Validating a JavaScript Array

JavaScript

validating a JavaScript arrayIf you have a function that takes one more more arrays as arguments, don’t assume arrays are what you will get. Validating a JavaScript array can help prevent unexpected errors in your code.

In this article you will learn how about validating a JavaScript array. There are many times when you only want code to execute on an array that is holding one or more values. To prevent any non-arrays from entering your code, we must implement some validation techniques. Continue reading “Validating a JavaScript Array”

JavaScript Array.prototype.forEach

Array.prototype

forEachThe JavaScript Array prototype forEach method allows you to iterate over an array without the need to set a variable.

A forEach loop is a powerful tool that can simplify your code and help reduce the number of lines required to complete a task. The JavaScript Array prototype forEach method is like a for loop but is designed especially for use with arrays. A for loop is not tied to an array and is more general purpose.

Example 1

To cycle through every element of an array without the JavaScript Array.prototype.forEach method, we would use a for loop, like Example 1. We need a variable to hold the current iteration number and we usually use the lowercase letter i to store the iteration number. We also use the Length property on the array to get its size and store that value in a variable called arrayLength. Then we can use a for loop to iterate through the array as long as the value of i is less than the value of arrayLength.

The JavaScript Array prototype forEach method removes the need for the extra variables, and you can see by comparing Example 1 with Example 2, that it helps make it easier to read. Let’s look at some examples of how the JavaScript Array prototype forEach method can be helpful, and how to use it.

Example 2

In Example 2, we use the JavaScript Array prototype forEach method and an anonymous function to print the value of every element in an array.

The code records.forEach(); tells the computer to start at the first element in the array named records, and for each iteration, do what it says in parentheses. In this case, it will update the variable (record) and pass that value to an anonymous function.

We call it an anonymous function because it doesn’t have a name. It has only the function itself between the brackets {}. We could name it processRecords or something, but since we aren’t going to use this function elsewhere, it’s unnecessary. The function does the work of printing the value to the screen with the console.log command. Console.log prints the value of record to the screen.

Example 3

In Example 3, we use an arrow function as a shorthand way to write the anonymous function from Example 2. It’s more concise and more comfortable to read, but we still update the value of record and pass it to the anonymous function where console.log prints it on the screen as we do in Example 1.

Example 4

In Example 4, we use a traditional standalone function called processRecord that also passes a variable called record to console.log. It cannot set the value of record, nor iterate through the array. To iterate through the array and set the value of record, we use the arrow function with the JavaScript Array prototype forEach method.

For each iteration in this example, we set the value of record and send it to the processRecords function where it will pass the value to console.log.

We would use this example when we want to access the processRecords function from other places in our code.

Syntax

  • Now that we have taken a look at a few different ways to use the Array.prototype.forEach method, let’s dig a little deeper and look at the syntax to see what else we can do.
    arr.forEach(callback(currentValue [, index [, array]])[, thisArg]);
  • arr = Name of the array that we are iterating. We have been using records.
  • callback = The function we are calling each iteration. We have used anonymous and processRecords.
  • currentValue = The value of the current array element. We have been setting this to record.
  • index = The current element id or number. We will be using index as well in upcoming examples.
  • array = The array we are using the forEach method to iterate through. This variable refers to the entire contents of the array, not the name. We will be setting this to originalArray in upcoming examples.
  • thisArg = The value to use as this when executing a callback. This value is for updating values in the array, among other things.

Now that we have looked over the syntax of a JavaScript Array prototype forEach method let’s look at a few more examples. So far, in our first three examples, we have only passed the current value to the callback function in the form of a variable called record, but we can also pass the index, array, and thisArg values as well.

Optional Values

There is one thing to remember about the optional values of index, array, and thisArg. You must assign the variables in order. To assign a variable to the array value, you must also assign one to index. If you only want to know the value of index, there is no need to assign a variable to array and thisArg.

Example 5

Example 5 is the same as Example 1, but in this example, we have assigned variables to each of the optional values.

The variable record = current value
The variable index = index
The variable originalArray = array
The variable thisArg = thisArg

We send each of these values to the anonymous function on each iteration. In our example, we still have console.log print the value of the record variable to the screen, but you can change it to index, originalArray, or thisArg to see those values.

Example 6

Example 6 is the same as Example 2, but with two of the three additional values included. Notice that like Example 5, we could change console.log to print the values of index or originalArray to the screen, but to have access to the thisArg value, you would need to assign it before the arrow function.

Example 7

Example 7 is the same as Example 4. Once again, we split the function and the forEach method into two parts, and we also add two of the three optional variables to the list of information sent to the function on each iteration. If you want to use the thisArrg value in this situation, you will need to declare it before the arrow function in the forEach method and in the parameters of the processRecord function.

Conclusion

Hopefully, after reading over these examples, you have a better handle on the JavaScript Array prototype forEach method. It can be a helpful tool that makes life easier. There are some downsides, though, and one of the biggest is that you can’t stop it once It starts. So, for instance, if you had an array with several hundred elements, you could not print out ten at a time; you would have to print them all.
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JavaScript Array.prototype.unshift()

Array.prototype

unshiftThe JavaScript unshift method adds the specified value to the beginning of the array and returns the new length of the array. It is the most efficient way to add an element to the beginning of a JavaScript array.

While some may be tempted to use the Array.prototype.splice() method to add an element to the beginning of a JavaScript array, you can trust me when I say, the Array.prototype.unshift() is the way to go. I will add though, just as an observation, I’ve always felt that the method name “unshift” is clunky and unintuitive. Nevertheless, it is the one that the ECMAScript specification has given us, so we’ll just have to hold our noses : – ) and dive right in.

So, the syntax for the Array.prototype.unshift() method is quite simple. You just chain unshift() onto your array variable name, and pass one argument to that method: the element that you want to add to the beginning of your array. For example: myArray.unshift(“hello”) would add the string “hello” to the beginning of the “myArray” array.

So you can pass any valid JavaScript value as the argument to the unshift() method. This could be a number, an object, another array or even an expression such as an executed function. But it’s important to keep in mind that the unshift() method returns the new length of the array.
So, if an array has five elements, calling the unshift() method will return “6”, because adding one element to that array has increased the length of the array to “6”.

Try it yourself !

In the above example, click the JavaScript tab. You’ll see that we have the foo array, which has three elements. Each time that we call the unshift method, the value that we pass as an argument is added to the beginning of the array. Notice that we show the return value of the unshift method in the console. This allows us to see that shift returns the new length of the array.

Click the Result tab. Notice how we call the unshift method a total of three times. Each time, we show the return of that call to unshift: “4”, “5”, and “6”. We also show that we use the console.dir method to inspect foo. This is so we can see the changes that are happening to the array with each call to unshift.

