Possible to use an object property as a method's argument - javascript

Basically I am trying to create an object property that will dynamically create an array based on the constructor. The following works if I remove the constructor and simply set testArray.length to some integer. But stops working when I try setting length with a constructor.
class TestArray {
constructor(length) {
this.length = length;
}
buildArray = function(length) {
let array = [];
for (let i = length; i > 0; i--) {
array.push("_");
}
return array;
}
array = this.buildArray(this.length);
}
let testArray = new TestArray(2);
console.log(testArray.array);
let testArray2 = new TestArray(2);
console.log(testArray2.array);
//[] is logged. Desired out put is ['_', '_']
Do I have syntax issue or a logic issue? Is there a plain better way to do this?

Class fields - assignments directly inside a class body - run before the body of the constructor runs (assuming there's no superclass). Your code is equivalent to
class TestArray {
constructor(length){
array = this.buildArray(this.length);
this.length = length;
}
See the problem? this.length hasn't been assigned to at the time you call buildArray, so it's undefined.
Remove the class field, and put that logic in the constructor, so that you can make use of the constructor's argument. Might as well ditch this.length entirely at that point too, it doesn't look to be doing anything useful.
class TestArray {
constructor(length){
this.array = this.buildArray(length);
}
buildArray = function(length){
let array = [];
for(let i = length ; i > 0; i--){
array.push("_");
}
return array;
}
}
let testArray = new TestArray(2);
console.log(testArray.array);

Related

override array length in javascript

I got an idea to override javascript array length value and wants to return any random value.
let's say..
a=[56,78,89,200,800]
b=['a','b','f']
a.length = 2 ; //should give me only 2;
b.length = 2 ; //also should give 2
Is it possible to change length property and is there any tweaks to change the splice or slice method also.
Array.length is a protected property, only read; is a bad idea try to change it.
Better you can create your own class; example:
var oArray = function (aArr){
oRet = {};
for(var i = 0, aArrL = aArr.length; i < aArrL; i++){
oRet[i] = aArr[i];
}
oRet.length = 2;
return oRet;
};
a= new oArray([56,78,89,200,800]);
b=['a','b','f'];
console.log(a.length);
console.log(b.length);
a is a custom class, b is standard JavaScript Array.

How to create multiple instances of objects in Javascript

I have a constructor object in my code which is:
function Employee(){
this.name = names[Math.floor(Math.random() * names.length)];
this.age=1;
this.level=1;
this.production=400;
this.totalprod=0;
}
So when I create a new Employee I just say:
var employee1 = new Employee();
So then I can manipulate this instance of the object. Now, I want this objects to be created dynamically with the variable names: employee1, employee2, employee3 and so on.. Is there a way to achieve this or is it impossible?
And the other question that I have, say that I want to change the age of all instances at the same time, is there a way to do this? Thanks in advance and sorry if the question in silly, I'm learning!
EDIT: This is not the same as the other question as I'm using a constructor Object, not a literal Object, and, apart from that, I ask another question which is how to change a property of all instances at the same time, thanks!
This isn't really possible without the use of something like eval, which is bad practice.
Instead if you knew how many employees you wanted to make in advance you could do something like this.
Example: https://jsfiddle.net/dbyw7p9x/
function makeEmployees(n) {
var employees = new Array(n)
for (var i = 0; i < n; ++i) {
employees[i] = new Employee()
}
return employees
}
alternatively you could make also make it return an object which interestingly, while not exactly the same as the array, would be accessed in the same way as an array using numbers inside square brackets obj[0], obj[1], obj[2], obj[3] etc.
function makeEmployeesObj(n) {
var employees = {}
for (var i = 0; i < n; ++i) {
employees[i] = new Employee()
}
return employees
}
To change a property for each approach you can do:
// Array
for (var i = 0; i < e1.length; ++i) {
e1[i].age = 2
}
// Object
Object.keys(e2).forEach(function(key) {
e2[key].age = 2
})
Here is one way to do it, using an array, we push to new Employees to it, and return that array:
To add a specific value, in this case age, I recommend passing it in as a parameter to your Employee constructor, you can do this with all of the this parameters if you like:
Notice in the JsBin that all the ages are different, they are actually the value of n:
Working example: JSBin
function Employee(age){
this.name = 'something';
this.age= age;
this.level=1;
this.production=400;
this.totalprod=0;
}
function maker(n) {
var arr = [];
while (n > 0) {
arr.push(new Employee(n));
n--;
}
return arr;
}

