authored-by: Joshua Chen <[email protected]> Co-authored-by: github-actions[bot] <41898282+github-actions[bot]@users.noreply.github.com>
OnkarRuikar · Nov 15, 2023 · a21ea63 · a21ea63
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diff --git a/files/en-us/web/javascript/inheritance_and_the_prototype_chain/index.md b/files/en-us/web/javascript/inheritance_and_the_prototype_chain/index.md
@@ -6,11 +6,9 @@ page-type: guide
 
 {{jsSidebar("Advanced")}}
 
-JavaScript is a bit confusing for developers experienced in class-based languages (like Java or C++), as it is dynamic and does not have static types.
+In programming, _inheritance_ refers to passing down characteristics from a parent to a child so that a new piece of code can reuse and build upon the features of an existing one. JavaScript implements inheritance by using [objects](/en-US/docs/Web/JavaScript/Data_structures#objects). Each object has an internal link to another object called its _prototype_. That prototype object has a prototype of its own, and so on until an object is reached with `null` as its prototype. By definition, `null` has no prototype and acts as the final link in this **prototype chain**. It is possible to mutate any member of the prototype chain or even swap out the prototype at runtime, so concepts like [static dispatching](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Static_dispatch) do not exist in JavaScript.
 
-When it comes to inheritance, JavaScript only has one construct: objects. Each object has a private property which holds a link to another object called its **prototype**. That prototype object has a prototype of its own, and so on until an object is reached with `null` as its prototype. By definition, `null` has no prototype, and acts as the final link in this **prototype chain**. It is possible to mutate any member of the prototype chain or even swap out the prototype at runtime, so concepts like [static dispatching](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Static_dispatch) do not exist in JavaScript.
-
-While this confusion is often considered to be one of JavaScript's weaknesses, the prototypical inheritance model itself is, in fact, more powerful than the classic model. It is, for example, fairly trivial to build a classic model on top of a prototypical model — which is how [classes](/en-US/docs/Web/JavaScript/Reference/Classes) are implemented.
+JavaScript is a bit confusing for developers experienced in class-based languages (like Java or C++), as it is [dynamic](/en-US/docs/Web/JavaScript/Data_structures#dynamic_and_weak_typing) and does not have static types. While this confusion is often considered to be one of JavaScript's weaknesses, the prototypical inheritance model itself is, in fact, more powerful than the classic model. It is, for example, fairly trivial to build a classic model on top of a prototypical model — which is how [classes](/en-US/docs/Web/JavaScript/Reference/Classes) are implemented.
 
 Although classes are now widely adopted and have become a new paradigm in JavaScript, classes do not bring a new inheritance pattern. While classes abstract most of the prototypical mechanism away, understanding how prototypes work under the hood is still useful.