Video Example Code

If you want to download the example code, visit this page: bit.ly/kcv-array-unshift

Summary

So, big picture: the ECMAScript specification provides a number of methods on the Array.prototype object that are designed for handling mutations to the beginning and end of an array. The Array.prototype.unshift() method, for example, is specifically designed to efficiently add an element to the beginning of an array. The way it works is, the element that you pass as the sole argument is added to the beginning of the array, and the new length of the array is returned. Simple and efficient… that’s what we like, right?

JavaScript Array.prototype.splice()

Array.prototype

javascript spliceJavaScript’s Array.prototype.splice() method removes one or more elements from any position in the array and returns the removed elements in a new array. It also allows you to add one or more elements to the middle of an array.

JavaScript’s Array.prototype.shift() and Array.prototype.pop() methods allow you to remove elements from the beginning and end of a JavaScript array. These methods are simple to use and require no arguments because there is no potential for ambiguity: the concepts “first element” and “last element” require no further explanation. But when you want to remove one or more elements from the middle of a JavaScript array, there are details required. For example: where in the array do we want to start removing elements? Also, how many elements do we want to remove?

The Array.prototype.splice() method answers that question by removing one or more elements from any position in the array and returning the removed elements in a new array. Initially, this can throw you off because if you want to remove only one element, you would expect just that one element to be returned. But the Array.prototype.splice() method always returns an array. So, just keep in mind that if you plan to remove one element, you’ll need to access the first element in the array that is returned.

The syntax for this is simple: you just pass a minimum of two numbers to the splice() method: the position in the array at which you want to start removing elements, and the number of elements to remove. In this case, you are only removing elements from the array. But you do have the option of adding as many additional parameters as you like. So, beginning with the 3rd parameter, you specify one or more elements to ADD to the array, starting at the position specified with the first parameter. For example: myArray.splice(2, 3) would remove three elements from myArray, starting at index # 2. But, myArray.splice(2, 3, ‘a’, ‘b’, ‘c’) would also add the strings ‘a’, ‘b’, ‘c’ to the array starting at index # 2.

JavaScript’s Array.prototype.unshift() and Array.prototype.push() methods allow you to remove elements from the beginning and end of a JavaScript array. But if you want to remove elements from the middle of an array, the Array.prototype.splice() method is the correct tool. In this case, you provide a zero as the 2nd argument, which means that you are saying: “I do not want to remove any elements from the array”. If you provide any arguments after the 2nd argument, however, then those will be added to the array starting at the position specified in the 1st argument. For example: myArray.splice(2, 0, ‘HELLO’, ‘GOODBYE’). Here, you’d be adding the strings ‘HELLO‘, ‘GOODBYE‘ to the array starting at position # 2. But keep in mind that in this case, the Array.prototype.splice() method will return an empty array, because that method always returns an array. But if you do not remove any elements from the original array, then an empty array is returned.

Try it yourself !

In the above example, click the JavaScript tab. There we call the splice method on an array. In the first case, we take a very simple approach; the first argument is 0 and the second argument is 1: foo.splice(0, 1). This is similar to using the JavaScript shift() method, except that shift() returns the removed element, whereas the splice() method returns the removed element in an array.  This is a very simple example, but the main takeaway is: the first argument is the position to start at, and the second argument is the number of elements to remove.

Later in the examples, we pass no arguments to the splice method. In this case, no elements are removed from the original array and an empty array is removed.

Click the Result tab to see the output for all of the splice method examples.

Starting from the end of the array

In the last example, we provide a negative number for the first argument. A negative number tells the splice method that we want to “start at the end”.  For example:   foo.splice(-4, 3)  tells that splice method that we want to start at the fourth-to-last element in the array, and remove three elements.

Summary

Working with the beginning or the end of a JavaScript array is fairly straightforward, and to make matters even better, the Array.prototype’s push(), pop(), shift() and unshift() methods simplify the process. It’s when you want to remove or add elements to the middle of an array that things can get a bit more complex. Fortunately, though, the Array.prototype.splice() method provides a way to remove one or more elements from or add elements to the middle of a JavaScript array. But the key thing to remember is: this method always returns an array. So, if you are removing elements and you want to access any of the removed elements, you’ll need to iterate the returned array. But if you are adding elements only, then an empty array will be returned.

JavaScript Array.prototype.shift()

Array.prototype

shiftThe JavaScript shift method removes the first element from the array and returns that element.

While it may be tempting to use the Array.prototype.splice() method to remove an element from the beginning of a JavaScript array, believe me, Array.prototype.shift() is the best way to do it. And just as a side note, I’ve always felt that the method name “shift” is a little odd, but that’s what the ECMAScript specification calls for, so we’ll just move along with the good stuff.

So, with the Array.prototype.shift() method, it’s the syntax that’s really important, and the beauty of it is, it’s quite simple. You just chain .shift() onto your array variable name, without passing any arguments. For example: myArray.shift() would remove the first element from the beginning of the “myArray” array. Just keep in mind that the .shift() method returns the element that was removed from the beginning of the array. So, for example, if an array has five elements and the first one is the string “ABC”, calling the .shift() method will return “ABC”, because it has removed that element from the beginning of the array.

Try it yourself !

In the above example, we have the foo array, which has six elements. Each time we call the shift method, the first element of that array is removed. Notice that we show the return value of the shift method in the console. So, we can see that shift returns the element that was returned.

Click the Result tab. Notice how we call the shift method a total of three times. Each time, we show the return of that call to shift: “a”, “b”, and “c”. We also show the length of the foo array each time as well. That length decreases each time we call shift, so the values are 5, 4, and 3. And finally, each time we call shift, we use the console.dir method to inspect foo, so that we can see the changes that are happening to the array with each call to shift.

Video Example Code

If you want to download the example code, visit this page: kcv-array-shift-fiddle

Summary

So, to recap, the ECMAScript specification provides a number of methods on the Array.prototype object that are designed for handling mutations to the beginning and end of an array. But the Array.prototype.shift() method specifically functions to efficiently remove the first element from the beginning of an array. This method takes no arguments and returns the element that was removed from the beginning of the array. Simplicity and efficiency at its best!

How to combine JavaScript arrays

JavaScript

JavaScript logo - concatThe concat method can be used to combine two arrays. This method returns a new array and the original arrays are not changed in any way.

If you’ve never had a need to combine two JavaScript arrays, you can pretty much count on having to, one day. And if you’ve ever entertained thoughts of rolling your own solution to this problem, I’d recommend against it. So now’s a good time to talk about the array.prototype.concat method, which provides a simple way to combine two JavaScript arrays. One thing that’s important to know about the concat method is that it does not change the original arrays. In other words, a new array is created and it will consist of the two specified arrays. But keep in mind that if either array contains one or more objects, those objects are passed by reference in JavaScript. So, even though the original arrays are not changed, if you make a change to any of the objects in the new array, that change will be reflected in the original (source) array.

Try it yourself !

In the above example, click the Result tab. The first call to the concat method is used to combine two arrays: [“a”, “b”, “c”] and [“d”, “e”, “f”]. The result is a new array: [“a”,”b”,”c”,”d”,”e”,”f”]. It is important to note that in both cases, the original array is not changed, which you can see from the second and third console.dir statements. Click the Result tab in order to see the results of each console.dir statement.

