javascript variable multiple assignment

Multiple Variable Assignment in JavaScript

• JavaScript Howtos
• Multiple Variable Assignment in …

Use the = Operator to Assign Multiple Variable in JavaScript

Multiple variable assignment using destructuring assignment with fill() function in javascript.

This tutorial explains multiple variable assignments in JavaScript because variables are the most important part of our coding.

Sometimes, we have to do many variable declarations and assignments as they have the same value. How? Let’s understand.

Assume we have variable1 , variable2 , and variable3 and want all three variables to have a value of 1 .

They seem equivalent, but they are not. The reason is variables’ scope and assignment precedence .

The assignment operator is right-associative in JavaScript, which means it parses the left-most after parsing the right-most.

Let’s have another example to understand variable scope and assignment precedence .

Focus on the code and see that variable1 , variable2 , and variable3 are in function scope and local to the test1() .

They are not available outside of test1() method that’s why returning undefined . Here, var variable1 = 1, variable2 = 1, varialbe3 = 1; is equivalent to var variable1 = 1; var variable2 = 1; var varialbe3 = 1; .

Now, observe the test2() function. The variable1 is in function scope due to the var keyword, but variable2 and variable3 are leaking because they are not written with the var keyword.

They are globally accessible outside the test2() function. Remember that the variable declarations are hoisted only.

However, the precedence is right-associative which means var variable1 = (window.variable2 =(window.variable3 = 1)); .

Which Means the variable3 will be assigned to 1 first, then the value of variable3 will be allocated to variable2 , and lastly, the value of variable2 will be assigned to variable1 .

To avoid a variable leak in test2() , we can split the variable declaration and assignment into two separate lines. In this way, we can restrict variable1 , variable2 , and variable3 to test2() function scope.

The destructuring assignment helps in assigning multiple variables with the same value without leaking them outside the function.

The fill() method updates all array elements with a static value and returns the modified array. You can read more about fill() here .

Mehvish Ashiq is a former Java Programmer and a Data Science enthusiast who leverages her expertise to help others to learn and grow by creating interesting, useful, and reader-friendly content in Computer Programming, Data Science, and Technology.

Related Article - JavaScript Variable

• How to Access the Session Variable in JavaScript
• How to Check Undefined and Null Variable in JavaScript
• How to Mask Variable Value in JavaScript
• Why Global Variables Give Undefined Values in JavaScript
• How to Declare Multiple Variables in a Single Line in JavaScript
• How to Declare Multiple Variables in JavaScript

JS Tutorial

Js versions, js functions, js html dom, js browser bom, js web apis, js vs jquery, js graphics, js examples, js references, javascript variables, variables are containers for storing data.

JavaScript Variables can be declared in 4 ways:

• Automatically
• Using const

In this first example, x , y , and z are undeclared variables.

They are automatically declared when first used:

It is considered good programming practice to always declare variables before use.

From the examples you can guess:

• x stores the value 5
• y stores the value 6
• z stores the value 11

Example using var

The var keyword was used in all JavaScript code from 1995 to 2015.

The let and const keywords were added to JavaScript in 2015.

The var keyword should only be used in code written for older browsers.

Example using let

Example using const, mixed example.

The two variables price1 and price2 are declared with the const keyword.

These are constant values and cannot be changed.

The variable total is declared with the let keyword.

The value total can be changed.

When to Use var, let, or const?

1. Always declare variables

2. Always use const if the value should not be changed

3. Always use const if the type should not be changed (Arrays and Objects)

4. Only use let if you can't use const

5. Only use var if you MUST support old browsers.

Just Like Algebra

Just like in algebra, variables hold values:

Just like in algebra, variables are used in expressions:

From the example above, you can guess that the total is calculated to be 11.

Variables are containers for storing values.

Advertisement

JavaScript Identifiers

All JavaScript variables must be identified with unique names .

These unique names are called identifiers .

Identifiers can be short names (like x and y) or more descriptive names (age, sum, totalVolume).

The general rules for constructing names for variables (unique identifiers) are:

• Names can contain letters, digits, underscores, and dollar signs.
• Names must begin with a letter.
• Names can also begin with $ and _ (but we will not use it in this tutorial).
• Names are case sensitive (y and Y are different variables).
• Reserved words (like JavaScript keywords) cannot be used as names.

JavaScript identifiers are case-sensitive.

The Assignment Operator

In JavaScript, the equal sign ( = ) is an "assignment" operator, not an "equal to" operator.

This is different from algebra. The following does not make sense in algebra:

In JavaScript, however, it makes perfect sense: it assigns the value of x + 5 to x.

(It calculates the value of x + 5 and puts the result into x. The value of x is incremented by 5.)

The "equal to" operator is written like == in JavaScript.

JavaScript Data Types

JavaScript variables can hold numbers like 100 and text values like "John Doe".

In programming, text values are called text strings.

JavaScript can handle many types of data, but for now, just think of numbers and strings.

Strings are written inside double or single quotes. Numbers are written without quotes.

If you put a number in quotes, it will be treated as a text string.

Declaring a JavaScript Variable

Creating a variable in JavaScript is called "declaring" a variable.

You declare a JavaScript variable with the var or the let keyword:

After the declaration, the variable has no value (technically it is undefined ).

To assign a value to the variable, use the equal sign:

You can also assign a value to the variable when you declare it:

In the example below, we create a variable called carName and assign the value "Volvo" to it.

Then we "output" the value inside an HTML paragraph with id="demo":

It's a good programming practice to declare all variables at the beginning of a script.

One Statement, Many Variables

You can declare many variables in one statement.

Start the statement with let and separate the variables by comma :

A declaration can span multiple lines:

Value = undefined

In computer programs, variables are often declared without a value. The value can be something that has to be calculated, or something that will be provided later, like user input.

A variable declared without a value will have the value undefined .

The variable carName will have the value undefined after the execution of this statement:

Re-Declaring JavaScript Variables

If you re-declare a JavaScript variable declared with var , it will not lose its value.

The variable carName will still have the value "Volvo" after the execution of these statements:

You cannot re-declare a variable declared with let or const .

This will not work:

JavaScript Arithmetic

As with algebra, you can do arithmetic with JavaScript variables, using operators like = and + :

You can also add strings, but strings will be concatenated:

Also try this:

If you put a number in quotes, the rest of the numbers will be treated as strings, and concatenated.

Now try this:

JavaScript Dollar Sign $

Since JavaScript treats a dollar sign as a letter, identifiers containing $ are valid variable names:

Using the dollar sign is not very common in JavaScript, but professional programmers often use it as an alias for the main function in a JavaScript library.

In the JavaScript library jQuery, for instance, the main function $ is used to select HTML elements. In jQuery $("p"); means "select all p elements".

JavaScript Underscore (_)

Since JavaScript treats underscore as a letter, identifiers containing _ are valid variable names:

Using the underscore is not very common in JavaScript, but a convention among professional programmers is to use it as an alias for "private (hidden)" variables.

Test Yourself With Exercises

Create a variable called carName and assign the value Volvo to it.

Start the Exercise

COLOR PICKER

Contact Sales

If you want to use W3Schools services as an educational institution, team or enterprise, send us an e-mail: [email protected]

Report Error

If you want to report an error, or if you want to make a suggestion, send us an e-mail: [email protected]

Top Tutorials

Top references, top examples, get certified.

