Question

Function jQuery() is a factory function. Can I use it as a constructor?

var ax = jQuery('a');
var bx = new jQuery('a');

Do they have the same meaning? The new object inherit whose prototype object?

(I promise: I’ll not use it as a constructor in real life)

Answer 1

There’s no difference, because all it does is return something:

// Define a local copy of jQuery
jQuery = function( selector, context ) {
    // The jQuery object is actually just the init constructor 'enhanced'
    return new jQuery.fn.init( selector, context, rootjQuery );
},

If constructors return something else another object, that’s what’s returned and the constructed object is discarded. So… don’t use new jQuery! 🙂