We can also pass a single value to the concat method in this way:  myArray1.concat("hello") . When we do that, a new array is returned with the single value we have provided as the last element. The effect is very similar to using the Array push() method. The main difference is that the push() method changes the original array and returns the new length of that array, whereas the concat method does not change the original array and returns a new array . In a similar manner, we can also pass multiple values to the concat method:  myArray1.concat("hello", "goodbye") . This returns a new array with the two values added to the end: [“a”,”b”,”c”,”hello”,”goodbye”].

Summary

So, here you’ve had a look at what a handy tool the array.prototype.concat method is. It not only allows you to combine two JavaScript arrays, it also allows you to add elements to the new array at the same time. But here are two helpful and important things to keep in mind: the original arrays are not changed, and any changes to objects that exist in the new array will be reflected in the original array that it came from.

JavaScript Array.prototype.join()

Array.prototype

javascript joinThe JavaScript join method converts an array into a string.

Converting an array to a string in JavaScript may seem like an unlikely scenario at first, since they are dissimilar types, but this is not as uncommon as one might think. I’ve found that when I want to build a complex string, organizing the various parts of that string into array elements can be a helpful approach. For example: I have to build many vanilla JavaScript applications that feature custom CSS. The CSS is completely managed by the JavaScript code, but I ultimately inject a new STYLE element into the page, with the custom CSS as the content of that element. In building these custom styles, I organize each CSS rule into a string that is an element of an array. Then, after all of the custom CSS rules are created, I use the join() method to combine all of those array elements into one long string, and make that string the content of the STYLE element that is injected into the page.

At first glance, it may seem a bit odd to use a space, hyphen or forward slash as the separator, but as a developer, you are likely to find yourself in many situations in which the business requirements require you to solve unexpected problems. Converting a number of array elements to a string and separating each element with an odd character will be a challenge you will run into, so be prepared; if it has not happened yet, it will! Fortunately, the Array.prototype.join() provides an elegant solution to this problem.

If you pass no arguments to the JavaScript join method, then there will be no space between the characters of the string. Or, you can pass an argument that determines how to join the elements of the array. Which character(s) you provide is up to you. The most common practice is to use the default, which is a comma (” , “ ), but again, the choice is completely yours.

Try it yourself !

Click the JavaScript tab in the above example. We have an array with six elements: [‘a’, ‘b’, ‘c’, ‘d’, ‘e’, ‘f’]. When we call the join method on that array in the first console.log statement, it returns the string: “a,b,c,d,e,f”. This is the default behavior. That is to say: when you do not provide a separator argument, the characters in the returned string are separated by a comma  (” , “ ). In the following examples we do provide a separator argument. In each case, you will see that the separator is used to create the returned string.

Video Example Code

If you want to download the example code, visit this Github page, and then follow the instructions: bit.ly/kcv-javascript-array-join-fiddle

Summary

String manipulation in JavaScript can be tedious, as converting an array to a string is a problem that might tempt one to use a for-loop as a solution. But the Array.prototype.join() method was specifically designed to solve this problem, as it negates the need for any kind of for-loop or other iteration patterns. You can simply chain the join() method from your array reference and then pass a character as an argument, which tells the join() method how you want to separate the elements of the array when converting to a string. In the long run, it really is a smooth way to go.

Introduction to the JavaScript Array reduce() method

Array.prototype

JavaScript LogoJavaScript’s Array reduce() method can be a bit confusing. It doesn’t “reduce” any of the array elements, in fact they are not changed. This method “reduces” the array to one value.

An array is essentially a list, and in JavaScript, that list can contain any valid value. Most array-specific tasks involve “doing something” with the array, or you may need to “do something” with every array element. But what if you need to convert the array into one value? In other words, if the array contains a list of values, what one value could represent all of those values? In this article, I’ll explain how the JavaScript Array reduce() method provides a way to solve this problem.

An important concept to think about is how you can translate a list of values into one, that represents all of them. In some languages, all arrays must be “typed”. In other words, every array element must be of the same type. In JavaScript, you’re not limited in this way; a JavaScript array can contain any number of numbers, strings, arrays or any other valid JS value type.

It’s true that Typescript can limit this kind of freedom, but you’re not required to use Typescript and ultimately, Typescript compiles down to JavaScript. So, the reality of dynamic arrays in JavaScript has not changed. Therefore, if you want to reduce all of the values in your array to one, it’s important to consider the type of each element. If all of the elements in your array are of the same type, things are fairly simple. If the types vary, however, that can get complicated. Of course, that discussion is beyond the scope of this article, but I just wanted to point it out.

Using a while-loop – Example # 1

See the Pen Array.prototype.reduce() – Challenge by Kevin Chisholm (@kevinchisholm) on CodePen.

A “while” loop is a valid way to iterate a JavaScript array and that approach has worked for us here. We effectively “reduced” all of the elements of our array to the one value of 79, and we did this by adding each array element to the “getTotal” variable.

When I said that this approach “…has worked for us”, you may notice that I didn’t say that it “…worked well”. This is because the approach we took solved a problem, but created a couple of issues, the main one being boilerplate code. Most of the code in our “while” loop will be repeated if / when we need to solve the same problem elsewhere in our code. In addition to that, we have created an “i” variable to keep track of our counting during our “while” loop. It may seem innocent, but the more variables we create, the more variables we need to manage. Fewer variables is better.

Using the JavaScript Array reduce() method – Example # 2

See the Pen Array.prototype.reduce() – Solution – 1 by Kevin Chisholm (@kevinchisholm) on CodePen.

The Array reduce() method has dramatically simplified things in Example # 2. Notice how, in the getTotal the variable is now an anonymous function. In this function, we add the accumulator and currentValue arguments. Now you may be wondering: “What are the accumulator and currentValue arguments?” Well, take a look at the last line of code: milesPerDay.reduce(getTotal). What’s happening here is, we’re executing the .reduce() method of our “milesPerDay“, passing it the getTotal as an argument. This is the anonymous function that we detailed a few sentences ago.

So, the reduce method iterates the array and provides access to not only the currently iterated value (i.e. the current array element), but also the value that was returned by the previous execution of this function. This allows you to “accumulate” values across the array.

The arguments passed to the JavaScript Array reduce() method –
Example # 3

See the Pen Array.prototype.reduce() – Solution – 2 by Kevin Chisholm (@kevinchisholm) on CodePen.

Example # 3 does not provide any additional value with respect to solving the problem; the solution from Example # 2 is solid. The purpose of Example # 3 is to offer more detail about the arguments that are passed to the function provided to the Array reduce() method.

As demonstrated in the UI, the first argument is the accumulated value that’s being created as you iterate the array (i.e. the value returned by the last execution of this same function). The second argument, “currentValue”, is the value of the current array element. In the third, the index of the current array element is provided, and in the last, we see the array over which you are iterating.