JavaScript multiple assignment

In JavaScript, you can assign multiple variables in the same line of code:

And you can also assign several variables together:

What just happened? Assignment is right associative (pairs from right to left), so you can think of the previous code as being the same as:

The right most pair is like an assignment when you forget to put the var keyword.

You can also think about var a = (b = 3) as:

Avoid creating global variables (window.a is a global variable). If you create global variables, you can create bugs when you use the same variable name.

What's the output?

What's the console output.

Get high quality AI code reviews

• 90+ point analyses every run
• AI that understands your code

Javascript Assign Multiple Variables: Javascript Explained

Table of contents.

Javascript is a programming language that is widely used for website development, building web applications, and in general web programming. Javascript is also a powerful language for assigning multiple variables at once. This article will explain how to assign multiple variables in Javascript, along with best practices, common pitfalls, and the benefits of doing so.

What is Javascript?

Javascript is a client-side scripting language commonly used for web development. It is an interpreted programming language that is used to make websites interactive. JavaScript code is typically executed by a web browser, though it can also be used with a Node.js server or even Apache web servers. It is one of the three core web technologies that make up web development – the others being HTML and CSS. As a client-side language, it runs on the user’s computer or device, and not on the server.

Javascript is a powerful language that can be used to create dynamic webpages, interactive web applications, and even mobile applications. It is also used to create games, and is often used in combination with HTML and CSS to create visually appealing websites. Javascript is a versatile language that can be used to create a wide variety of applications, and is an essential part of modern web development.

Basics of Assigning Variables in Javascript

Variables are an important concept in programming. A variable is a name that stores a value. Variable names can be defined when you need to refer to that same value multiple times. Variables can store all kinds of data types in Javascript – including strings, numbers, boolean values, objects, and others. In Javascript, variables are declared using the let, const, or var keywords.

When declaring a variable, it is important to choose a name that is descriptive and easy to remember. This will help you to easily identify the purpose of the variable when you come back to your code later. Additionally, it is important to remember that variables are case sensitive, so be sure to use the same capitalization when referring to the same variable.

What is Variable Assignment?

Variable assignment is a concept in programming where you assign a value to a variable name. This creates a link between the variable and its value that can be reused throughout your program. Variable assignment can be done in a few different ways in Javascript: you can use the let and const keywords to define variables with an initial value, or you can use the variable assignment operator (the equal sign) to assign a value to an existing variable.

It is important to note that variables can be reassigned at any time. This means that you can change the value of a variable by simply assigning a new value to it. This is a useful feature of programming languages, as it allows you to easily update the values of variables as your program runs.

Assigning Multiple Variables in Javascript

In addition to assigning single variables, you can assign multiple variables with a single statement in Javascript. This allows you to reduce lines of code while still passing all the necessary information. To assign multiple variables in Javascript, use the following syntax: let [var1],[var2],... = [value1],[value2],...; .

When assigning multiple variables, the number of variables and values must match. If there are more variables than values, the remaining variables will be assigned the value of ‘undefined’. Additionally, the variables must be declared before they can be assigned a value. This means that the let keyword must be used before the variable names.

How to Create a Variable Assignment Statement

Creating a variable assignment statement follows the same structure as creating any other statement in Javascript. Start with the keyword (let or const) and a list of variables separated by commas. Next, add the equals sign followed by a list of values separated by commas. Make sure to end your statement with a semicolon ( ; ) to denote the end of your statement.

It is important to note that the values assigned to the variables must match the data type of the variable. For example, if you are assigning a string to a variable, the value must be enclosed in quotation marks. Similarly, if you are assigning a number to a variable, the value must not be enclosed in quotation marks.

Best Practices for Variable Assignment in Javascript

When assigning multiple variables in Javascript, it is important to consider best practices to ensure that your code is readable, efficient, and secure. First, it is recommended to break up large assignments into multiple lines to increase readability and make debugging easier. Second, it is important to avoid assigning many variables at once as this can make your code more difficult to debug. Finally, it is important to ensure that your variables are not assigned with unexpected values – for example, global variables should only be declared with const.

It is also important to use descriptive variable names to make your code easier to read and understand. Additionally, it is recommended to use the let keyword when declaring variables that will be reassigned, and the const keyword when declaring variables that will not be reassigned. Finally, it is important to use strict equality (===) when comparing values, as this will ensure that the comparison is accurate and secure.

Common Mistakes When Assigning Multiple Variables in Javascript

When assigning multiple variables in Javascript, there are several common mistakes that you should avoid. First, make sure you are using the right assignment operator – if you use the equal sign (=) instead of let or const you will end up with an error. Second, make sure you have listed all of your variables and values correctly – if you miss one your program will fail. Finally, be careful if/when assigning global variables as they may affect other parts of your program.

It is also important to remember that variables are case sensitive, so make sure you are using the same case when assigning and referencing variables. Additionally, make sure you are using the correct syntax when assigning multiple variables. For example, if you are using let, you should separate each variable with a comma, and if you are using const, you should separate each variable with a semicolon. Finally, make sure you are using the correct data type for each variable – if you assign a string to a number variable, you will end up with an error.

Benefits of JavaScript for Multi-Variable Assignment

Javascript provides developers with various benefits when it comes to multi-variable assignment. First, it allows for more readable and organized code by enabling the assignment of multiple variables at once instead of individually. Second, it reduces coding time as it eliminates the need for typing each variable assignment statement separately. Last but not least, it makes debugging easier as changes made in one part of the code are propagated across all associated variables.

Assigning multiple variables in Javascript can be a great way to reduce complexity and improve readability when writing code. However, it is important to understand both the basics of variable assignment as well as the best practices in order to ensure that your code is secure and working correctly. By understanding how to assign multiple variables and avoiding common pitfalls, you will be able to maximize the benefits of variable assignment in your projects.

Nisha Kumari

Nisha Kumari, a Founding Engineer at Bito, brings a comprehensive background in software engineering, specializing in Java/J2EE, PHP, HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and web development. Her career highlights include significant roles at Accenture, where she led end-to-end project deliveries and application maintenance, and at PubMatic, where she honed her skills in online advertising and optimization. Nisha's expertise spans across SAP HANA development, project management, and technical specification, making her a versatile and skilled contributor to the tech industry.

Written by developers for developers

Latest posts, mastering python’s writelines() function for efficient file writing | a comprehensive guide, understanding the difference between == and === in javascript – a comprehensive guide, compare two strings in javascript: a detailed guide for efficient string comparison, exploring the distinctions: == vs equals() in java programming, understanding matplotlib inline in python: a comprehensive guide for visualizations, related articles.

Cut review time by 50%

• Join us on Slack
• Twitter / X
• AI Code Review Agent
• AI Chat in your IDE
• AI Chat in your CLI
• AI Code Completions
• AI Prompt Templates
• AI Automations
• Documentation Agent
• Unit Test Agent
• Documentation
• 2023 State of AI in Software Report
• 2023 How Devs use AI Report
• Dev Resources
• Terms of Use
• Privacy Statement
• © 2023 Bito. All rights reserved.

Install on IDEs like IntelliJ, WebStorm etc.

JavaScript declare multiple variables tutorial

by Nathan Sebhastian

Posted on May 02, 2021

Reading time: 2 minutes

The most common way to declare and initialize JavaScript variables is by writing each variable in its own line as follows:

But there are actually shorter ways to declare multiple variables using JavaScript. First, you can use only one variable keyword (var, let, or const) and declare the variable names and values separated by commas.

Take a look at the following example:

The declaration above just use one line, but it’s a bit harder to read than separated declarations. Furthermore, all the variables are declared using the same keyword let . You can’t use other variable keywords like const and var .

