Practice: Working with Map Objects

Examples

Using the Map object

const myMap = new Map();

const keyString = "a string";
const keyObj = {};
const keyFunc = function () {};

// setting the values
myMap.set(keyString, "value associated with 'a string'");
myMap.set(keyObj, "value associated with keyObj");
myMap.set(keyFunc, "value associated with keyFunc");

console.log(myMap.size); // 3

// getting the values
console.log(myMap.get(keyString)); // "value associated with 'a string'"
console.log(myMap.get(keyObj)); // "value associated with keyObj"
console.log(myMap.get(keyFunc)); // "value associated with keyFunc"

console.log(myMap.get("a string")); // "value associated with 'a string'", because keyString === 'a string'
console.log(myMap.get({})); // undefined, because keyObj !== {}
console.log(myMap.get(function () {})); // undefined, because keyFunc !== function () {}

Using NaN as Map keys

NaN can also be used as a key. Even though every NaN is not equal to itself (NaN !== NaN is true), the following example works because NaNs are indistinguishable from each other:

const myMap = new Map();
myMap.set(NaN, "not a number");

myMap.get(NaN);
// "not a number"

const otherNaN = Number("foo");
myMap.get(otherNaN);
// "not a number"

Iterating Map with for...of

const myMap = new Map();
myMap.set(0, "zero");
myMap.set(1, "one");

for (const [key, value] of myMap) {
  console.log(`${key} = ${value}`);
}
// 0 = zero
// 1 = one

for (const key of myMap.keys()) {
  console.log(key);
}
// 0
// 1

for (const value of myMap.values()) {
  console.log(value);
}
// zero
// one

for (const [key, value] of myMap.entries()) {
  console.log(`${key} = ${value}`);
}
// 0 = zero
// 1 = one

myMap.forEach((value, key) => {
  console.log(`${key} = ${value}`);
});
// 0 = zero
// 1 = one

const kvArray = [
  ["key1", "value1"],
  ["key2", "value2"],
];

// Use the regular Map constructor to transform a 2D key-value Array into a map
const myMap = new Map(kvArray);

console.log(myMap.get("key1")); // "value1"

// Use Array.from() to transform a map into a 2D key-value Array
console.log(Array.from(myMap)); // Will show you exactly the same Array as kvArray

// A succinct way to do the same, using the spread syntax
console.log([...myMap]);

// Or use the keys() or values() iterators, and convert them to an array
console.log(Array.from(myMap.keys())); // ["key1", "key2"]

const original = new Map([[1, "one"]]);

const clone = new Map(original);

console.log(clone.get(1)); // one
console.log(original === clone); // false (useful for shallow comparison)

Maps can be merged, maintaining key uniqueness:

const first = new Map([
  [1, "one"],
  [2, "two"],
  [3, "three"],
]);

const second = new Map([
  [1, "uno"],
  [2, "dos"],
]);

// Merge two maps. The last repeated key wins.
// Spread syntax essentially converts a Map to an Array
const merged = new Map([...first, ...second]);

console.log(merged.get(1)); // uno
console.log(merged.get(2)); // dos
console.log(merged.get(3)); // three

Maps can be merged with Arrays, too:

const first = new Map([
  [1, "one"],
  [2, "two"],
  [3, "three"],
]);

const second = new Map([
  [1, "uno"],
  [2, "dos"],
]);

// Merge maps with an array. The last repeated key wins.
const merged = new Map([...first, ...second, [1, "eins"]]);

console.log(merged.get(1)); // eins
console.log(merged.get(2)); // dos
console.log(merged.get(3)); // three