I decided to show the value of the “array” argument to demonstrate that the Array reduce() method does not itself make any changes to the original. You can do that within the function passed to the Array reduce() method, but reduce() itself does not make any such changes. What you choose to do with these arguments is up to you, but just know that they’re helpful in building the logic you need to reduce your array to one final value.

Introduction to the JavaScript Array map() method

Array.prototype

JavaScript LogoJavaScript’s array map() method allows you to “do something” with each element of an array. This has always been possible, but the map() method’s syntax is simple and elegant.

When you have an array, you’ll eventually want to “do something” with it. You may, for example, want to do something with the entire array, such as showing all of its elements in the UI. But what about when you want to “do something” with each element in that array? This poses a bit more of a challenge.

First, you’ll need to iterate the array, which requires some kind of loop. Second, you’ll need to keep track of your iteration process, which requires a counter variable (which requires you to control that variable’s scope). This may seem like no big deal, but it’s work and each time you want to solve the same problem, you’re writing code that’s virtually identical, but not entirely the same, so you start to copy and paste.

This kind of repetitive boilerplate code is tedious, it must be managed, and as repeated code, it becomes a red flag. So, since this kind of coding presents unnecessary problems, what we’ll cover in this article, is how the JavaScript Array map() method solves these issues.

Using a for-loop – Example # 1

See the Pen Array.prototype.map – Challenge – 1 by Kevin Chisholm (@kevinchisholm) on CodePen.

Our first pass at this solution employs a for-loop. As mentioned above, this introduces a few problems. We have the “i” variable, for instance, which in this example is a global. In a real-world situation, however, we would want to put this code in a function so that the “i” variable does not wind up in the global scope. Also, the code in our for-loop is tedious. We need to use the “i” variable to keep track of the currently iterated rawNumbers element. There’s definitely a better way to go about this.

Using the Array map() method – Example # 2

See the Pen JavaScript Array.prototype.find() – Solution 1 by Kevin Chisholm (@kevinchisholm) on CodePen.

In Example # 2, we use the JavaScript Array map() method to solve the problems discussed. We’ve passed an anonymous function to that method, and this anonymous function takes the currently iterated number as its first argument. Inside of our function, we have some simple code that rounds the currently iterated number.

The biggest benefit to using the JavaScript Array map() method is that we no longer have the “i” variable or the for-loop. This is already a major improvement, especially the reduction of code, since it means that it’s simpler and easier to read. These are not minor details, and if this is a task that occurs multiple times in your application, you’ll soon find that the benefit gained by reducing repetitive code will quickly become significant.

Passing a function to the Array map() method – Example # 3

See the Pen Array.prototype.map – Solution – 1 by Kevin Chisholm (@kevinchisholm) on CodePen.

The approach in Example # 3 is similar, but there’s one big difference: instead of passing an anonymous function to the Array map() method, we pass to the Math.round method, which makes our code even easier to read. This is largely because we leave the implementation details to Math.round and eliminate even more code: our anonymous callback function. There are two reasons that we can do this: Math.round takes a number to round as its first argument, just like our anonymous function, and it returns the rounded number, just like our anonymous function. Simplified code is better code and in this case, we have Math.round to thank for that.

Introduction to the JavaScript Array find() method

Array.prototype

JavaScript - find methodJavaScript’s Array find() method allows you to find the first element that matches logic provided by you.

When you have an array of values, it’s likely that you might need to find an element in that array. In particular, you might want to know which element in this array meets a certain criterion. Well, the criteria are up to you. For example, if your array contains numbers, you may want to know how many of the elements in that array have a value higher than a certain amount. Well, in this article I’ll demonstrate the JavaScript Array find() method, which provides a straightforward way to confront this problem.

Iterating an array usually requires counting. This makes sense, because in order to “do something” with every element in the array, you have to know how many elements are in there (i.e. the array’s “length”). Then you have to keep track as you count up to (or down from) the length of the array. This approach is perfectly valid, but it comes with problems.

The first problem is that setting up a loop of any kind creates boilerplate code, then you need a counter (i.e. “i” or “j”), and finally, you need logic that uses the value of your counter to determine whether or not your target elements have been found. Just discussing this in a “pseudocode” context is tedious, and writing the actual code is even more so. But the JavaScript Array find() method solves this problem, as it removes the need for tedious boilerplate code.

Using a while-loop – Example # 1

See the Pen Array.prototype.find() – Challenge by Kevin Chisholm (@kevinchisholm) on CodePen.

The tedious boilerplate code we discussed above is exactly what you find in Example # 1. We’re using a while-loop to iterate over the someNumbers array. On each iteration of the loop, we use the value of “i” to examine the currently iterated array element and determine if it meets the criteria for our search. This code is valid and it works, but it’s less than optimal.

Using the Array find() method – Example # 2

See the Pen Array.prototype.find() – Solution by Kevin Chisholm (@kevinchisholm) on CodePen.

In Example # 2, we use the Array find() method to eliminate the problems introduced in the previous example. We’ve passed an anonymous function to the Array find() method, and this method takes the currently iterated element as its first argument. Inside of this anonymous function, we provide some logic that determines the currently iterated array element, then we decide whether or not it meets the criteria for our search. The first big benefit here is that we’ve removed the “while” loop. Also, we no longer have the “i” variable. These may seem like small details, but every variable takes up memory, and has scope.

As we know, JavaScript scope is controlled by functions, or blocks. So, for any variable we use, we need to either create a function to control its scope, or carefully initialize that variable in the right function. So the main benefits of the Array find() method are the simplified syntax in which verbose boilerplate code has been removed, and working with our more elegant JavaScript, which is easier to follow.

Introduction to the JavaScript Array filter() method

Array.prototype

JavaScript array filterWith the Array filter() method, you provide a function that returns an array containing the “filtered” elements. It is within this function that you provide the logic that determines how your original array is filtered.

Sometimes you have an array, but want to reduce the number of elements you work with, based on a certain logic. For example, you may have an array with the days of the week, but you only want to work with the days that start with the letter “T”, which means that you only want the elements “Tuesday” and “Thursday”. Well, JavaScript’s Array filter() method provides a simple and elegant interface by which you can solve this problem. In addition to the straightforward syntax, the Array filter() method eliminates the need for boilerplate code such as a for-loop. To further explain, we’ve demonstrated this in the code examples that follow.

Using a for-loop to filter an Array -Example # 1

See the Pen Array.prototype.filter- Challenge by Kevin Chisholm (@kevinchisholm) on CodePen.

In Example # 1, we use a “while” loop to iterate the word’s array. “While” loops are perfectly valid in JavaScript, but they always make me nervous, because whenever I’ve started to use a “while” loop, I immediately ask myself: “is there a better way to do this?” The main reason is that with a “while” loop, if you’re not careful and your “while” logic is faulty, the loop could theoretically run forever. This is a bit off-topic, but I just like to point out that it’s important to use “while” loops with care.