You can also make a multi-line declaration using comma-separated declaration as shown below:

Finally, you can also use destructuring assignment to declare and initialize multiple variables in one line as follows:

The destructuring assignment from the code above extracts the array elements and assigns them to the variables declared on the left side of the = assignment operator.

The code examples above are some tricks you can use to declare multiple variables in one line with JavaScript. Still, the most common way to declare variables is to declare them one by one, because it decouples the declaration into its own line:

The code above will be the easiest to change later as your project grows.

You can only use one variable keyword when using comma-separated declaration and destructuring assignment, so you can’t change the variables from const to let without changing them all.

Take your skills to the next level ⚡️

I'm sending out an occasional email with the latest tutorials on programming, web development, and statistics. Drop your email in the box below and I'll send new stuff straight into your inbox!

Hello! This website is dedicated to help you learn tech and data science skills with its step-by-step, beginner-friendly tutorials. Learn statistics, JavaScript and other programming languages using clear examples written for people.

Learn more about this website

Connect with me on Twitter

Or LinkedIn

Type the keyword below and hit enter

Click to see all tutorials tagged with:

11 Variables and assignment

11.1  let, 11.2.1  const and immutability, 11.2.2  const and loops.

• 11.3  Deciding between const and let
• 11.4.1  Shadowing variables
• 11.5  (Advanced)
• 11.6.1  Static phenomenon: scopes of variables
• 11.6.2  Dynamic phenomenon: function calls

11.7.1  globalThis [ES2020]

11.8.1  const and let : temporal dead zone.

• 11.8.2  Function declarations and early activation
• 11.8.3  Class declarations are not activated early

11.8.4  var : hoisting (partial early activation)

• 11.9.1  Bound variables vs. free variables
• 11.9.2  What is a closure?
• 11.9.3  Example: A factory for incrementors
• 11.9.4  Use cases for closures

These are JavaScript’s main ways of declaring variables:

• let declares mutable variables.
• const declares constants (immutable variables).

Before ES6, there was also var . But it has several quirks, so it’s best to avoid it in modern JavaScript. You can read more about it in Speaking JavaScript .

Variables declared via let are mutable:

You can also declare and assign at the same time:

11.2  const

Variables declared via const are immutable. You must always initialize immediately:

In JavaScript, const only means that the binding (the association between variable name and variable value) is immutable. The value itself may be mutable, like obj in the following example.

You can use const with for-of loops, where a fresh binding is created for each iteration:

In plain for loops, you must use let , however:

11.3 Deciding between const and let

I recommend the following rules to decide between const and let :

• const indicates an immutable binding and that a variable never changes its value. Prefer it.
• let indicates that the value of a variable changes. Use it only when you can’t use const .

exercises/variables-assignment/const_exrc.mjs

11.4 The scope of a variable

The scope of a variable is the region of a program where it can be accessed. Consider the following code.

• Scope A is the (direct) scope of x .
• Scopes B and C are inner scopes of scope A.
• Scope A is an outer scope of scope B and scope C.

Each variable is accessible in its direct scope and all scopes nested within that scope.

The variables declared via const and let are called block-scoped because their scopes are always the innermost surrounding blocks.

11.4.1 Shadowing variables

You can’t declare the same variable twice at the same level:

eval() delays parsing (and therefore the SyntaxError ), until the callback of assert.throws() is executed. If we didn’t use it, we’d already get an error when this code is parsed and assert.throws() wouldn’t even be executed.

You can, however, nest a block and use the same variable name x that you used outside the block:

Inside the block, the inner x is the only accessible variable with that name. The inner x is said to shadow the outer x . Once you leave the block, you can access the old value again.

See quiz app .

11.5 (Advanced)

All remaining sections are advanced.

11.6 Terminology: static vs. dynamic

These two adjectives describe phenomena in programming languages:

• Static means that something is related to source code and can be determined without executing code.
• Dynamic means at runtime.

Let’s look at examples for these two terms.

11.6.1 Static phenomenon: scopes of variables

Variable scopes are a static phenomenon. Consider the following code:

x is statically (or lexically ) scoped . That is, its scope is fixed and doesn’t change at runtime.

Variable scopes form a static tree (via static nesting).

11.6.2 Dynamic phenomenon: function calls

Function calls are a dynamic phenomenon. Consider the following code:

Whether or not the function call in line A happens, can only be decided at runtime.

Function calls form a dynamic tree (via dynamic calls).

11.7 Global variables and the global object

JavaScript’s variable scopes are nested. They form a tree:

• The outermost scope is the root of the tree.
• The scopes directly contained in that scope are the children of the root.

The root is also called the global scope . In web browsers, the only location where one is directly in that scope is at the top level of a script. The variables of the global scope are called global variables and accessible everywhere. There are two kinds of global variables:

• They can only be created while at the top level of a script, via const , let , and class declarations.
• They are created in the top level of a script, via var and function declarations.
• The global object can be accessed via the global variable globalThis . It can be used to create, read, and delete global object variables.
• Other than that, global object variables work like normal variables.

The following HTML fragment demonstrates globalThis and the two kinds of global variables.

Each ECMAScript module has its own scope. Therefore, variables that exist at the top level of a module are not global. Fig.  5 illustrates how the various scopes are related.

The global variable globalThis is the new standard way of accessing the global object. It got its name from the fact that it has the same value as this in global scope.

For example, in browsers, there is an indirection . That indirection is normally not noticable, but it is there and can be observed.

11.7.1.1 Alternatives to globalThis

Older ways of accessing the global object depend on the platform:

• Global variable window : is the classic way of referring to the global object. But it doesn’t work in Node.js and in Web Workers.
• Global variable self : is available in Web Workers and browsers in general. But it isn’t supported by Node.js.
• Global variable global : is only available in Node.js.

11.7.1.2 Use cases for globalThis

The global object is now considered a mistake that JavaScript can’t get rid of, due to backward compatibility. It affects performance negatively and is generally confusing.

ECMAScript 6 introduced several features that make it easier to avoid the global object – for example:

• const , let , and class declarations don’t create global object properties when used in global scope.
• Each ECMAScript module has its own local scope.

It is usually better to access global object variables via variables and not via properties of globalThis . The former has always worked the same on all JavaScript platforms.

Tutorials on the web occasionally access global variables globVar via window.globVar . But the prefix “ window. ” is not necessary and I recommend to omit it:

Therefore, there are relatively few use cases for globalThis – for example:

• Polyfills that add new features to old JavaScript engines.
• Feature detection, to find out what features a JavaScript engine supports.

11.8 Declarations: scope and activation

These are two key aspects of declarations:

• Scope: Where can a declared entity be seen? This is a static trait.
• Activation: When can I access an entity? This is a dynamic trait. Some entities can be accessed as soon as we enter their scopes. For others, we have to wait until execution reaches their declarations.

Tbl.  1 summarizes how various declarations handle these aspects.

import is described in §27.5 “ECMAScript modules” . The following sections describe the other constructs in more detail.

For JavaScript, TC39 needed to decide what happens if you access a constant in its direct scope, before its declaration:

Some possible approaches are:

• The name is resolved in the scope surrounding the current scope.
• You get undefined .
• There is an error.

Approach 1 was rejected because there is no precedent in the language for this approach. It would therefore not be intuitive to JavaScript programmers.

Approach 2 was rejected because then x wouldn’t be a constant – it would have different values before and after its declaration.

let uses the same approach 3 as const , so that both work similarly and it’s easy to switch between them.

