When should I automatically create an object even if `new` is forgotten?

This can be useful for when you would like to internally construct an object wrapper.

A little known library internally uses this approach, jQuery.

They do not use the instanceof approach any longer though. Every time jQuery is called, it automatically does this:

// Define a local copy of jQuery
jQuery = function( selector, context ) {
 // Need init if jQuery is called (just allow error to be thrown if not included)
 return new jQuery.fn.init( selector, context );
}

Everything it does internally references this local copy. At the very end of its work, it then attaches it to the global scope

window.jQuery = window.$ = jQuery;

So every time you call $() it internally uses new. It is also assuming that you do not use new externally, but it really doesn’t care if you do or not.

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edit

jsFiddle Demo

//Foo entrance
function Foo(bar){
 //construct a new Foo object to return
 return new Foo.prototype.build(bar);
}

//constructor for returning new prototype
Foo.prototype.build = function(bar){
 //initialize base settings
 this.bar = bar;
 //chain object
 return this;
};

//this is the complex part
//tie the prototype of Foo.prototype.build.prototype to Foo.prototype
//so that is "seems" like Foo is the parent of the prototype assignments
//while allowing for the use of returning a new object in the Foo entrance
Foo.prototype.build.prototype = Foo.prototype;

//simple expansions at this point, nothing looks too different
//makes a function for a constructed Foo that logs hello
Foo.prototype.hello = function(){
 console.log("Hello "+this.bar+" :)");
 //returns this for chaining
 return this;
};

//more extensions, this one changes this.bar's value
Foo.prototype.setBar = function(arg){
 //accesses the current Foo instance's .bar property
 this.bar = arg;
 //returns this for chianing
 return this;
};

//should be seeing a pattern
Foo.prototype.goodbye = function(){
 console.log("Bye "+this.bar+" :(");
 return this;
};

var foo = Foo(42);
//console.log(bar); // ERROR
console.log(foo.bar); // 42
foo.hello(); //Hello 42 :)
foo.hello().setBar(9001).goodbye(); //Hello 42 :) Bye 9001 :(
Foo(12).hello(); //Hello 12 :)