Back to Example # 1. Inside of the “while” loop, we use the value of “i” to determine if the current word should be pushed to the “shorter” array or the “longer” array. Once this loop has completed, we update the UI to show the number of “shorter” and “longer” words. Again, perfectly valid code, but kind of verbose and less than optimal.

Using the Array filter() method -Example # 2

See the Pen Array.prototype.filter – Solution # 1 by Kevin Chisholm (@kevinchisholm) on CodePen.

Example # 2 is a major improvement over the previous code. We leverage the Array filter() method to determine the number of “shorter” and “longer” words. There are a couple of areas of improvement here.

First, we’ve removed the need to manually push words to the “shorter” and “longer” arrays, because of the simple syntax of the Array filter() method. Notice that as we create the “shorter” and “longer” arrays, we assign the value by executing the Array filter() method. We provide an anonymous function to the Array filter() method, and the logic is simple: the sole argument passed to that anonymous function is the iterated word, and inside of the function we simply determine if the word’s length is greater than or less than five.

Second, we’ve removed the “while” loop. This is a major improvement, given the fact that it reduces the amount of code, but also since there is no longer any possibility that our code will run forever because of the use of a “while” loop.

Passing a function to the Array filter() method – Example # 3

See the Pen Array.prototype.filter – Solution # 2 by Kevin Chisholm (@kevinchisholm) on CodePen.

The winsPrize() function approach of Example # 3 differs a bit. Instead of using an anonymous function when executing the Array filter() method, we pass a function declaration. Also, we’ve chained the Array filter() method off of an array literal (in other words: we create the array and then immediately execute the filter method). This is not necessarily a “more correct” approach, it’s just less verbose. The logic of the winsPrize() function is similar to the code in Example # 2. The main difference is that we pass a function declaration instead of an anonymous function.

JavaScript Spread Syntax – Basics

JavaScript

JavaScript Logo - spread syntaxJavaScript spread syntax provides a way to convert an array into a comma-separated list.

In this article, I will cover the basics of JavaScript spread syntax. But first, let’s start by taking a step back and thinking about how functions work in JavaScript. A function expects a comma-separated list of arguments, so, when we call a function, we need to provide zero, one or more arguments, separated by a comma. But what happens when we don’t know exactly what all of these arguments are? Now it may be tempting to simply pass an array, but then this array would be seen by the called argument as simply the first argument. In other words, argument[0] in the function would be an array. But this is not what we want; we want to pass an array to a function and for that array to be interpreted by the function as a comma-separated list of arguments.

Why is JavaScript Spread Syntax So Helpful?

So here’s where the spread syntax comes in: it allows us to put the arguments in an array, and then pass that array to the function we are calling. And, actually, this is only one example of how the JavaScript spread syntax can be helpful, but it certainly is a great way to start the conversation.

Inspect Arguments in a Function – Example # 1 A

The Output from the inspectArguments function – Example # 1 B

Inside every JavaScript function, the “arguments” keyword provides a reference to all arguments that were passed into this execution of the function. The “arguments” keyword is not an array, but an array-like object with a “length” property. Fortunately, however, this “length” property allows us to iterate the “arguments” object as if it were an array. The “inspectArguments” function from Example # 1 A contains a for-loop, which iterates over all the arguments it receives. Inside of that for-loop, we output the value of each argument.

Nothing too special there.

On the last line of Example # 1 A, we call the “inspectArguments” function, passing it: “…letters”. What’s happening here is that instead of passing the letters array, we pass “…letters”, which spreads the letters array out into a comma-separated list. Example # 1 B contains the output from Example # 1 A, and as expected, we see the contents of the letters array.

Spreading Out the Arguments – Example # 2 A

The Output Has Changed – Example # 2 B

Example # 2 A is similar to Example # 1 A, except in the way that we call the “inspectArguments” function. In other words, instead of passing just “…letters”, we pass “x, y, …letters”. This allows us to specify that the first two arguments that the “inspectArguments” function receives are “x” and “y” and the rest of the arguments is the content of the letters array. The point here is that we can mix the use of literals and the spread syntax. So as expected, Example # 2 B shows the output, which is similar to Example # 1 B, except that “x” and “y” are the first two console.log statements.

Using Spread Syntax for Both Arguments – Example # 3 A

The Output – Example # 3 B

Now, in Example # 3 A, we take things a little further. We use the spread syntax twice, which calls the “inspectArguments” function, passing the contents of both the days and letters arrays, spread out into one comma-separated list. Consequently, the output that you see in Example # 3 B is exactly as expected: the contents of the days and letters arrays.

JavaScript – For-In vs For-Of

JavaScript

JavaScript Logofor-in and for-of both provide a way to iterate over an object or array. The difference between them is: for-in provides access to the object keys ,
whereas the for-of operator provides access to the values of those keys.

Iterating over an object or array is a pretty routine task with JavaScript, in fact, it’s hard to imagine a day when you don’t’ need to perform this action. When Iterating over an array, things are a bit easier because you can leverage the array’s “length” property to set up your iteration. But when you need to iterate over the properties of an object, things get a little sticky.

Why For-In vs For-Of

In his article, I will demonstrate the difference between the for-in and for-of JavaScript operators. Now, while these two methods may seem to provide the same functionality, actually, they do not. In fact, you might say that they are polar opposites. The for-in operator returns the keys of an object of array, whereas the for-of operator provides access to the values of these keys.

For a better understanding, let’s take a look at some examples.

for-in – Example # 1

In Example # 1, we use a for-in loop to iterate over the elements of the days array. Now, since we are creating the variable: “day in days”, on each iteration of the loop, we have access to a day variable, which represents the element over which we are currently iterating. The output for this example can be seen in line #s 8-15, and the purpose of this example is to demonstrate that the for-in operator provides the keys of an object, not the values of those keys. It is possible to get ahold of these values, which we will see in a moment, but, for now, I just wanted to point out that for-in provides direct access to the keys of the object over which we are iterating.

Using Bracket Notation – Example # 2

Example # 2 is virtually identical to Example # 1, in that we leverage almost the exact same code to iterate over the days array. The difference here is that we manage to get ahold of the key values by using bracket-notation. So, instead of outputting console.log(day), we output console.log(days[day]). In a pseudocode kind of way, we are saying: “give me the value of the days property that had this key”. The output for this example can be seen in line #s 10-14, and it is exactly what we wanted: we see the value for each key. This does feel a little hackey though, so let’s see if we can do better than this.

for-of – Example # 3

In Example # 3, we’re able to achieve our goal by leveraging the for-of operator. Simply by using for-of (instead of for-in), we’re able to access the value of each key. So, not only is this a non-hackey way to approach this problem, it is also cleaner and easier to read.

JavaScript Rest Parameter – Basics

JavaScript

JavaScript LogoThe Rest Parameter allows you to do two things: (1) break out the first X arguments passed-into the function, and (2) put “the rest” of the arguments into an array.