The time between entering the scope of a variable and executing its declaration is called the temporal dead zone (TDZ) of that variable:

• During this time, the variable is considered to be uninitialized (as if that were a special value it has).
• If you access an uninitialized variable, you get a ReferenceError .
• Once you reach a variable declaration, the variable is set to either the value of the initializer (specified via the assignment symbol) or undefined – if there is no initializer.

The following code illustrates the temporal dead zone:

The next example shows that the temporal dead zone is truly temporal (related to time):

Even though func() is located before the declaration of myVar and uses that variable, we can call func() . But we have to wait until the temporal dead zone of myVar is over.

11.8.2 Function declarations and early activation

In this section, we are using functions – before we had a chance to learn them properly. Hopefully, everything still makes sense. Whenever it doesn’t, please see §25 “Callable values” .

A function declaration is always executed when entering its scope, regardless of where it is located within that scope. That enables you to call a function foo() before it is declared:

The early activation of foo() means that the previous code is equivalent to:

If you declare a function via const or let , then it is not activated early. In the following example, you can only use bar() after its declaration.

11.8.2.1 Calling ahead without early activation

Even if a function g() is not activated early, it can be called by a preceding function f() (in the same scope) if we adhere to the following rule: f() must be invoked after the declaration of g() .

The functions of a module are usually invoked after its complete body is executed. Therefore, in modules, you rarely need to worry about the order of functions.

Lastly, note how early activation automatically keeps the aforementioned rule: when entering a scope, all function declarations are executed first, before any calls are made.

11.8.2.2 A pitfall of early activation

If you rely on early activation to call a function before its declaration, then you need to be careful that it doesn’t access data that isn’t activated early.

The problem goes away if you make the call to funcDecl() after the declaration of MY_STR .

11.8.2.3 The pros and cons of early activation

We have seen that early activation has a pitfall and that you can get most of its benefits without using it. Therefore, it is better to avoid early activation. But I don’t feel strongly about this and, as mentioned before, often use function declarations because I like their syntax.

11.8.3 Class declarations are not activated early

Even though they are similar to function declarations in some ways, class declarations are not activated early:

Why is that? Consider the following class declaration:

The operand of extends is an expression. Therefore, you can do things like this:

Evaluating such an expression must be done at the location where it is mentioned. Anything else would be confusing. That explains why class declarations are not activated early.

var is an older way of declaring variables that predates const and let (which are preferred now). Consider the following var declaration.

This declaration has two parts:

• Declaration var x : The scope of a var -declared variable is the innermost surrounding function and not the innermost surrounding block, as for most other declarations. Such a variable is already active at the beginning of its scope and initialized with undefined .
• Assignment x = 123 : The assignment is always executed in place.

The following code demonstrates the effects of var :

11.9 Closures

Before we can explore closures, we need to learn about bound variables and free variables.

11.9.1 Bound variables vs. free variables

Per scope, there is a set of variables that are mentioned. Among these variables we distinguish:

• Bound variables are declared within the scope. They are parameters and local variables.
• Free variables are declared externally. They are also called non-local variables .

Consider the following code:

In the body of func() , x and y are bound variables. z is a free variable.

11.9.2 What is a closure?

What is a closure then?

A closure is a function plus a connection to the variables that exist at its “birth place”.

What is the point of keeping this connection? It provides the values for the free variables of the function – for example:

funcFactory returns a closure that is assigned to func . Because func has the connection to the variables at its birth place, it can still access the free variable value when it is called in line A (even though it “escaped” its scope).

Static scoping is supported via closures in JavaScript. Therefore, every function is a closure.

11.9.3 Example: A factory for incrementors

The following function returns incrementors (a name that I just made up). An incrementor is a function that internally stores a number. When it is called, it updates that number by adding the argument to it and returns the new value.

We can see that the function created in line A keeps its internal number in the free variable startValue . This time, we don’t just read from the birth scope, we use it to store data that we change and that persists across function calls.

We can create more storage slots in the birth scope, via local variables:

11.9.4 Use cases for closures

What are closures good for?

For starters, they are simply an implementation of static scoping. As such, they provide context data for callbacks.

They can also be used by functions to store state that persists across function calls. createInc() is an example of that.

And they can provide private data for objects (produced via literals or classes). The details of how that works are explained in Exploring ES6 .

A Guide to Variable Assignment and Mutation in JavaScript

Share this article

Variable Assignment

Variable reassignment, variable assignment by reference, copying by reference, the spread operator to the rescue, are mutations bad, frequently asked questions (faqs) about javascript variable assignment and mutation.

Mutations are something you hear about fairly often in the world of JavaScript, but what exactly are they, and are they as evil as they’re made out to be?

In this article, we’re going to cover the concepts of variable assignment and mutation and see why — together — they can be a real pain for developers. We’ll look at how to manage them to avoid problems, how to use as few as possible, and how to keep your code predictable.

If you’d like to explore this topic in greater detail, or get up to speed with modern JavaScript, check out the first chapter of my new book Learn to Code with JavaScript for free.

Let’s start by going back to the very basics of value types …

Every value in JavaScript is either a primitive value or an object. There are seven different primitive data types:

• numbers, such as 3 , 0 , -4 , 0.625
• strings, such as 'Hello' , "World" , `Hi` , ''
• Booleans, true and false
• symbols — a unique token that’s guaranteed never to clash with another symbol
• BigInt — for dealing with large integer values

Anything that isn’t a primitive value is an object , including arrays, dates, regular expressions and, of course, object literals. Functions are a special type of object. They are definitely objects, since they have properties and methods, but they’re also able to be called.

Variable assignment is one of the first things you learn in coding. For example, this is how we would assign the number 3 to the variable bears :

A common metaphor for variables is one of boxes with labels that have values placed inside them. The example above would be portrayed as a box containing the label “bears” with the value of 3 placed inside.

An alternative way of thinking about what happens is as a reference, that maps the label bears to the value of 3 :

If I assign the number 3 to another variable, it’s referencing the same value as bears:

The variables bears and musketeers both reference the same primitive value of 3. We can verify this using the strict equality operator, === :

The equality operator returns true if both variables are referencing the same value.

Some gotchas when working with objects

The previous examples showed primitive values being assigned to variables. The same process is used when assigning objects:

This assignment means that the variable ghostbusters references an object:

A big difference when assigning objects to variables, however, is that if you assign another object literal to another variable, it will reference a completely different object — even if both object literals look exactly the same! For example, the assignment below looks like the variable tmnt (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) references the same object as the variable ghostbusters :

Even though the variables ghostbusters and tmnt look like they reference the same object, they actually both reference a completely different object, as we can see if we check with the strict equality operator:

When the const keyword was introduced in ES6, many people mistakenly believed that constants had been introduced to JavaScript, but this wasn’t the case. The name of this keyword is a little misleading.

Any variable declared with const can’t be reassigned to another value. This goes for primitive values and objects. For example, the variable bears was declared using const in the previous section, so it can’t have another value assigned to it. If we try to assign the number 2 to the variable bears , we get an error:

The reference to the number 3 is fixed and the bears variable can’t be reassigned another value.

The same applies to objects. If we try to assign a different object to the variable ghostbusters , we get the same error:

Variable reassignment using let

When the keyword let is used to declare a variable, it can be reassigned to reference a different value later on in our code. For example, we declared the variable musketeers using let , so we can change the value that musketeers references. If D’Artagnan joined the Musketeers, their number would increase to 4:

This can be done because let was used to declare the variable. We can alter the value that musketeers references as many times as we like.

