Javascript Core

Objects

Creation

Literal

With new

Object.create()

Note

Introduced in ECMAScript 5

Object.create(proto [, propertiesObject])

var o;
o = Object.create(null);  //with no prototype

o = {};
// is equivalent to:
o = Object.create(Object.prototype);

function Constructor(){}
o = new Constructor();
// is equivalent to:
o = Object.create(Constructor.prototype);

o = Object.create({}, { p: { value: 42 } })
// by default properties ARE NOT writable, enumerable or configurable:
o.p = 24
o.p  //42
o.q = 12
for (var prop in o) {
    console.log(prop)  //"q"
}
delete o.p  //false
//to specify an ES3 property
o2 = Object.create({}, { p: { value: 42, writable: true, enumerable: true, configurable: true } });

Polyfill:

if (typeof Object.create !== 'function') {
  Object.create = function (o, props) {
    function F() {}
    F.prototype = o;

    if (typeof (props) === "object") {
      for (prop in props) {
        if (props.hasOwnProperty((prop))) {
          F[prop] = props[prop];
        }
      }
    }
    return new F();
  };
}

Properties

Querying and Setting

obj.prop

obj["prop"]

Deleting

delete

Testing

prop in obj return true for own or inherited properties

obj.hasOwnProperty(prop) return false for inherited properties

obj.propertyIsEnumerable(prop) return true for own property and its enumerable attribute is true.

obj.prop!==undefined

Enumerating

for/in loops (enumerable):

for (p in o) {
  if (!o.hasOwnProperty(p)) continue;  //filter inherited properties
}

for (p in o) {
  if (typeof o[p] === "function") continue;  //filter methods
}

Note

Introduced in ECMAScript 5

Object.keys(obj) return enumerable own properties

Object.getOwnPropertyNames(obj) return enumerable and non-enumerable own properties

Getters and Setters

Note

Introduced in ECMAScript 5

Property Attributes

Note

Introduced in ECMAScript 5

Object.getOwnPropertyDescriptor(obj, prop)

Object.defineProperty(obj, prop, descriptor)

Object Attributes

prototype

class

extensible

Serializing

Methods

Functions

Invocation

Method Invocation

Function Invocation

Constructor Invocation

Apply Invocation

In this case, this in the nested function is bound to the global object:

var o = {
  value: 1,
  outer: function () {
    var inner = function () {
      console.log(this);  //bound to global object
    };
    inner();
  }
};
o.outer();

Workaround:

var o = {
  value: 1,
  outer: function () {
    var that = this;  //assign this to a variable
    var inner = function () {
      console.log(that);  //have access to outer's variable
      console.log(that.value);
    };
    inner();
  }
};
o.outer();

Arguments

Return

Exceptions

If return value is not specified, then undefined is returned. If the function is invoked with new and the return value is not an object, then this (the new object) is returned.

Inheritance

The true prototype of an object is held by [[Prototype]] internal property:

function Foo () {}
var bar = new Foo();  //the [[Prototype]] of bar is Foo.prototype

function Baz () {}  //
Baz.prototype = new Foo();  //the [[Prototype]] of Baz.prototype is changed to Foo.prototype.

obj instanceof Constructor tests whether obj is in Constructor.prototype‘s prototype chain.

proto.isPrototypeOf(obj) tests whether obj is in proto‘s prototype chain.

Note

Introduced in ECMAScript 5

Object.getPrototypeOf(obj)

Warning

Not standard

obj.__proto__