Map
The Map
object holds key-value pairs and remembers the original insertion order of the keys. Any value (both objects and primitive values) may be used as either a key or a value.
Description
A Map
object iterates its elements in insertion order — a for...of
loop returns an array of [key, value]
for each iteration.
Key equality
- Key equality is based on the
sameValueZero
algorithm. -
NaN
is considered the same asNaN
(even thoughNaN !== NaN
) and all other values are considered equal according to the semantics of the===
operator. - In the current ECMAScript specification,
-0
and+0
are considered equal, although this was not so in earlier drafts. See "Value equality for -0 and 0" in the Browser compatibility table for details.
Objects vs. Maps
Object
is similar to Map
—both let you set keys to values, retrieve those values, delete keys, and detect whether something is stored at a key. For this reason (and because there were no built-in alternatives), Object
has been used as Map
historically.
However, there are important differences that make Map
preferable in some cases:
Map | Object | |
---|---|---|
Accidental Keys | A Map does not contain any keys by default. It only contains what is explicitly put into it. | An Note: As of ES5, this can be bypassed by using |
Key Types | A Map 's keys can be any value (including functions, objects, or any primitive). | The keys of an Object must be either a String or a Symbol . |
Key Order | The keys in | Although the keys of an ordinary The order was first defined for own properties only in ECMAScript 2015; ECMAScript 2020 defines order for inherited properties as well. See the OrdinaryOwnPropertyKeys and EnumerateObjectProperties abstract specification operations. But note that no single mechanism iterates all of an object's properties; the various mechanisms each include different subsets of properties. ( |
Size | The number of items in a Map is easily retrieved from its size property. | The number of items in an Object must be determined manually. |
Iteration | A Map is an iterable, so it can be directly iterated. | Note:
|
Performance | Performs better in scenarios involving frequent additions and removals of key-value pairs. | Not optimized for frequent additions and removals of key-value pairs. |
Serialization and parsing | No native support for serialization or parsing. (But you can build your own serialization and parsing support for | Native support for serialization from Native support for parsing from JSON to |
Setting object properties
Setting Object properties works for Map objects as well, and can cause considerable confusion.
Therefore, this appears to work in a way:
const wrongMap = new Map() wrongMap['bla'] = 'blaa' wrongMap['bla2'] = 'blaaa2' console.log(wrongMap) // Map { bla: 'blaa', bla2: 'blaaa2' }
But that way of setting a property does not interact with the Map data structure. It uses the feature of the generic object. The value of 'bla' is not stored in the Map for queries. Other operations on the data fail:
wrongMap.has('bla') // false wrongMap.delete('bla') // false console.log(wrongMap) // Map { bla: 'blaa', bla2: 'blaaa2' }
The correct usage for storing data in the Map is through the set(key, value)
method.
const contacts = new Map() contacts.set('Jessie', {phone: "213-555-1234", address: "123 N 1st Ave"}) contacts.has('Jessie') // true contacts.get('Hilary') // undefined contacts.set('Hilary', {phone: "617-555-4321", address: "321 S 2nd St"}) contacts.get('Jessie') // {phone: "213-555-1234", address: "123 N 1st Ave"} contacts.delete('Raymond') // false contacts.delete('Jessie') // true console.log(contacts.size) // 1
Constructor
Map()
-
Creates a new
Map
object.
Static properties
get Map[@@species]
-
The constructor function that is used to create derived objects.
Instance properties
Map.prototype.size
-
Returns the number of key/value pairs in the
Map
object.
Instance methods
Map.prototype.clear()
-
Removes all key-value pairs from the
Map
object. Map.prototype.delete(key)
-
Returns
true
if an element in theMap
object existed and has been removed, orfalse
if the element does not exist.Map.prototype.has(key)
will returnfalse
afterwards. Map.prototype.get(key)
-
Returns the value associated to the
key
, orundefined
if there is none. Map.prototype.has(key)
-
Returns a boolean asserting whether a value has been associated to the
key
in theMap
object or not. Map.prototype.set(key, value)
-
Sets the
value
for thekey
in theMap
object. Returns theMap
object.