The variable tmnt was also declared using let , so it can also be reassigned to reference another object (or a different type entirely if we like):

Note that the variable tmnt now references a completely different object ; we haven’t just changed the number property to 5.

In summary , if you declare a variable using const , its value can’t be reassigned and will always reference the same primitive value or object that it was originally assigned to. If you declare a variable using let , its value can be reassigned as many times as required later in the program.

Using const as often as possible is generally considered good practice, as it means that the value of variables remains constant and the code is more consistent and predictable, making it less prone to errors and bugs.

In native JavaScript, you can only assign values to variables. You can’t assign variables to reference another variable, even though it looks like you can. For example, the number of Stooges is the same as the number of Musketeers, so we can assign the variable stooges to reference the same value as the variable musketeers using the following:

This looks like the variable stooges is referencing the variable musketeers , as shown in the diagram below:

However, this is impossible in native JavaScript: a variable can only reference an actual value; it can’t reference another variable . What actually happens when you make an assignment like this is that the variable on the left of the assignment will reference the value the variable on the right references, so the variable stooges will reference the same value as the musketeers variable, which is the number 3. Once this assignment has been made, the stooges variable isn’t connected to the musketeers variable at all.

This means that if D’Artagnan joins the Musketeers and we set the value of the musketeers to 4, the value of stooges will remain as 3. In fact, because we declared the stooges variable using const , we can’t set it to any new value; it will always be 3.

In summary : if you declare a variable using const and set it to a primitive value, even via a reference to another variable, then its value can’t change. This is good for your code, as it means it will be more consistent and predictable.

A value is said to be mutable if it can be changed. That’s all there is to it: a mutation is the act of changing the properties of a value.

All primitive value in JavaScript are immutable : you can’t change their properties — ever. For example, if we assign the string "cake" to variable food , we can see that we can’t change any of its properties:

If we try to change the first letter to “f”, it looks like it has changed:

But if we take a look at the value of the variable, we see that nothing has actually changed:

The same thing happens if we try to change the length property:

Despite the return value implying that the length property has been changed, a quick check shows that it hasn’t:

Note that this has nothing to do with declaring the variable using const instead of let . If we had used let , we could set food to reference another string, but we can’t change any of its properties. It’s impossible to change any properties of primitive data types because they’re immutable .

Mutability and objects in JavaScript

Conversely, all objects in JavaScript are mutable, which means that their properties can be changed, even if they’re declared using const (remember let and const only control whether or not a variable can be reassigned and have nothing to do with mutability). For example, we can change the the first item of an array using the following code:

Note that this change still occurred, despite the fact that we declared the variable food using const . This shows that using const does not stop objects from being mutated .

We can also change the length property of an array, even if it has been declared using const :

Remember that when we assign variables to object literals, the variables will reference completely different objects, even if they look the same:

But if we assign a variable fantastic4 to another variable, they will both reference the same object:

This assigns the variable fantastic4 to reference the same object that the variable tmnt references, rather than a completely different object.

This is often referred to as copying by reference , because both variables are assigned to reference the same object.

This is important, because any mutations made to this object will be seen in both variables.

So, if Spider-Man joins The Fantastic Four, we might update the number value in the object:

This is a mutation, because we’ve changed the number property rather than setting fantastic4 to reference a new object.

This causes us a problem, because the number property of tmnt will also also change, possibly without us even realizing:

This is because both tmnt and fantastic4 are referencing the same object, so any mutations that are made to either tmnt or fantastic4 will affect both of them.

This highlights an important concept in JavaScript: when objects are copied by reference and subsequently mutated, the mutation will affect any other variables that reference that object. This can lead to unintended side effects and bugs that are difficult to track down.

So how do you make a copy of an object without creating a reference to the original object? The answer is to use the spread operator !

The spread operator was introduced for arrays and strings in ES2015 and for objects in ES2018. It allows you to easily make a shallow copy of an object without creating a reference to the original object.

The example below shows how we could set the variable fantastic4 to reference a copy of the tmnt object. This copy will be exactly the same as the tmnt object, but fantastic4 will reference a completely new object. This is done by placing the name of the variable to be copied inside an object literal with the spread operator in front of it:

What we’ve actually done here is assign the variable fantastic4 to a new object literal and then used the spread operator to copy all the enumerable properties of the object referenced by the tmnt variable. Because these properties are values, they’re copied into the fantastic4 object by value, rather than by reference.

Now any changes that are made to either object won’t affect the other. For example, if we update the number property of the fantastic4 variable to 5, it won’t affect the tmnt variable:

The spread operator also has a useful shortcut notation that can be used to make copies of an object and then make some changes to the new object in a single line of code.

For example, say we wanted to create an object to model the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. We could create the first turtle object, and assign the variable leonardo to it:

The other turtles all have the same properties, except for the weapon and color properties, that are different for each turtle. It makes sense to make a copy of the object that leonardo references, using the spread operator, and then change the weapon and color properties, like so:

We can do this in one line by adding the properties we want to change after the reference to the spread object. Here’s the code to create new objects for the variables donatello and raphael :

Note that using the spread operator in this way only makes a shallow copy of an object. To make a deep copy, you’d have to do this recursively, or use a library. Personally, I’d advise that you try to keep your objects as shallow as possible.

In this article, we’ve covered the concepts of variable assignment and mutation and seen why — together — they can be a real pain for developers.

Mutations have a bad reputation, but they’re not necessarily bad in themselves. In fact, if you’re building a dynamic web app, it must change at some point. That’s literally the meaning of the word “dynamic”! This means that there will have to be some mutations somewhere in your code. Having said that, the fewer mutations there are, the more predictable your code will be, making it easier to maintain and less likely to develop any bugs.

A particularly toxic combination is copying by reference and mutations. This can lead to side effects and bugs that you don’t even realize have happened. If you mutate an object that’s referenced by another variable in your code, it can cause lots of problems that can be difficult to track down. The key is to try and minimize your use of mutations to the essential and keep track of which objects have been mutated.

In functional programming, a pure function is one that doesn’t cause any side effects, and mutations are one of the biggest causes of side effects.

A golden rule is to avoid copying any objects by reference. If you want to copy another object, use the spread operator and then make any mutations immediately after making the copy.

Next up, we’ll look into array mutations in JavaScript .

Don’t forget to check out my new book Learn to Code with JavaScript if you want to get up to speed with modern JavaScript. You can read the first chapter for free. And please reach out on Twitter if you have any questions or comments!

What is the difference between variable assignment and mutation in JavaScript?

In JavaScript, variable assignment refers to the process of assigning a value to a variable. For example, let x = 5; Here, we are assigning the value 5 to the variable x. On the other hand, mutation refers to the process of changing the value of an existing variable. For example, if we later write x = 10; we are mutating the variable x by changing its value from 5 to 10.

How does JavaScript handle variable assignment and mutation differently for primitive and non-primitive data types?

JavaScript treats primitive data types (like numbers, strings, and booleans) and non-primitive data types (like objects and arrays) differently when it comes to variable assignment and mutation. For primitive data types, when you assign a variable, a copy of the value is created and stored in a new memory location. However, for non-primitive data types, when you assign a variable, both variables point to the same memory location. Therefore, if you mutate one variable, the change is reflected in all variables that point to that memory location.

What is the concept of pass-by-value and pass-by-reference in JavaScript?

