console.log on dictionary loop is returning functions instead of values

Question

This image will help explain my issue.

This is the result of the console logs in the code below. The first console log prints out a key value pair array as epxected. The second console log prints out the values as expected, but then also a whole bunch of functions. This appears to be actually inside the value of the variable and is unusable as is.

I want to loop through the key value array without this noise. I've never come across this before. Unfortunately, I'm unsure what to try to fix this issue, very sorry about that.

Here is the code, function lightly altered from a stack overflow answer that is linked in the comment.

// http://stackoverflow.com/a/4656873/3774582
function getUrlVars() {
    var vars = [], hash;
    var hashes = window.location.href.slice(window.location.href.indexOf('?') + 1).split('&');
    for(var i = 0; i < hashes.length; i++) {
        hash = hashes[i].split('=');
        if (hash[1]) {
            vars[hash[0]] = hash[1];
        }
    }
    return vars;
}

var url_parameters = getUrlVars();
console.log(url_parameters);
for (var key in url_parameters) {
    var current_value = url_parameters[key];
    console.log(current_value);
}

`var vars = []` should be `var vars = {}` - you're creating an object, not an array — I wrestled a bear once., Feb 29 '16 at 20:30
`if url_parameters.hasOwnProperty(key) {console.log(current_value);}` — Johannes Jander, Feb 29 '16 at 20:32
@Pamblam That gives expected behavior! I'll leave a comment in the answer I based my code on. Post it as the answer here and I'll accept it. — Goose, Feb 29 '16 at 20:35
@Vatsal That works as well, but changing [] to {} is more lean. — Goose, Feb 29 '16 at 20:39
@Goose - Yes, i surely is :) You know the reason why this happens when you define it as an array and it doesnt happen when you define it as an object? — Vatsal, Feb 29 '16 at 20:41
@Vatsal not really, and I'm curious why. Not sure why anything would cause an array to spontaneously populate itself with functions. — Goose, Feb 29 '16 at 21:18

score 1 · Answer 1 · answered Feb 29 '16 at 20:35

You have some library that's adding properties to the object's prototype. These are still iterable, but don't show up when console.log()ing the object because that only shows the object's own properties.

You should only run the log in your loop if url_parameters.hasOwnProperty(key).

Also, as Pamblam points out, you're defining an array when you should be making an object.

score 1 · Accepted Answer · answered Feb 29 '16 at 20:38

1

var vars = [] should be var vars = {}

objects are basically associative arrays with functions in javascript.

answered Feb 29 '16 at 20:38

I wrestled a bear once.

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console.log on dictionary loop is returning functions instead of values

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