Iteration methods
Map.prototype[@@iterator]()
-
Returns a new Iterator object that contains
[key, value]
for each element in theMap
object in insertion order. Map.prototype.keys()
-
Returns a new Iterator object that contains the keys for each element in the
Map
object in insertion order. Map.prototype.values()
-
Returns a new Iterator object that contains the values for each element in the
Map
object in insertion order. Map.prototype.entries()
-
Returns a new Iterator object that contains
[key, value]
for each element in theMap
object in insertion order. Map.prototype.forEach(callbackFn[, thisArg])
-
Calls
callbackFn
once for each key-value pair present in theMap
object, in insertion order. If athisArg
parameter is provided toforEach
, it will be used as thethis
value for each callback.
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') myMap.size // 3 // getting the values myMap.get(keyString) // "value associated with 'a string'" myMap.get(keyObj) // "value associated with keyObj" myMap.get(keyFunc) // "value associated with keyFunc" myMap.get('a string') // "value associated with 'a string'" // because keyString === 'a string' myMap.get({}) // undefined, because keyObj !== {} 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 NaN
s 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
Maps can be iterated using a for..of
loop:
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
Iterating Map with forEach()
Maps can be iterated using the forEach()
method:
myMap.forEach(function(value, key) { console.log(key + ' = ' + value) }) // 0 = zero // 1 = one
Relation with Array objects
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) myMap.get('key1') // returns "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"]
Cloning and merging Maps
Just like Array
s, Map
s can be cloned:
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)
Note: Keep in mind that the data itself is not cloned.
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 operator 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
Specifications
Browser compatibility
Desktop | Mobile | |||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Chrome | Edge | Firefox | Internet Explorer | Opera | Safari | WebView Android | Chrome Android | Firefox for Android | Opera Android | Safari on IOS | Samsung Internet | |
Map |
38 |
12 |
13 |
11 |
25 |
8 |
38 |
38 |
14 |
25 |
8 |
3.0 |
Map |
38 |
12 |
13 |
11 |
25 |
8 |
38 |
38 |
14 |
25 |
8 |
3.0 |
clear |
38 |
12 |
19 |
11 |
25 |
8 |
38 |
38 |
19 |
25 |
8 |
3.0 |
delete |
38 |
12 |
13 |
11 |
25 |
8 |
38 |
38 |
14 |
25 |
8 |
3.0 |
entries |
38 |
12 |
20 |
No |
25 |
8 |
38 |
38 |
20 |
25 |
8 |
3.0 |
forEach |
38 |
12 |
25 |
11 |
25 |
8 |
38 |
38 |
25 |
25 |
8 |
3.0 |
get |
38 |
12 |
13 |
11 |
25 |
8 |
38 |
38 |
14 |
25 |
8 |
3.0 |
has |
38 |
12 |
13 |
11 |
25 |
8 |
38 |
38 |
14 |
25 |
8 |
3.0 |
key_equality_for_zeros |
38 |
12 |
29 |
No |
25 |
9 |
38 |
38 |
29 |
25 |
9 |
3.0 |
keys |
38 |
12 |
20 |
No |
25 |
8 |
38 |
38 |
20 |
25 |
8 |
3.0 |
set |
38 |
12 |
13 |
11
Returns 'undefined' instead of the 'Map' object.
|
25 |
8 |
38 |
38 |
14 |
25 |
8 |
3.0 |
size |
38 |
12 |
19
From Firefox 13 to Firefox 18, the
size property was implemented as a Map.prototype.size() method, this has been changed to a property in later versions conform to the ECMAScript 2015 specification. |
11 |
25 |
8 |
38 |
38 |
19
From Firefox 13 to Firefox 18, the
size property was implemented as a Map.prototype.size() method, this has been changed to a property in later versions conform to the ECMAScript 2015 specification. |
25 |
8 |
3.0 |
values |
38 |
12 |
20 |
No |
25 |
8 |
38 |
38 |
20 |
25 |
8 |
3.0 |
@@iterator |
43 |
12 |
36
27-36
A placeholder property named
@@iterator is used.17-27
A placeholder property named
iterator is used. |
No |
30 |
10 |
43 |
43 |
36
27-36
A placeholder property named
@@iterator is used.17-27
A placeholder property named
iterator is used. |
30 |
10 |
4.0 |
@@species |
51 |
13 |
41 |
No |
38 |
10 |
51 |
51 |
41 |
41 |
10 |
5.0 |
@@toStringTag |
44 |
79 |
51 |
No |
No |
9.1 |
44 |
44 |
51 |
No |
9.3 |
4.0 |
See also
© 2005–2021 MDN contributors.
Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License v2.5 or later.
https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/JavaScript/Reference/Global_Objects/Map