Passing arguments to a JavaScript function is quite common. If a function expects one or more arguments, then it follows that inside of that function you’ll want to examine the incoming arguments. But things can get problematic when you’re not entirely sure exactly what the incoming arguments will be at design time. Now it’s true that inside of any function you have a local variable named “arguments” that is an array-like object, but there are two problems with this array-like “arguments” object.

First of all, it’s not an array, and while you can leverage the Array.prototype object in order to treat the “arguments” object as if it is a true array, that approach feels like a hack. Secondly, if you want to act upon the incoming arguments differently, based on their position, things can get messy. Now this is where the JavaScript Rest Parameter comes in – it’s a powerful tool that can help solve these problems.

Why Should I Care About the JavaScript Rest Parameter?

In this article, I will cover the basics of the JavaScript rest parameter. I’ll walk through the ways in which it can be used to collect the incoming arguments of a function and convert them into a true JavaScript array. I’ll also demonstrate how you can use the JavaScript rest parameter to break out the incoming arguments so that one or more of the initial arguments can be left as is, and then “the rest” of them can be put into an array.

Using the Rest Parameter – Example # 1 A

inspectArgs Output – Example # 1 B

Above we’ve created a function named “inspectArgs”, which we’ll use in the rest of the code examples for this article. In Example # 1 A, we use the JavaScript rest parameter to collect all of the arguments that are passed into the function, we and put them into an array. So, on line # 2, since theArgs translates to an array, we can use the forEach method of the “theArgs” variable to iterate that array. Inside of the anonymous callback function that we pass to the forEach method, we have access to each array element, as well as the index of that element. Now using this information, we output the value of each argument, and the index of that argument.

So, the key point here is that by placing “…theArgs” where the incoming arguments would normally go, we are saying: “take all of the arguments that are passed-into this function, put them into an array, and create a local variable for this function named theArgs”. And in Example # 1 B, you can see the output of Example # 1 A, which is exactly what we expect: the value of each argument that was passed to the inspectArgs function.

When you actually want “the rest” of the arguments – Example # 2 A

We See the First Argument, and “the rest” of them- Example # 2 B

Now, in Example # 2A, we made one small change, in order to really demonstrate the power of the JavaScript rest parameter. We changed “…theArgs” to “x, …theArgs” where the incoming arguments would normally go. So, what we are saying to the JavaScript engine here is: “let the first argument be what it is, but then take the rest of the incoming arguments and put them into an array”. So, before we use the “theArgs.forEach” method to iterate the “theArgs” variable, we take a look at the very first argument: “X” and output it.

Now if we take a look at Example # 2 B, we see the output of Example # 2 A. As expected, we see “x -> a” first, because we examined the first argument. Then we see the “rest” of the arguments, because we used the rest parameter to iterate the “rest of” the arguments that were passed into the function.

Skipping Arguments – Example # 3 A

The Second Argument Has Been Skipped – Example # 3 B


In Example # 3 A, we take an approach that’s very similar to that of Example # 2 A, by examining the first argument and outputting it to the console. But when you look at Example # 3 B, the output of this call to inspectArgs skips the second argument: “b”. This is because we specify: “x, y, …theArgs” where the incoming arguments would normally go. So now what we are saying to the JavaScript engine here is: “let the first and second arguments be what they are, but then take the rest of the incoming arguments and put them into an array”. As a result, we wind up with three local variables in this function: “a” “b” and “theArgs”. We output the value of “a” and “theArgs”, but we ignored “b”. The main point here is that we have changed the value of “theArgs” simply by specifying a “b” argument. So, as you can see, Example # 3 A truly demonstrates the power of the JavaScript Rest Parameter.

Getting to Know the JavaScript element.classList Object

Object-Oriented JavaScript

JavaScript LogoNative JavaScript provides a way to access and manipulate all of the CSS classes that are assigned to an HTML element.

The JavaScript element.classList object is an instance of the JavaScript DOMTokenList object. It exposes one property and a number of methods that allow you to work with CSS classes that are assigned to an HTML element.

While it has been supported for some time by all major browsers, Microsoft Internet Explorer has, unfortunately, ignored JavaScript’s element.classList object until very recently (what a big surprise). If you need to support IE9 and below (and of course you do), then all bets are off. Bummer. That said, this object is nonetheless a super-helpful feature that makes CSS class manipulation a snap.

But what about jQuery?

There is no doubt that the jQuery methods hasClass(), addClass(), removeClass() and toggleClass() are all fantastic, but there ain’t nothin’ goin’ on under the hood that you can’t do yourself. And what is under the hood is tedious stuff like this:

This kind of code will soon join the ranks of the eight-track cassette and pagers. While that is the current reality of cross-browser CSS class list manipulation, the fact is that native JavaScript is always evolving, and as soon as Internet Explorer 10 becomes the IE standard, the JavaScript element.classList object will be yet another native JS tool to tuck into your belt.

The length Property

Even though the element.classList object is not an array, it is “array-like” in that it has a “length” property, and each CSS class name is represented by a numerically indexed property whose value is the name of that class (a string). This is super-helpful if you want to enumerate the classes that are members of this object. You could certainly grab an individual member’s value using bracket-notation: element.classList[0], a “for” loop, or the item() method, which is discussed next.

The JsFiddle link below demonstrates the classList object’s length property. The class “bar” is toggled when you click the element specified. On each click, the classList object’s length property is shown. Since a class is toggled, that length value changes with each click, which helps to demonstrate the dynamic nature of this property. Keep in mind that like any JavaScript array, the length property’s value will always be one higher than the index of the last element.

Here is the JsFiddle.net link for the classList object’s “length” property : http://jsfiddle.net/BmFZc/

The item() Method

The item() method allows you to reference a specific class name in the collection of class names. When you pass an integer to this method, it returns a string representation of the class name that matches that index. So keep in mind that this collection is zero-based. In the first JsFiddle link below, we manually reference a number of classes in the class list, using the item() method. In the second JsFiddle link below, we use a “for” loop to accomplish the same task.

Here is the JsFiddle.net link for the item() method: http://jsfiddle.net/N88x9/

Here is a second JsFiddle.net link for the item() method: http://jsfiddle.net/WE7gc/

The add() method

As you might expect, the add() method adds a class to the element’s class list. In the JsFiddle link below, you can see that the class “bar” is added to the element’s class list because the element’s appearance changes dramatically, as per the CSS that is specified.

Here is the JsFiddle.net link for the add() method: http://jsfiddle.net/uzMAx/

The remove() Method

In the manner opposite to the add() method, the remove() method removes the specified class from the element’s class list. Much like the example for the add() method, you can see that the class “bar” is removed from the element’s class list because the element’s appearance changes dramatically, as per the CSS that is specified.

Here is the JsFiddle.net link for the remove() method: http://jsfiddle.net/4h7m4/

The toggle() Method

The toggle() method will check to see if the element already has the specified class. If not, then it adds the class. If it does have the class, then it removes it. Depending on the scenario, this can minimize redundant code.