Pass-by-value and pass-by-reference are two ways that JavaScript can pass variables to a function. When JavaScript passes a variable by value, it creates a copy of the variable’s value and passes that copy to the function. Any changes made to the variable inside the function do not affect the original variable. However, when JavaScript passes a variable by reference, it passes a reference to the variable’s memory location. Therefore, any changes made to the variable inside the function also affect the original variable.

How can I prevent mutation in JavaScript?

There are several ways to prevent mutation in JavaScript. One way is to use the Object.freeze() method, which prevents new properties from being added to an object, existing properties from being removed, and prevents changing the enumerability, configurability, or writability of existing properties. Another way is to use the const keyword when declaring a variable. This prevents reassignment of the variable, but it does not prevent mutation of the variable’s value if the value is an object or an array.

What is the difference between shallow copy and deep copy in JavaScript?

In JavaScript, a shallow copy of an object is a copy of the object where the values of the original object and the copy point to the same memory location for non-primitive data types. Therefore, if you mutate the copy, the original object is also mutated. On the other hand, a deep copy of an object is a copy of the object where the values of the original object and the copy do not point to the same memory location. Therefore, if you mutate the copy, the original object is not mutated.

How can I create a deep copy of an object in JavaScript?

One way to create a deep copy of an object in JavaScript is to use the JSON.parse() and JSON.stringify() methods. The JSON.stringify() method converts the object into a JSON string, and the JSON.parse() method converts the JSON string back into an object. This creates a new object that is a deep copy of the original object.

What is the MutationObserver API in JavaScript?

The MutationObserver API provides developers with a way to react to changes in a DOM. It is designed to provide a general, efficient, and robust API for reacting to changes in a document.

How does JavaScript handle variable assignment and mutation in the context of closures?

In JavaScript, a closure is a function that has access to its own scope, the scope of the outer function, and the global scope. When a variable is assigned or mutated inside a closure, it can affect the value of the variable in the outer scope, depending on whether the variable was declared in the closure’s scope or the outer scope.

What is the difference between var, let, and const in JavaScript?

In JavaScript, var, let, and const are used to declare variables. var is function scoped, and if it is declared outside a function, it is globally scoped. let and const are block scoped, meaning they exist only within the block they are declared in. The difference between let and const is that let allows reassignment, while const does not.

How does JavaScript handle variable assignment and mutation in the context of asynchronous programming?

In JavaScript, asynchronous programming allows multiple things to happen at the same time. When a variable is assigned or mutated in an asynchronous function, it can lead to unexpected results if other parts of the code are relying on the value of the variable. This is because the variable assignment or mutation may not have completed before the other parts of the code run. To handle this, JavaScript provides several features, such as promises and async/await, to help manage asynchronous code.

Darren loves building web apps and coding in JavaScript, Haskell and Ruby. He is the author of Learn to Code using JavaScript , JavaScript: Novice to Ninja and Jump Start Sinatra .He is also the creator of Nanny State , a tiny alternative to React. He can be found on Twitter @daz4126.

Home » JavaScript Tutorial » JavaScript Assignment Operators

JavaScript Assignment Operators

Summary : in this tutorial, you will learn how to use JavaScript assignment operators to assign a value to a variable.

Introduction to JavaScript assignment operators

An assignment operator ( = ) assigns a value to a variable. The syntax of the assignment operator is as follows:

In this syntax, JavaScript evaluates the expression b first and assigns the result to the variable a .

The following example declares the counter variable and initializes its value to zero:

The following example increases the counter variable by one and assigns the result to the counter variable:

When evaluating the second statement, JavaScript evaluates the expression on the right-hand first ( counter + 1 ) and assigns the result to the counter variable. After the second assignment, the counter variable is 1 .

To make the code more concise, you can use the += operator like this:

In this syntax, you don’t have to repeat the counter variable twice in the assignment.

The following table illustrates assignment operators that are shorthand for another operator and the assignment:

Destructuring assignment

The two most used data structures in JavaScript are Object and Array .

• Objects allow us to create a single entity that stores data items by key.
• Arrays allow us to gather data items into an ordered list.

However, when we pass these to a function, we may not need all of it. The function might only require certain elements or properties.

Destructuring assignment is a special syntax that allows us to “unpack” arrays or objects into a bunch of variables, as sometimes that’s more convenient.

Destructuring also works well with complex functions that have a lot of parameters, default values, and so on. Soon we’ll see that.

Array destructuring

Here’s an example of how an array is destructured into variables:

Now we can work with variables instead of array members.

It looks great when combined with split or other array-returning methods:

As you can see, the syntax is simple. There are several peculiar details though. Let’s see more examples to understand it better.

It’s called “destructuring assignment,” because it “destructurizes” by copying items into variables. However, the array itself is not modified.

It’s just a shorter way to write:

Unwanted elements of the array can also be thrown away via an extra comma:

In the code above, the second element of the array is skipped, the third one is assigned to title , and the rest of the array items are also skipped (as there are no variables for them).

…Actually, we can use it with any iterable, not only arrays:

That works, because internally a destructuring assignment works by iterating over the right value. It’s a kind of syntax sugar for calling for..of over the value to the right of = and assigning the values.

We can use any “assignables” on the left side.

For instance, an object property:

In the previous chapter, we saw the Object.entries(obj) method.

We can use it with destructuring to loop over the keys-and-values of an object:

The similar code for a Map is simpler, as it’s iterable:

There’s a well-known trick for swapping values of two variables using a destructuring assignment:

Here we create a temporary array of two variables and immediately destructure it in swapped order.

We can swap more than two variables this way.

The rest ‘…’

Usually, if the array is longer than the list at the left, the “extra” items are omitted.

For example, here only two items are taken, and the rest is just ignored:

If we’d like also to gather all that follows – we can add one more parameter that gets “the rest” using three dots "..." :

The value of rest is the array of the remaining array elements.

We can use any other variable name in place of rest , just make sure it has three dots before it and goes last in the destructuring assignment.

Default values

If the array is shorter than the list of variables on the left, there will be no errors. Absent values are considered undefined:

If we want a “default” value to replace the missing one, we can provide it using = :

Default values can be more complex expressions or even function calls. They are evaluated only if the value is not provided.

For instance, here we use the prompt function for two defaults:

Please note: the prompt will run only for the missing value ( surname ).

Object destructuring

The destructuring assignment also works with objects.

The basic syntax is:

We should have an existing object on the right side, that we want to split into variables. The left side contains an object-like “pattern” for corresponding properties. In the simplest case, that’s a list of variable names in {...} .

For instance:

Properties options.title , options.width and options.height are assigned to the corresponding variables.

The order does not matter. This works too:

The pattern on the left side may be more complex and specify the mapping between properties and variables.

If we want to assign a property to a variable with another name, for instance, make options.width go into the variable named w , then we can set the variable name using a colon:

The colon shows “what : goes where”. In the example above the property width goes to w , property height goes to h , and title is assigned to the same name.

For potentially missing properties we can set default values using "=" , like this:

Just like with arrays or function parameters, default values can be any expressions or even function calls. They will be evaluated if the value is not provided.

In the code below prompt asks for width , but not for title :

We also can combine both the colon and equality:

If we have a complex object with many properties, we can extract only what we need:

The rest pattern “…”

What if the object has more properties than we have variables? Can we take some and then assign the “rest” somewhere?

We can use the rest pattern, just like we did with arrays. It’s not supported by some older browsers (IE, use Babel to polyfill it), but works in modern ones.

