Javascript object identities
When two things aren’t equal, but then sometimes are. This is javascript.
Easy start #
Just to get us in the mood
key1 = 3
key2 = 3
key1 == key2 // obviously true
Equality of objects is a bit more unusual
key1 = [1,2,3]
key2 = [1,2,3]
key1 == key2 // false, which is weird
key1 and key2 are different objects. That’s why they aren’t equal even though it looks like they should be. Let’s see how this can cause subtle bugs.
Associative arrays #
If the keys of an associative array are not equal, it’s normal to expect them to refer to different values. Illustrating this with a trivial example:
key1 = "home"
key2 = "work"
key1 == key2 // obviously false
phones = {}
phones[key1] = "99999999"
phones[key2] = "11111111"
phones[key1] == phones[key2] // also obviously false
So far nothing surprising.
But look at the unusual situation of keys being objects instead of strings:
key1 = [1,2,3]
key2 = [1,2,3]
key1 == key2 // false, which is weird
map = {}
map[key1] = 1
map[key2] = 2
map[key1] == map[key2] // true - wait, what?
Even though key1 and key2 are not equal to each other, they are equal as keys in an associative array.
This is because of the way objects are treated in javascript, especially when using objects as keys in associative arrays.
This is a crucial difference in equality of objects and can cause very subtle bugs if not understood properly.
Conclusion #
Objects in javascript can be used as keys in associative arrays, but it’s important to understand what the key really is and what it isn’t.