Contrast between Braces and Quotation Marks in Variable Usage

I've been experimenting with adding an initial empty value to a variable, but I'm confused about the distinctions between the following:

var question = '';

var question = {};

Can someone explain the difference between using curly braces and quotes to define an empty value for a variable?

Answer №1

'' represents a string. {} symbolizes an object.

These are examples of using literal syntax to define data types with initialized values. This approach is commonly used in JavaScript for data definition.


The first example creates an empty string. The double quotation marks are used to signify the starting and ending points of the string and do not become part of the actual data.

Strings in JavaScript are immutable, meaning you cannot append characters to an existing string, but you can replace it with a new string.

An instance of a string initialized with characters would be:

var question = "Who is John Galt?";

The resulting string contains the characters within the quotation marks, with the quotes themselves not being part of the string.


The second example creates an object with no properties. The curly braces are used to represent the start and end of the object's literal syntax and are not related to the data within the object.

Objects in JavaScript can be modified (unless under specific circumstances not discussed here), allowing you to add properties to the object in various ways.

An example of an object with properties initialized would be:

var person = {
    firstName: "John",
    lastName: "Galt"
};

The resulting object contains two properties and inherits others. The properties consist of key/value pairs, where the key is usually a string (although property identifier syntax was used here), and the value can be any JavaScript data type (in this case, string literal syntax for string values).

Answer №2

It's important to consider the type when referring to an initial empty state. Even though javascript is known for being loosely coupled, having a grasp on basic types is essential.

let b; <- undefined without a type specified
let b = {} <- object “empty” with clearly defined properties
let b = [] <- array “empty” with defined elements
let b = 1 <- integer value defined
let b = '' <- “empty” string defined

Answer №3

In this code snippet, we are creating a variable called question and assigning an empty string to it. This was pointed out by a user named xyz in the comments section.

var question = '';

Next, we are defining an object named question using curly braces {}.

var question = {};

Similar questions

If you have not found the answer to your question or you are interested in this topic, then look at other similar questions below or use the search

Testing the speed of the client's side

In my quest to create an application that allows users to conduct a speedtest on their WiFi network, I have encountered some challenges. While standalone speedtest apps like Speedtest.net and Google exist, server-based speed test modules from NPM are not s ...

Attempting to send an identification number as the form value through a form select element, all while displaying the name of the object

Please choose a product category <select placeholder='product category' name="selected_product_category_id" value={formInput.selected_product_category_id } ...

Learn how to simultaneously play two audio files using the same identifier in JavaScript

I'm facing an issue with two audio files that have a progress bar and both have the same ID: <audio id="player" src="<?=base_url('mp3/'.$rec->file)?>"></audio> </p> ...

How can I extract the text enclosed in <li> tags using JavaScript?

Can someone help me with retrieving the text content of li tags? I managed to get a list of lis, but I'm having trouble assigning the text content to my country object. Snippet var lis = document.getElementById("navbar").getElementsByTagName("l ...

jQuery AJAX calls are unsuccessful, while NodeJS requests are running smoothly

I am experiencing an issue with a RESTful web service that returns JSON. Interestingly, a NodeJS command line test application is able to retrieve the JSON data without any problems: Successful NodeJS Application: var request = require("request"); var bt ...

Place an element in relation to the vertical size of a div that includes written content

Currently, I am working on implementing a button with a popup that appears underneath it when the user hovers over it. The specific requirements for this setup are: The size of the button should not affect the size of the popup The popup should always be ...

Is the absolute positioned element on the left or right based on its current location?

Is there a way to assign absolute positioning with left at 0px or right at 0px depending on whether the positioned div will go outside of its container? For example, when you right click in a browser and see the menu appear to the right of where you click ...

Passing dynamic modifiers in custom Vue.js directives

<Button ... v-tooltip.bottom="{ value: tooltip, disabled: !tooltip }" /> Is there a way to dynamically change the position of the tooltip from "bottom" to another modifier such as top, left, or right in PrimeVue? I have various modifi ...

ChartJS, introducing a new dataset

I'm looking for a way to showcase my 3 curves in a specific order: start with the first one, then after a 5000 interval, add the second curve, and finally, after another 5000 interval, include the third dataset. The code below currently updates a sin ...

Create interfaces for a TypeScript library that is available on npm for export

I have a project in TypeScript that I am packaging as a library to be used by both JavaScript and TypeScript projects. After compiling, I upload the .js and .d.ts files to npm. The main.ts file exports the following: interface MyInterface{ // ... } clas ...

A method designed to accept an acronym as an argument and output the corresponding full name text

Having trouble with my current task - I've got an HTML file and external JS file, and I need a function that takes an element from the 'cities' array as input and returns a string to be used in populating a table. I've set up a functio ...

What is the best way to overlay 2D arrays in Java?

My current task involves navigating through a 2D array filled with blocked numbers, moving from the leftmost column to the rightmost column. The path I must create consists of "pieces" that connect to each other with only one block and do not overlap. Thes ...

Master the art of utilizing angular-filter

Encountering some challenges while attempting to utilize angular-filter: The following links have been imported into the HTML file: <script src="https://ajax.googleapis.com/ajax/libs/angularjs/1.2.22/angular.min.js"></script> <script src=" ...

Discovering the value of an object through its prototypes

Is it possible to create a function that can locate the value "5" within an object's prototype? What is the proper algorithm to achieve this? var rex = { "Name": "rex", "Age": 16, } te = { "to": 5, } rex.te = Object.create(te); function findValu ...

Ways to showcase various links in Angular based on API response

I am currently learning Angular and exploring how to convert an ASP.NET application into Angular. My goal is to dynamically display different links to users based on their group membership. I have a Web API (ASP.NET Web API) that can provide user informati ...

Using Angular ui.bootstrap tabs along with ui.router: a step-by-step guide

My initial approach to using ui.bootstrap tabs with ui.router is as follows: <tabset> <tab heading="Tab1" select="$state.go('home.tab1')"> <div ui-view="forTab1"></div> </tab> <tab heading="Tab2" select ...

Roundabout Navigation Styles with CSS and jQuery

My goal is to implement a corner circle menu, similar to the one shown in the image below: https://i.stack.imgur.com/zma5U.png This is what I have accomplished so far: $(".menu").click(function(){ $(".menu-items").fadeToggle(); }); html,body{ colo ...

What exactly does the dollar sign signify in plain JavaScript code?

While watching a tutorial on object literals in JavaScript, I noticed something interesting. The instructor demonstrated creating an object like this: var Facebook = { name: 'Facebook', ceo: { firstName: "Mark", favColor: ...

Unexpected behavior observed with LitHTML when binding value to input type range

Currently, I am working on an implementation that involves using range inputs. Specifically, I have two range inputs and I am trying to create a 'double range' functionality with them. The challenge I am facing is related to preventing one slider ...

Adhering button for sliding side panel

Check out my JSFiddle HERE to see what I have done. I would really appreciate it if someone could help me figure out how to make the show button float with the sidr panel :) <style type="text/css"> #panel { position: fixed; top: 50%; r ...