It looks like this:

In the examples above variables were declared right in the assignment: let {…} = {…} . Of course, we could use existing variables too, without let . But there’s a catch.

This won’t work:

The problem is that JavaScript treats {...} in the main code flow (not inside another expression) as a code block. Such code blocks can be used to group statements, like this:

So here JavaScript assumes that we have a code block, that’s why there’s an error. We want destructuring instead.

To show JavaScript that it’s not a code block, we can wrap the expression in parentheses (...) :

Nested destructuring

If an object or an array contains other nested objects and arrays, we can use more complex left-side patterns to extract deeper portions.

In the code below options has another object in the property size and an array in the property items . The pattern on the left side of the assignment has the same structure to extract values from them:

All properties of options object except extra which is absent in the left part, are assigned to corresponding variables:

Finally, we have width , height , item1 , item2 and title from the default value.

Note that there are no variables for size and items , as we take their content instead.

Smart function parameters

There are times when a function has many parameters, most of which are optional. That’s especially true for user interfaces. Imagine a function that creates a menu. It may have a width, a height, a title, an item list and so on.

Here’s a bad way to write such a function:

In real-life, the problem is how to remember the order of arguments. Usually, IDEs try to help us, especially if the code is well-documented, but still… Another problem is how to call a function when most parameters are ok by default.

That’s ugly. And becomes unreadable when we deal with more parameters.

Destructuring comes to the rescue!

We can pass parameters as an object, and the function immediately destructurizes them into variables:

We can also use more complex destructuring with nested objects and colon mappings:

The full syntax is the same as for a destructuring assignment:

Then, for an object of parameters, there will be a variable varName for the property incomingProperty , with defaultValue by default.

Please note that such destructuring assumes that showMenu() does have an argument. If we want all values by default, then we should specify an empty object:

We can fix this by making {} the default value for the whole object of parameters:

In the code above, the whole arguments object is {} by default, so there’s always something to destructurize.

Destructuring assignment allows for instantly mapping an object or array onto many variables.

The full object syntax:

This means that property prop should go into the variable varName and, if no such property exists, then the default value should be used.

Object properties that have no mapping are copied to the rest object.

The full array syntax:

The first item goes to item1 ; the second goes into item2 , and all the rest makes the array rest .

It’s possible to extract data from nested arrays/objects, for that the left side must have the same structure as the right one.

We have an object:

Write the destructuring assignment that reads:

• name property into the variable name .
• years property into the variable age .
• isAdmin property into the variable isAdmin (false, if no such property)

Here’s an example of the values after your assignment:

The maximal salary

There is a salaries object:

Create the function topSalary(salaries) that returns the name of the top-paid person.

• If salaries is empty, it should return null .
• If there are multiple top-paid persons, return any of them.

P.S. Use Object.entries and destructuring to iterate over key/value pairs.

Open a sandbox with tests.

Open the solution with tests in a sandbox.

• If you have suggestions what to improve - please submit a GitHub issue or a pull request instead of commenting.
• If you can't understand something in the article – please elaborate.
• To insert few words of code, use the <code> tag, for several lines – wrap them in <pre> tag, for more than 10 lines – use a sandbox ( plnkr , jsbin , codepen …)

Lesson navigation

• © 2007—2024  Ilya Kantor
• about the project
• terms of usage
• privacy policy

OneBite.Dev - Coding blog in a bite size

assign multiple variables in Javascript

Code snippet on how to assign multiple variables in Javascript

This code assigns three variables: name, age, and job. The variable “name” is assigned the value “John”, the variable “age” is assigned the value 25, and the variable “job” is assigned the value “programmer”. This code uses the keyword “var” to declare each variable and assign them the given value with the “=” operator. The code also uses a single line to declare multiple variables and assign all of the required values.

Proposal: Annotate types in multiple assignment

In the latest version of Python (3.12.3), type annotation for single variable assignment is available:

However, in some scenarios like when we want to annotate the tuple of variables in return, the syntax of type annotation is invalid:

In this case, I propose two new syntaxes to support this feature:

• Annotate directly after each variable:
• Annotate the tuple of return:

In other programming languages, as I know, Julia and Rust support this feature in there approaches:

I’m pretty sure this has already been suggested. Did you go through the mailing list and searched for topics here? Without doing that, there’s nothing to discuss here. (Besides linking to them).

Secondly, try to not edit posts, but post a followup. Some people read these topics in mailing list mode and don’t see your edits.

• https://mail.python.org
• https://mail.python.org/archives

For reference, PEP 526 has a note about this in the “Rejected/Postponed Proposals” section:

Allow type annotations for tuple unpacking: This causes ambiguity: it’s not clear what this statement means: x, y: T Are x and y both of type T , or do we expect T to be a tuple type of two items that are distributed over x and y , or perhaps x has type Any and y has type T ? (The latter is what this would mean if this occurred in a function signature.) Rather than leave the (human) reader guessing, we forbid this, at least for now.

Personally I think the meaning of this is rather clear, especially when combined with an assignment, and I would like to see this.

Thank you for your valuable response, both regarding the discussion convention for Python development and the history of this feature.

I have found a related topic here: https://mail.python.org/archives/list/[email protected]/thread/5NZNHBDWK6EP67HSK4VNDTZNIVUOXMRS/

Here’s the part I find unconvincing:

Under what circumstances will fun() be hard to annotate, but a, b will be easy?

It’s better to annotate function arguments and return values, not variables. The preferred scenario is that fun() has a well-defined return type, and the type of a, b can be inferred (there is no reason to annotate it). This idea is presupposing there are cases where that’s difficult, but I’d like to see some examples where that applies.

Does this not work?

You don’t need from __future__ as of… 3.9, I think?

3.10 if you want A | B too: PEP 604 , although I’m not sure which version the OP is using and 3.9 hasn’t reached end of life yet.

We can’t always infer it, so annotating a variable is sometimes necessary or useful. But if the function’s return type is annotated then a, b = fun() allows type-checkers to infer the types of a and b . This stuff isn’t built in to Python and is evolving as typing changes, so what was inferred in the past might be better in the future.

So my question above was: are there any scenarios where annotating the function is difficult, but annotating the results would be easy? That seems like the motivating use case.

Would it be a solution to put it on the line above? And not allow assigning on the same line? Then it better mirrors function definitions.

It’s a long thread, so it might have been suggested already.

Actually, in cases where the called function differs from the user-defined function, we should declare the types when assignment unpacking.

Here is a simplified MWE:

NOTE: In PyTorch, the __call__ function is internally wrapped from forward .

Can’t you write this? That’s shorter than writing the type annotations.

This is the kind of example I was asking for, thanks. Is the problem that typing tools don’t trace the return type through the call because the wrapping isn’t in python?

I still suggest to read the thread you linked, like I’m doing right now.

The __call__ function is not the same as forward . There might be many other preprocessing and postprocessing steps involved inside it.

Yeah, quite a bit of pre-processing in fact… unless you don’t have hooks by the looks of it:

Related Topics

• Skip to main content
• Skip to search
• Skip to select language
• Sign up for free
• Português (do Brasil)

Regular expressions

Regular expressions are patterns used to match character combinations in strings. In JavaScript, regular expressions are also objects. These patterns are used with the exec() and test() methods of RegExp , and with the match() , matchAll() , replace() , replaceAll() , search() , and split() methods of String . This chapter describes JavaScript regular expressions.

