Your Essential Guide To Map Built-in Object In Javascript

I'm Aya Bouchiha, today, we'll talk about Map built-in object.

Definition of Map Built-in Object

Map: is a data structure that stores key-value pairs, Its keys can be any datatype(primitive, objects, functions). Additionally, The original order of elements is preserved.

The advantages of Map

Flexible with keys, because they can be any type unlike Object (keys have to be strings and symbols)

Supports millions of items, 50% more than Object. A map can store 16.7 million key-value pairs where an Object can store 11.1.

getting easily and fastly the size of the map.

There are no default keys. Unlike objects that have default keys like valueOf

Map Constructor

const newMap = new Map();
const data = new Map([
    ['key', 'value'],
    [{ username: 'AyaBouchiha', job: 'full-stack developer' }, 'Aya Bouchia'],
    [true, 'isDeveloper'],
    [
        function sayHello() {
            return 'hello';
        },
        'Hello World',
    ],
]);
console.log(newMap);
console.log(data);

Ouput:

Map {}
Map {
  'key' => 'value',
  { username: 'AyaBouchiha', job: 'full-stack developer' } => 'Aya Bouchia',
  true => 'isDeveloper',
  [Function: sayHello] => 'Hello World'
}

Map.prototype.size

size: this Map property returns the number of items in a specified map.

const newMap = new Map();
const data = new Map([
    ['key', 'value'],
    [{ username: 'AyaBouchiha', job: 'full-stack developer' }, 'Aya Bouchia'],
    [true, 'isDeveloper'],
    [
        function sayHello() {
            return 'hello';
        },
        'Hello World',
    ],
]);
console.log(newMap.size); // 0
console.log(data.size); // 4

Map.prototype.get(key)

get(key): is an instance method that lets you get a value of a specified key if it exists, otherwise, It returns undefined.

const products = new Map([
    ['phone', 500],
    ['laptop', 1000],
    ['mouse', 22],
]);
console.log(products['phone']); //! undefined
console.log(products.get('phone')); // 500
console.log(products.get('something-else')); // undefined

Map.prototype.set(key, value)

set(key, value): is an instance method that lets you set or update a value for a key in a Map object

const users = new Map();
console.log(users); // Map { }
users.set('key', 'value');
users.set('aya', 'bouchiha');
console.log(users); // Map { 'key' => 'value', 'aya' => 'bouchiha' }
users.set('key', 'something'); // update the element that its key is 'key'
users['key'] = 'will not work!';
console.log(users.get('key')); // something
console.log(users.size); // 2

Map.prototype.delete(key)

delete(key): used to remove an item specified by a given key from a Map. It returns true if the item exists, otherwise, The method returns false.

const products = new Map([
    ['phone', 500],
    ['laptop', 1000],
    ['mouse', 22],
]);

console.log(products.get('phone')); // 500
console.log(products.delete('phone')); // true
console.log(products.get('phone')); // undefined
console.log(products.delete()); // false
console.log(products.delete('nothing!')); // false (because key is not found)

Map.prototype.clear()

clear(): this Map instance method deletes all key-value pairs which exist in the specified Map.

const data = new Map([
    ['key', 'value'],
    [{ username: 'AyaBouchiha', job: 'full-stack developer' }, 'Aya Bouchia'],
    [true, 'isDeveloper'],
    [
        function sayHello() {
            return 'hello';
        },
        'Hello World',
    ],
]);

console.log(data.size); // 4
data.clear();
console.log(data.size); // 0

Map.prototype.has(key):

has(key): check if the given key exists in a specified Map.

const products = new Map([
    ['phone', 500],
    ['laptop', 1000],
    ['mouse', 22],
]);
console.log(products.has('laptop')); // true
console.log(products.has()); // false
products.set(undefined, 0);
console.log(products.has()); // true
console.log(products.has('nothing!')); // false

Map.prototype.forEach(callback)

forEach(callback, thisArg): Invokes a callback for each key/value pair in the specified Map. more details

const products = new Map([
    ['phone', 500],
    ['laptop', 1000],
    ['mouse', 22],
]);

products.forEach((element) => console.log(element));
products.forEach((productPrice, productName) =>
    console.log(`you have to buy ${productPrice}$ to get a new ${productName}`),
);

Output:

500
1000
22
'you have to buy 500$ to get a new phone'
'you have to buy 1000$ to get a new laptop'
'you have to buy 22$ to get a new mouse'

Map.prototype.keys()

keys(): is a method that returns a new Iterator object that contains the keys for each element in the specified Map.

const products = new Map([
    ['phone', 500],
    ['laptop', 1000],
    ['mouse', 22],
]);

const productsKeys = products.keys();
console.log(productsKeys.next()); //  { value: 'phone', done: false }
console.log(productsKeys.next().value); // laptop
console.log(productsKeys.next().value); //  mouse
console.log(productsKeys.next()); // { value: undefined, done: true }

Map.prototype.values()

values(): is a method that returns a new Iterator object that contains the values for each element in the specified Map.

const products = new Map([
    ['phone', 500],
    ['laptop', 1000],
    ['mouse', 22],
]);

const productsValues = products.values();
console.log(productsValues.next()); //  { value: 500, done: false }
console.log(productsValues.next().value); // 1000
console.log(productsValues.next().value); // 22
console.log(productsValues.next()); // { value: undefined, done: true }

Map.prototype.entries()

entries():returns an array(iterator) [key, val] for each element in the specified Map

const products = new Map([
    ['phone', 500],
    ['laptop', 1000],
    ['mouse', 22],
]);

const productsIterator = products.entries();
console.log(productsIterator.next()); //  { value: [ 'phone', 500 ], done: false }
console.log(productsIterator.next().value); // [ 'laptop', 1000 ]
console.log(productsIterator.next().value[0]); // mouse
console.log(productsIterator.next()); // { value: undefined, done: true }

Summary

size: returns the number of items in a specified map.

get(key): lets you get a value of a specified key if it exists, otherwise, It returns undefined.

set(key, value): set or update a value for a key in a Map object.

delete(key): used to remove an item specified by a given key from a Map. It returns true if the item exists, otherwise, The method returns false.

clear(): deletes all key-value pairs which exist in the specified Map.

has(key): check if the given key exists in a specified Map.

forEach(callback, thisArg): Invokes a callback for each key/value pair in the specified Map.

keys():returns a new Iterator object that contains the keys for each element in the specified Map

values(): returns a new Iterator object that contains the values for each element in the specified Map.

entries():returns an array(iterator) [key, val] for each element in the specified Map.

References & Useful Resources

Map vs Object

Map Object mdn

Map (w3schools)

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