Navigating Circular References and Memory Management in JavaScript Inheritance

Uncover the intricacies of circular references and optimize memory usage in your JavaScript inheritance patterns

Photo by Gabriel Ramos on Unsplash

When working with inheritance in JavaScript, you may encounter a phenomenon known as circular references. These occur when two or more objects reference each other, creating a loop that can lead to memory leaks and performance issues.

In this article, we’ll explore the challenges of circular references and discuss strategies to effectively manage memory in your JavaScript inheritance patterns.

Understanding Circular References

Circular references arise when an object holds a reference to another object, which in turn holds a reference back to the original object. This can happen when you create inheritance hierarchies or use complex data structures. For example, consider the following code:

class Parent {
  constructor() {
    this.child = new Child(this);
  }
}

class Child {
  constructor(parent) {
    this.parent = parent;
  }
}

const parent = new Parent();

In this scenario, the Parent object holds a reference to the Child object, and the Child object holds a reference to the…