Syntax
Object.keys(obj)
Object.values(obj)
Object.entries(obj)Examples
keys(), values(), entries()
The three ways to extract data from an object for iteration.
const user = { name: "Alice", age: 25, city: "London" };
console.log(Object.keys(user)); // ["name", "age", "city"]
console.log(Object.values(user)); // ["Alice", 25, "London"]
console.log(Object.entries(user)); // [["name","Alice"],["age",25],["city","London"]]
// entries() pairs perfectly with for...of
for (const [key, value] of Object.entries(user)) {
console.log(`${key}: ${value}`);
}Object.assign() - Merging Objects
Copying properties from one or more source objects into a target.
const defaults = { theme: "light", fontSize: 14 };
const userPrefs = { fontSize: 18 };
const merged = Object.assign({}, defaults, userPrefs);
console.log(merged); // { theme: "light", fontSize: 18 }
// Note: the spread operator ({...defaults, ...userPrefs}) does the same thing and is more common todayObject.freeze() - Immutability
Preventing an object from being modified after creation.
const config = Object.freeze({ apiUrl: "https://api.example.com", timeout: 5000 });
config.timeout = 10000; // silently fails in non-strict mode, throws in strict mode
console.log(config.timeout); // still 5000 - the object is frozen
console.log(Object.isFrozen(config)); // trueBest practices
- Use Object.entries() combined with for...of or map() when you need both the key and value while iterating
- Prefer spread syntax ({...obj}) over Object.assign() for merging objects in modern code - it is more concise and equally capable
- Use Object.freeze() for configuration objects or constants that should never be accidentally mutated
- Remember Object.freeze() is shallow - nested objects inside a frozen object can still be modified unless they are frozen too
At a glance
- Purpose
- Application logic and interaction
- File extension
- .js ยท .mjs
- Runs in
- Browsers and JavaScript runtimes
- Usually used with
- HTML, CSS and Web APIs
Specifications & further reading
Related JavaScript documentation
Arrow Functions
Arrow functions provide a more concise syntax for writing function expressions in JavaScript. Introduced in ES6, they use the => syntax and have some important differences from regular functions, particularly in how they handle the "this" keyword. Arrow functions are especially useful for callbacks, array methods, and short inline functions.Variables: var, let, const
JavaScript has three ways to declare variables. var is the original way, function-scoped and hoisted with a default value of undefined. let, introduced in ES6, is block-scoped and can be reassigned. const is also block-scoped but cannot be reassigned after its initial value is set. Modern JavaScript strongly favors let and const over var.Data Types
JavaScript has seven primitive data types - string, number, boolean, undefined, null, bigint, and symbol - plus the object type, which includes arrays, functions, and plain objects. JavaScript is dynamically typed, meaning a variable can hold any type and that type can change. The typeof operator reports a value's type at runtime.Arithmetic Operators
Arithmetic operators perform mathematical calculations on numbers: addition (+), subtraction (-), multiplication (*), division (/), remainder/modulo (%), and exponentiation (**). The + operator also performs string concatenation when either operand is a string. Increment (++) and decrement (--) adjust a variable by one.
Arrow functions provide a more concise syntax for writing function expressions in JavaScript. Introduced in ES6, they use the => syntax and have some important differences from regular functions, particularly in how they handle the "this" keyword. Arrow functions are especially useful for callbacks, array methods, and short inline functions.Variables: var, let, const
JavaScript has three ways to declare variables. var is the original way, function-scoped and hoisted with a default value of undefined. let, introduced in ES6, is block-scoped and can be reassigned. const is also block-scoped but cannot be reassigned after its initial value is set. Modern JavaScript strongly favors let and const over var.Data Types
JavaScript has seven primitive data types - string, number, boolean, undefined, null, bigint, and symbol - plus the object type, which includes arrays, functions, and plain objects. JavaScript is dynamically typed, meaning a variable can hold any type and that type can change. The typeof operator reports a value's type at runtime.Arithmetic Operators
Arithmetic operators perform mathematical calculations on numbers: addition (+), subtraction (-), multiplication (*), division (/), remainder/modulo (%), and exponentiation (**). The + operator also performs string concatenation when either operand is a string. Increment (++) and decrement (--) adjust a variable by one.