JavaScript Objects

Real Life Objects, Properties, and Methods

In real life, a car is an object.

A car has properties like weight and color, and methods like start and stop:

Object	Properties	Methods
	car.name = Fiat car.model = 500 car.weight = 850kg car.color = white	car.start() car.drive() car.brake() car.stop()

All cars have the same properties, but the property values differ from car to car.

All cars have the same methods, but the methods are performed at different times.

JavaScript Objects

You have already learned that JavaScript variables are containers for data values.

This code assigns a simple value (Fiat) to a variable named car:

var car = "Fiat";

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Objects are variables too. But objects can contain many values.

This code assigns many values (Fiat, 500, white) to a variable named car:

var car = {type:"Fiat", model:"500", color:"white"};

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The values are written as name:value pairs (name and value separated by a colon).

JavaScript objects are containers for named values.

Object Properties

The name:values pairs (in JavaScript objects) are called properties.

var person = {firstName:"John", lastName:"Doe", age:50, eyeColor:"blue"};

Property	Property Value
firstName	John
lastName	Doe
age	50
eyeColor	blue

Object Methods

Methods are actions that can be performed on objects.

Methods are stored in properties as function definitions.

Property	Property Value
firstName	John
lastName	Doe
age	50
eyeColor	blue
fullName	function() {return this.firstName + " " + this.lastName;}

JavaScript objects are containers for named values called properties or methods.

Object Definition

You define (and create) a JavaScript object with an object literal:

Example

var person = {firstName:"John", lastName:"Doe", age:50, eyeColor:"blue"};

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Spaces and line breaks are not important. An object definition can span multiple lines:

Example

var person = {
    firstName:"John",
    lastName:"Doe",
    age:50,
    eyeColor:"blue"
};

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Accessing Object Properties

You can access object properties in two ways:

objectName.propertyName

objectName["propertyName"]

Example1

person.lastName;

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Example2

person["lastName"];

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Accessing Object Methods

You access an object method with the following syntax:

objectName.methodName()

Example

name = person.fullName();

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If you access a method without (), it will return the function definition:

Example

name = person.fullName;

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A method is actually a function definition stored as a property value.

Do Not Declare Strings, Numbers, and Booleans as Objects!

When a JavaScript variable is declared with the keyword "new", the variable is created as an object:

var x = new String();        // Declares x as a String object
var y = new Number();        // Declares y as a Number object
var z = new Boolean();       // Declares z as a Boolean object

Avoid String, Number, and Boolean objects. They complicate your code and slow down execution speed.

You will learn more about objects later in this tutorial.

Test Yourself with Exercises!

Exercise 1 » Exercise 2 » Exercise 3 »

JavaScript Object Constructors

Example

function Person(first, last, age, eye) {
    this.firstName = first;
    this.lastName = last;
    this.age = age;
    this.eyeColor = eye;
}

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It is considered good practice to name constructor functions with an upper-case first letter.

Object Types (Blueprints) (Classes)

The examples from the previous chapters are limited. They only create single objects.

Sometimes we need a "blueprint" for creating many objects of the same "type".

The way to create an "object type", is to use an object constructor function.

In the example above, function Person() is an object constructor function.

Objects of the same type are created by calling the constructor function with the new keyword:

var myFather = new Person("John", "Doe", 50, "blue");
var myMother = new Person("Sally", "Rally", 48, "green");

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The this Keyword

In JavaScript, the thing called this is the object that "owns" the code.

The value of this, when used in an object, is the object itself.

In a constructor function this does not have a value. It is a substitute for the new object. The value of this will become the new object when a new object is created.

Note that this is not a variable. It is a keyword. You cannot change the value of this.

Adding a Property to an Object

Adding a new property to an existing object is easy:

Example

myFather.nationality = "English";

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The property will be added to myFather. Not to myMother. (Not to any other person objects).

Adding a Method to an Object

Adding a new method to an existing object is easy:

Example

myFather.name = function () {
return this.firstName + " " + this.lastName;
};

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The method will be added to myFather. Not to myMother. (Not to any other person objects).

Adding a Property to a Constructor

You cannot add a new property to an object constructor the same way you add a new property to an existing object:

Example

Person.nationality = "English";

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To add a new property to a constructor, you must add it to the constructor function:

Example

function Person(first, last, age, eyecolor) {
    this.firstName = first;
    this.lastName = last;
    this.age = age;
    this.eyeColor = eyecolor;
    this.nationality = "English";
}

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This way object properties can have default values.

Adding a Method to a Constructor

Your constructor function can also define methods:

Example

function Person(first, last, age, eyecolor) {
    this.firstName = first;
    this.lastName = last;
    this.age = age;
    this.eyeColor = eyecolor;
    this.name = function() {return this.firstName + " " + this.lastName;};
}

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You cannot add a new method to an object constructor the same way you add a new method to an existing object.

Adding methods to an object must be done inside the constructor function:

Example

function Person(firstName, lastName, age, eyeColor) {
    this.firstName = firstName;
    this.lastName = lastName;
    this.age = age;
    this.eyeColor = eyeColor;
    this.changeName = function (name) {
        this.lastName = name;
    };
}

The changeName() function assigns the value of name to the person's lastName property.

Now You Can Try:

myMother.changeName("Doe");

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JavaScript knows which person you are talking about by "substituting" this with myMother.

Built-in JavaScript Constructors

JavaScript has built-in constructors for native objects:

Example

var x1 = new Object();    // A new Object object
var x2 = new String();    // A new String object
var x3 = new Number();    // A new Number object
var x4 = new Boolean();   // A new Boolean object
var x5 = new Array();     // A new Array object
var x6 = new RegExp();    // A new RegExp object
var x7 = new Function(); // A new Function object
var x8 = new Date();      // A new Date object

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The Math() object is not in the list. Math is a global object. The new keyword cannot be used on Math.

Did You Know?

As you can see above, JavaScript has object versions of the primitive data types String, Number, and Boolean. But there is no reason to create complex objects. Primitive values are much faster.

ALSO:

Use object literals {} instead of new Object().

Use string literals "" instead of new String().

Use number literals 12345 instead of new Number().

Use boolean literals true / false instead of new Boolean().

Use array literals [] instead of new Array().

Use pattern literals /()/ instead of new RexExp().

Use function epressions () {} instead of new Function().

Example

var x1 = {};            // new object
var x2 = "";            // new primitive string
var x3 = 0;             // new primitive number
var x4 = false;         // new primitive boolean
var x5 = [];            // new array object
var x6 = /()/           // new regexp object
var x7 = function(){};  // new function object

Try it Yourself »

String Objects

Normally, strings are created as primitives: var firstName = "John"

But strings can also be created as objects using the new keyword: var firstName = new String("John")

Learn why strings should not be created as object in the chapter JS Strings.

Number Objects

Normally, numbers are created as primitives: var x = 123

But numbers can also be created as objects using the new keyword: var x = new Number(123)

Learn why numbers should not be created as object in the chapter JS Numbers.

Boolean Objects

Normally, booleans are created as primitives: var x = false

But booleans can also be created as objects using the new keyword: var x = new Boolean(false)

Learn why booleans should not be created as object in the chapter JS Booleans.