How do you copy properties from one object to other?
Assesses fundamental understanding of JavaScript conventions, runtime behavior, and memory/performance considerations.
Hiring managers look for precision, avoidance of ambiguous jargon, and ability to explain trade-offs under real production conditions.
You can use the Object.assign() method which is used to copy the values and properties from one or more source objects to a target object. It returns the target object which has properties and values copied from the source objects. The syntax would be as below,
Object.assign(target, ...sources);
Let's take example with one source and one target object,
const target = { a: 1, b: 2 };
const source = { b: 3, c: 4 };
const returnedTarget = Object.assign(target, source);
console.log(target); // { a: 1, b: 3, c: 4 }
console.log(returnedTarget); // { a: 1, b: 3, c: 4 }
As observed in the above code, there is a common property(b) from source to target so it's value has been overwritten.
Candidate Response Strategy & Interview Tips
- Start with a concise one-sentence summary: Deliver a direct, confident answer first before expanding into nuances.
- Demonstrate real-world trade-offs: Discuss where this approach excels and when you would avoid it in production systems.
- Discuss complexity & edge cases: Proactively explain time/space complexity or boundary conditions (null values, scale limits).
- Prepare for interviewer follow-ups: Technical hiring panels frequently probe deeper into concurrency, backward compatibility, or alternative libraries.