DS24B33/DS2431 eeprom

if you don't export the whole class, then you can't add things to the prototype?

...Well, you can, it's just ever so slightly more difficult

What are the possible (bad) side effects when having first to connect to get to the prototype via a - throw-away - instance?

In a language where classes are 1st class objects, I just would add connect() as a class (~static) method, which creates the object, issues the connect, and returns the object. In JavaScript this would be adding the connect as a 'strange' method to the constructor (or class) function. Would that be safe/robust enough in regard to side effects?

If we want to stick with creating a throw-away through connect() to access the prototype, passing no parms to the connect could be the way out of the dilemma. A connect with no passed parms could return the instance right after the new - without following through to the end.