Creating a regular expression

You construct a regular expression in one of two ways:

• Using a regular expression literal, which consists of a pattern enclosed between slashes, as follows: js const re = / ab + c / ; Regular expression literals provide compilation of the regular expression when the script is loaded. If the regular expression remains constant, using this can improve performance.
• Or calling the constructor function of the RegExp object, as follows: js const re = new RegExp ( "ab+c" ) ; Using the constructor function provides runtime compilation of the regular expression. Use the constructor function when you know the regular expression pattern will be changing, or you don't know the pattern and are getting it from another source, such as user input.

Writing a regular expression pattern

A regular expression pattern is composed of simple characters, such as /abc/ , or a combination of simple and special characters, such as /ab*c/ or /Chapter (\d+)\.\d*/ . The last example includes parentheses, which are used as a memory device. The match made with this part of the pattern is remembered for later use, as described in Using groups .

Note: If you are already familiar with the forms of a regular expression, you may also read the cheat sheet for a quick lookup for a specific pattern/construct.

Using simple patterns

Simple patterns are constructed of characters for which you want to find a direct match. For example, the pattern /abc/ matches character combinations in strings only when the exact sequence "abc" occurs (all characters together and in that order). Such a match would succeed in the strings "Hi, do you know your abc's?" and "The latest airplane designs evolved from slabcraft." . In both cases the match is with the substring "abc" . There is no match in the string "Grab crab" because while it contains the substring "ab c" , it does not contain the exact substring "abc" .

Using special characters

When the search for a match requires something more than a direct match, such as finding one or more b's, or finding white space, you can include special characters in the pattern. For example, to match a single "a" followed by zero or more "b" s followed by "c" , you'd use the pattern /ab*c/ : the * after "b" means "0 or more occurrences of the preceding item." In the string "cbbabbbbcdebc" , this pattern will match the substring "abbbbc" .

The following pages provide lists of the different special characters that fit into each category, along with descriptions and examples.

Assertions include boundaries, which indicate the beginnings and endings of lines and words, and other patterns indicating in some way that a match is possible (including look-ahead, look-behind, and conditional expressions).

Distinguish different types of characters. For example, distinguishing between letters and digits.

Groups group multiple patterns as a whole, and capturing groups provide extra submatch information when using a regular expression pattern to match against a string. Backreferences refer to a previously captured group in the same regular expression.

Indicate numbers of characters or expressions to match.

If you want to look at all the special characters that can be used in regular expressions in a single table, see the following:

Note: A larger cheat sheet is also available (only aggregating parts of those individual articles).

If you need to use any of the special characters literally (actually searching for a "*" , for instance), you must escape it by putting a backslash in front of it. For instance, to search for "a" followed by "*" followed by "b" , you'd use /a\*b/ — the backslash "escapes" the "*" , making it literal instead of special.

Similarly, if you're writing a regular expression literal and need to match a slash ("/"), you need to escape that (otherwise, it terminates the pattern). For instance, to search for the string "/example/" followed by one or more alphabetic characters, you'd use /\/example\/[a-z]+/i —the backslashes before each slash make them literal.

To match a literal backslash, you need to escape the backslash. For instance, to match the string "C:\" where "C" can be any letter, you'd use /[A-Z]:\\/ — the first backslash escapes the one after it, so the expression searches for a single literal backslash.

If using the RegExp constructor with a string literal, remember that the backslash is an escape in string literals, so to use it in the regular expression, you need to escape it at the string literal level. /a\*b/ and new RegExp("a\\*b") create the same expression, which searches for "a" followed by a literal "*" followed by "b".

If escape strings are not already part of your pattern you can add them using String.prototype.replace() :

The "g" after the regular expression is an option or flag that performs a global search, looking in the whole string and returning all matches. It is explained in detail below in Advanced Searching With Flags .

Why isn't this built into JavaScript? There is a proposal to add such a function to RegExp.

Using parentheses

Parentheses around any part of the regular expression pattern causes that part of the matched substring to be remembered. Once remembered, the substring can be recalled for other use. See Groups and backreferences for more details.

Using regular expressions in JavaScript

Regular expressions are used with the RegExp methods test() and exec() and with the String methods match() , matchAll() , replace() , replaceAll() , search() , and split() .

When you want to know whether a pattern is found in a string, use the test() or search() methods; for more information (but slower execution) use the exec() or match() methods. If you use exec() or match() and if the match succeeds, these methods return an array and update properties of the associated regular expression object and also of the predefined regular expression object, RegExp . If the match fails, the exec() method returns null (which coerces to false ).

In the following example, the script uses the exec() method to find a match in a string.

If you do not need to access the properties of the regular expression, an alternative way of creating myArray is with this script:

(See Using the global search flag with exec() for further info about the different behaviors.)

If you want to construct the regular expression from a string, yet another alternative is this script:

With these scripts, the match succeeds and returns the array and updates the properties shown in the following table.

As shown in the second form of this example, you can use a regular expression created with an object initializer without assigning it to a variable. If you do, however, every occurrence is a new regular expression. For this reason, if you use this form without assigning it to a variable, you cannot subsequently access the properties of that regular expression. For example, assume you have this script:

However, if you have this script:

The occurrences of /d(b+)d/g in the two statements are different regular expression objects and hence have different values for their lastIndex property. If you need to access the properties of a regular expression created with an object initializer, you should first assign it to a variable.

Advanced searching with flags

Regular expressions have optional flags that allow for functionality like global searching and case-insensitive searching. These flags can be used separately or together in any order, and are included as part of the regular expression.

To include a flag with the regular expression, use this syntax:

Note that the flags are an integral part of a regular expression. They cannot be added or removed later.

For example, re = /\w+\s/g creates a regular expression that looks for one or more characters followed by a space, and it looks for this combination throughout the string.

You could replace the line:

and get the same result.

The m flag is used to specify that a multiline input string should be treated as multiple lines. If the m flag is used, ^ and $ match at the start or end of any line within the input string instead of the start or end of the entire string.

Using the global search flag with exec()

RegExp.prototype.exec() method with the g flag returns each match and its position iteratively.

In contrast, String.prototype.match() method returns all matches at once, but without their position.

Using unicode regular expressions

The u flag is used to create "unicode" regular expressions; that is, regular expressions which support matching against unicode text. An important feature that's enabled in unicode mode is Unicode property escapes . For example, the following regular expression might be used to match against an arbitrary unicode "word":

Unicode regular expressions have different execution behavior as well. RegExp.prototype.unicode contains more explanation about this.

Note: Several examples are also available in:

• The reference pages for exec() , test() , match() , matchAll() , search() , replace() , split()
• The guide articles: character classes , assertions , groups and backreferences , quantifiers

Using special characters to verify input

In the following example, the user is expected to enter a phone number. When the user presses the "Check" button, the script checks the validity of the number. If the number is valid (matches the character sequence specified by the regular expression), the script shows a message thanking the user and confirming the number. If the number is invalid, the script informs the user that the phone number is not valid.

The regular expression looks for:

• the beginning of the line of data: ^
• followed by three numeric characters \d{3} OR | a left parenthesis \( , followed by three digits \d{3} , followed by a close parenthesis \) , in a non-capturing group (?:)
• followed by one dash, forward slash, or decimal point in a capturing group ()
• followed by three digits \d{3}
• followed by the match remembered in the (first) captured group \1
• followed by four digits \d{4}
• followed by the end of the line of data: $

An online tool to learn, build, & test Regular Expressions.

An online regex builder/debugger

An online interactive tutorials, Cheat sheet, & Playground.

An online visual regex tester.