Cannot set property '0' of undefined in 2d array

I know this has been asked a lot of times, but how do I fix exactly this thing?
I have a map[][] array (contains tile ids for a game) and I need to copy it to pathmap[][] array (contains just 0's and 1's, it is a path map), however when I do so..
function updatepathmap(){
pathmap = [];
var upm_x = 0;
while (upm_x < map.length){
var upm_y = 0;
while (upm_y < map[upm_x].length){
pathmap[][]
if (canPassthrough(map[upm_x][upm_y])) {
pathmap[upm_x][upm_y] = 1;
} else {
console.log(upm_x);
console.log(upm_y);
pathmap[upm_x][upm_y] = 0;
}
upm_y++;
}
upm_x++;
}
console.log(map);
console.log(pathmap);
}
..it gives me Cannot set property '0' of undefined typeerror at line pathmap[upm_x][upm_y] = 0;
Despite the foo[0][0] syntactic sugar, multi-dimensional arrays do not really exist. You merely have arrays inside other arrays. One consequence is that you cannot build the array in the same expression:
> var foo = [];
undefined
> foo[0][0] = true;
TypeError: Cannot set property '0' of undefined
You need to create parent array first:
> var foo = [];
undefined
> foo[0] = [];
[]
> foo[0][0] = true;
true
You can determine whether it exists with the usual techniques, e.g.:
> var foo = [];
undefined
> typeof foo[0]==="undefined"
true
> foo[0] = true;
true
> typeof foo[0]==="undefined"
false
I would have thought pathmap[][] was a syntax error, I'm surprised you're not seeing one.
Before you can use an array at pathmap[upm_x], you must create an array at pathmap[upm_x]:
pathmap[upm_x] = [];
This would be the first line in your outer while, so:
while (upm_x < map.length){
pathmap[upm_x] = [];
// ...
Remember that JavaScript doesn't have 2D arrays. It has arrays of arrays. pathmap = [] creates the outer array, but doesn't do anything to create arrays inside it.
Side note:
var upm_x = 0;
while (upm_x < map.length){
// ...
upm_x++;
}
is an error-prone way to write:
for (var upm_x = 0; upm_x < map.length; upm_x++){
// ...
}
If you use while, and you have any reason to use continue or you have multiple if branches, it's really easy to forget to update your looping variable. Since looping on a control variable is what for is for, it's best to use the right construct for the job.
Side note 2:
Your code is falling prey to The Horror of Implicit Globals because you don't declare pathmap. Maybe you're doing that on purpose, but I wouldn't recommend it. Declare your variable, and if you need it outside your function, have your function return it.
Side note 3:
map would make this code a lot simpler:
function updatepathmap(){
var pathmap = map.map(function(outerEntry) {
return outerEntry.map(function(innerEntry) {
return canPassthrough(innerEntry) ? 1 : 0;
});
});
console.log(map);
console.log(pathmap);
}

Object.create to create an object with costructor

I am learning Javascript and I am a C++ programmer. I have tried creating an object with a constructor with object.create and here is the result:
var PlayGround ={
initGrid : function(N) {
this.N=N;
this.grid = new Array(N);
for (var i = 0; i < N; i++) {
this.grid[i] = new Array(N);
for (var j = 0; j < N; j++) {
this.grid[i][j] = false;
}
}
return true;
}
};
var PlayGround_property = {
N:{
value: 100,
writable:true
},
grid:{
value:null,
writable:true
}
}
var board= Object.create(PlayGround, PlayGround_property);
It works as I want: the object board contains the object grid, and now I can use the set and get keyword to define the behaviour of the = and () operator.
Anyway I have read around the web that the
this
keyword in Javascript is not safe and I want to be sure that it is referring always to the board object and not to the global window object. Is there a way or I am overthinking?
Other question, are there other ways to write object with a constructor (and maybe other members) in Javascript?
I want to be sure that [this] is referring always to the board object
A function's this is set either by how you call the function, or bind. So just make sure you call methods the right way. If you always call functions as methods of board, then this within the methods will always reference board.
If you are only going to have one instance of board, there doesn't seem much point in using a constructor. If you have multiple instances of board, then you want this to reference the particular instance that called the method so you don't want to fix this using bind.
Crockford just doesn't like the use of new, so encouraged Object.create, it fits his idea of how inheritance should work.
Your pattern could be rewritten to use a constructor something like:
function PlayGround (N) {
this.N = N;
this.grid = []; // Use array literal, it's less to type
for (var i = 0; i < N; i++) {
this.grid[i] = [];
for (var j = 0; j < N; j++) {
this.grid[i][j] = false; // Not sure why you bother with this
}
}
}
var board = new Playground(100);
I'm not exactly sure what you're doing, but that should be close. Note that javascipt is loosely typed, so only initialise variables and properties if you have something useful to assign. Variables are created with a value of undefined, Array properties are only created if you actually assign something to them, creating an array with length N does not create any indexes, e.g.
var arr = new Array(10);
console.log(arr.length); // 10
console.log(arr.hasOwnProperty(0)); // false

string as object reference to object variable

var string = 'object.data.path';
That's a string that resembles a path to variable.
How can I return the corresponding variable from that string?
Something like transforming the string into return object.data.path;
The thing behind this is that the string could be much longer (deeper), like:
var string = 'object.data.path.original.result';
function GetPropertyByString(stringRepresentation) {
var properties = stringRepresentation.split("."),
myTempObject = window[properties[0]];
for (var i = 1, length = properties.length; i<length; i++) {
myTempObject = myTempObject[properties[i]];
}
return myTempObject;
}
alert(GetPropertyByString("object.data.path"));
this assumes that your first level object (in this case called object is global though.
Alternatively, although not recommended, you could use the eval function.
Assuming you don't want to just use eval you could try something like this:
function stringToObjRef(str) {
var keys = str.split('.'),
obj = window;
for (var i=0; i < keys.length; i++) {
if (keys[i] in obj)
obj = obj[keys[i]];
else
return;
}
return obj;
}
console.log(stringToObjRef('object.data.path.original.result'));
Uses a for loop to go one level down at a time, returning undefined if a particular key in the chain is undefined.

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