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POHow can I test if two javascript objects are similar?
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copied!<p>In Javascript (no jquery or other frameworks please) I want to test if 2 (or more) objects are the same type of object.</p> <p>Here are some sample objects:</p> <pre><code>function Person (firstName, lastName, age) { this.firstName = firstName; this.lastName = lastName; this.age = age; } function Animal (name, type, age) { this.name = name; this.type = type; this.age = age; } var family = {}; family.father = new Person ('John', 'Doyle', 33); family.mother = new Person ('Susan', 'Doyle', 32); family.pet = new Animal ('Jodie', 'Cat', 2); </code></pre> <p>Given the above objects, I want a generic way to test if family.father, family.mother, and family.pet are from the same "type" of object. Can I test for the difference between Person and Animal in a generic way. Something like:</p> <pre><code>if ( sourceObject(family.father) === sourceOjbect(family.mother) ) { alert('father and mother are the same type'); } else { alert('father and mother are not from the same object... we could have problems.'); } if (sourceObject(family.pet) !== sourceObject(family.father)) { alert('the pet is a different type than the father'); } else { alert('Perhaps it should be a child instead of a pet?'); } </code></pre> <p>or perhaps something like this:</p> <pre><code>if (isSameObject(family.pet, family.father)) { alert('Perhaps it should be a child instead of a pet?'); } else { alert('Father and pet are different.'); } </code></pre> <p>There is no "sourceObject" function, but I'm trying to find out if there IS something that does this or someone has found a quick way to do that comparison.</p> <p>Note I am not looking to compare the data in the objects, I am looking to compare the type of Objects involved in the comparison. I need to do this without knowing the exact make up of the components involved. For example, in the above code I could test for a "type" property, but that requires foreknowledge of the objects. I am trying to write a generic function that will not necessarily know anything about the objects passed to it other than the objects them selves.</p>

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