Here is the JsFiddle.net link for the toggle() method: http://jsfiddle.net/wWfNf/

The contains() Method

You can check to see if an element already has a class by using the contains() method. When you pass it a string name representing the class that you would like to check for, it returns true or false, indicating whether or not the element has the class you provided.

Here is the JsFiddle.net link for the contains() method: http://jsfiddle.net/wWfNf/

The toString() Method

The toString() Method simply returns a space-separated list of the classes that are applied to that element.

Here is the JsFiddle.net link for the toString() method: http://jsfiddle.net/GqzD5/

Summary

In this article we learned about JavaScript’s element.classList object. We demonstrated that while not exactly a JavaScript array, it is an “array-like” object with a length property, and some useful methods that allow you to work with the CSS classes that are assigned to an HTML element.

Helpful Links for the JavaScript element.classList object

https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/API/element.classList

http://blog.alexanderdickson.com/manipulating-classes-with-javascript

http://tiffanybbrown.com/2011/08/15/class-manipulation-with-classlist/

JavaScript Array Management with Push(), Pop(), Shift() and Unshift()

Arrays

JavaScript LogoWhen you need to work with the first or last elements in a JavaScript array, the push(), pop(), shift() and unshift() methods are usually the best way to go.

Programmers who are new to JavaScript or come to it via languages such as PHP may find arrays a bit limiting. The main issue is usually the fact that in JavaScript, there are no associative arrays. While that may seem frustrating, associative array-like functionality can be achieved by leveraging the power and simplicity of objects. Although JavaScript arrays are restricted to numeric-based property names, they are otherwise quite flexible.

Since JavaScript array elements must have numeric property names, they are essentially anonymous. From a programmatic standpoint, the only array elements that you absolutely know anything about are the first and last elements in the array. And when an array has only one element, the first and last elements are one in the same.

The JavaScript Array object provides four very useful methods: push(), pop(), shift() and unshift(). To be precise, these methods belong to the Array object’s prototype property. We know this because every array you create shares a copy of these four methods (that is because every array you create is an instance of the Array constructor).

These four methods allow us to programmatically work with the only two elements of an array that we can be sure about: the beginning and the end. Every element between the first and last is a mystery to us because, from a purely programmatic standpoint, we have no idea how many there are or what they are. We only know that as long as an array has at least one element, it has a first and last element.

The JavaScript Array.push() Method

The JavaScript Array.push() method adds a new element to the end of the array. When doing so, the array’s length property increases by one. After adding the new element to the end of the array, this method returns the new length of the array.

Example # 1

In Example # 1, our array starts out with three elements. The first console.dir() call allows you to inspect it in your console and see that it contains only: ‘mon‘,’tues‘,’wed‘. We then use the Array object’s push() method to add a new element to the end of the array (“thurs”). Notice that when we do this, we wrap the call in a console.log() call, allowing us to see that the push() method has returned the new length of the array: 4. Then, another console.dir() call allows us to inspect the array, demonstrating that “thurs” was, in fact, added to the end of the array.

Here is the JsFiddle.net link for Example # 1: http://jsfiddle.net/4EHkp/

The JavaScript Array.pop() Method

The JavaScript Array.pop() method removes the last element from the end of the array. When doing so, the array’s length property decreases by one. After removing the last element from the end of the array, this method returns the array element that was removed.

Example # 2

In Example # 2, our array starts out with three elements. We then use the Array object’s pop() method to remove the last element from the end of the array (“wed”). Notice that when we do this, we wrap the call in a console.log() call, allowing us to see that the pop() method has returned the element that was removed from the end, which in this case is “wed”. Then, another console.dir() call allows us to inspect the array, demonstrating that “wed” was in-fact removed from the end of the array.

Here is the JsFiddle.net link for Example # 2: http://jsfiddle.net/VpJmu/

The JavaScript Array.shift() Method

The JavaScript Array.shift() method removes the first element from the beginning of the array. When doing so, the array’s length property decreases by one. After removing the first element from the beginning of the array, this method returns the array element that was removed.

Example # 3

In Example # 3, our array starts out with three elements. We then use the Array object’s shift() method to remove the first element from the beginning of the array (“mon”). Notice that when we do this, we wrap the call in a console.log() call, allowing us to see that the shift() method has returned the element that was removed from the beginning, which in this case is “mon”. Then, another console.dir() call allows us to inspect the array, demonstrating that “mon” was, in fact, removed from the beginning of the array.

The JavaScript Array.unshift() Method

The JavaScript Array.unshift() method adds a new element to the beginning of the array. When doing so, the array’s length property increases by one. After adding the new element to the beginning of the array, this method returns the new length of the array.

Example # 4

In Example # 4, our array starts out with three elements. The first console.dir() call allows you to inspect it in your console and see that it contains only: ‘mon’,’tues’,’wed’. We then use the Array object’s unshift() method to add a new element to the beginning of the array (“sun”). Notice that when we do this, we wrap the call in a console.log() call, allowing us to see that the unshift() method has returned the new length of the array: 4. Then, another console.dir() call allows us to inspect the array, demonstrating that “sun” was, in fact, added to the beginning of the array.

Summary

In this article, we learned about the JavaScript Array’s push(), pop(), shift() and unshift() methods. We also learned that all JavaScript arrays can leverage these methods to work programmatically with the beginning and end of the array, regardless of how many elements are in between. Additionally, we learned that in two cases, the new length of the array is returned, and in the other two cases, the element that was removed is returned.

Helpful Links for the JavaScript Array’s push(), pop(), shift() and unshift() methods

push()

https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/JavaScript/Reference/Global_Objects/Array/push

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ie/6d0cbb1w(v=vs.94).aspx

pop()

https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/JavaScript/Reference/Global_Objects/Array/pop

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ie/hx9fbx10(v=vs.94).aspx

shift()

https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/JavaScript/Reference/Global_Objects/Array/shift

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ie/9e7b4w20(v=vs.94).aspx

unshift()

https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/JavaScript/Reference/Global_Objects/Array/unshift

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ie/ezk94dwt(v=vs.94).aspx

Organize Your JavaScript Console Logging with a Custom debug() Function

JavaScript

JavaScript LogoEvery console.log() line in your JavaScript code has to be removed before pushing to production. With your own custom debug() method, you can safely leave all of your debug code in-place and just switch them “off” before going live.

The JavaScript console is an invaluable asset in the never-ending quest for sufficiently-tested code. For most JavaScript developers, a day at the office would not be complete without at least a few lines of debug code such as these:

But the problem is that code needs to be removed. That’s fine if it’s just a quick test. But what if there are 20 places in your code where you need to keep track of a value, trace program flow and logic, or test the return value of a function?” Well, that’s a lot of temporary code to keep track of and remember to delete. Even more frustrating is that in a month or two, when business wants more changes, you’ll probably wind up writing the same kinds of debug messages and putting them in the same places, only to have to search your script for “console” once again so that you can remove all of these debug statements before pushing to production.

There is certainly more than one way to skin a cat here, but a simple approach is to write your own custom debug function that shows messages, and knows when it should suppress those messages (i.e. when your code is running in production).

Creating a Custom Debug Function

First, let’s create a couple of functions that do things to objects. We’ll want to debug this code so that along the way, we can check to make sure that the functions are in-fact returning the object that is expected (combineObjects), or making the changes to the object that we pass in (arrayToUpper).

Example # 1

In Example # 1, we have created two simple objects. Let’s imagine that they were created separately somewhere else in our code, and need to be merged in order to create one complete “customer object”. We also have an array that contains the five days of the work week. This array has no functional relation to the two objects. The are all just variables that we can use to test our code.

The combineObjects() function takes two objects as arguments and returns a new object that contains the combined properties of the two original objects. The arrayToUpper() function takes an array as an argument and converts its string elements to upper-case.

For the sake of simplicity, I did not bother doing any kind of verification or type-checking in either method. In the real world, I highly recommend that these kinds of methods contain some kind of verification code at the top so that they fail gracefully.

For example, what if we passed two arrays to combineObjects()? Or what if arrayToUpper() received an array of functions as an argument? This is messy business. I’ve provided a few suggestion on how to create that kind of functionality in an earlier blog post: Validating JavaScript Function Arguments.

So, when you run Example # 1 in your JavaScript console, you will see that we have in-fact created a new object that is the sum of Obj1 and Obj2, and we have changed the array “myArr” so that all of its elements are now uppercase strings. But what I don’t like is that we have written two lines of “test” code that need to be removed at some point (i.e. the two console.dir() statements). I would like to include the testing in our functions so that we can simply call each function, not writing any special code that we need to keep track of and then delete before the production rollout.

Here is the JsFiddle.net link for Exampe # 1: http://jsfiddle.net/UnbVg/

Example # 2

In Example # 2, we have created a variable named “debugMode”. This tells our custom debug function whether or not messages should be output. If “debugMode” is set to “false”, then our custom debug function simply does nothing.

Ok, let’s look at our new “myDebug()” function. This function takes two arguments: a message and a callback. The message should be a string and if so, it will be output in the console. I tend to imagine messages such as “function getAccount started…” or “AJAX success callback fired….” etc. These are messages that your code can send to help “tell a story.”

The purpose of the callback is to allow for more complex messages. For example, you may want to inspect an object at that very moment. So, in addition to the text message, you can pass an anonymous function that contains a line such as “console.dir(myData)”. You could even include your “myDebug()” call inside of a “for” loop, inspecting the state of an object on each iteration of the loop. The sky’s the limit here. In general, I tend to feel that the text message and optional callback are enough for you to provide useful debugging messages for your app.

Example # 3 A

In Example # 3A, we have implemented our custom debug function: “myDebug”. Now we can simply call the functions combineObjects() and arrayToUpper() the way we normally would in our code. The “debugging” code that examines values and outputs informative messages now exists in the actual functions that do the work. When it is time to push this code to production, simply change the value of “debugMode” to “false”, and away we go. One line of code is all it takes to suppress all of our debug messages (see example # 3B below for a demonstration of this).

Here is the JsFiddle.net link for Example # 3A: http://jsfiddle.net/UnbVg/1/

Example # 3B:

In Example # 3B, we have set “debugMode” to “false”, which means that you do not see any debug messages. But to complete our proof-of-concept, we add two console.dir() statements to the end of our code, which demonstrates that the code once again, performed as expected and our custom debug method “myDebug” behaved exactly as designed: no console messages.

Here is the JsFiddle.net link for Example # 3B: http://jsfiddle.net/UnbVg/2/

Summary

In this article, we learned how to create a custom debug function. We discussed the value of minimizing “special” testing code that needs to be tracked and then removed before deploying to production. We also discussed how to design our custom debug function so that it can output text messages as well as execute anonymous functions. We also covered how to implement a very simple “off” switch. This will suppress any debug messages, which is recommended when pushing your code to production.

How to Turn the Query String Into a JavaScript Object

Object-Oriented JavaScript

JavaScript LogoIt is fairly common for any front-end web developer to examine the query string. If jQuery has taught us anything, that would be the power of abstraction: create functionality once, and then use that functionality as a tool over and over, as needed.

When working with the query string, it is usually best to grab it once, and then be done with that task. This will prove substantially helpful if you need to refer to the query string more than once in your code. If we do the work once, and do it right, then we have created a nice little tool that we can use over and over throughout our code.

So perhaps the best way to accomplish this task is to turn the query string into a JavaScript object. Simple stuff here. Let’s lay out our plan of attack:

  1. Get a reference to the Query String
  2. Chop off the question mark (we don’t need that)
  3. Turn the key/values into elements of an array
  4. Turn each key/value pair into a little two-element array
  5. Populate our object with each key/value as a propertyName / propertyValue
  6. We’re done!

So okay, let’s get to work.

Example # 1

In Example # 1 we have the raw and basic code needed to accomplish our task. I won’t go into any detail here. I just wanted to illustrate that the actual code needed is fairly minimal. So, if you run this code in your JavaScript console, and you have appended a query string to the page URL, you should see the object we created in the console.

Example # 2

In Example # 2, we expanded out the code with comments to make it easier to follow along. I won’t replicate each comment, but from a high-level perspective, here are the steps we take:

  1. Declare our variables at the top of the function (just good form)
  2. Get a reference to the query string, and chop off the question mark (i.e. omit “?”)
  3. Turn the query string into an array, using “&” as a delimiter
  4. Take that array, and split each element into a sub-array, using “=” as a delimiter
  5. That sub-array will always be a two-element array because on the left of the “=” is a key, and on the right side of it is a value
  6. Turn those two sub-array elements into a new “property / value” pair for our return object
  7. Repeat the last two steps for each sub array that was generated, by splitting the first array at “&”
  8. Now return our new object

Example # 3

In Example # 3, we added functionality that allows us to inject the values of our new object into the DOM. We use a for-in loop to iterate over the properties of our object. For each iteration of that loop, we inject a new LI element, with the appropriate markup for presentation. Note how we are using the variable “prop” and we also make a reference to “queryObject[prop]” which holds the value of the current property over which we are iterating.

Example # 4

In Example # 4, we have the full source code for our completed working example.

Here is the link to our full working example: http://examples.kevinchisholm.com/javascript/query-string/to-object/?fname=alfred&lname=newman&acctNum=010203&salesRegion=EastCoast&company=MadMagazine

Summary

In this article, we took at look at one way in which you can turn the query string into a JavaScript object. We learned how to get a reference to the query string, omit the question mark, turn the key/value pairs into an array, and then work with each element of that array to turn them into properties of our new object. We also learned how to inspect our new object and inject it into the DOM as markup.

Helpful Links for working with the Query String using JavaScript

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Query_string
http://joncom.be/code/javascript-querystring-values/
http://stackoverflow.com/questions/901115/how-can-i-get-query-string-values
http://stackoverflow.com/questions/647259/javascript-query-string