Getting a Custom Objects properties by string var

Question

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javascript object, access variable property name?

Trying to get more advanced in my JS...

I have a custom object:

Object myObject = new Object();

myObject.thing = anythingHere;

I would like to be able to retrieve a custom objects property by passing in a string... eg:

var propertyString = 'thing';
alert(myObject.propertyString);

I can't quite figure that out. I've looked at a number of tutorials for custom objects - but nothing shows how to get properties that I don't know the names of... Also - I would like to avoid looping through all properties if possible...

Thanks!!!

score 222 · Accepted Answer · answered Aug 15 '11 at 18:29

222

Simply use myObject['thing'].

answered Aug 15 '11 at 18:29

ldiqual

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1

why myObject.thing does not retrive the value? – D.B Sep 19 '16 at 02:51
2

Because in this comment "thing" is a string (its surrounded by quotes). – Rob Oct 19 '16 at 08:11
1

if you want something to work for nested objects and you can use lodash something like _.map([object], _.property(propertyPath))[0]; would work. – bobwah Mar 23 '17 at 10:24
@D.B the reason myObject.thing doesn't work is because _thing_ is assumed to be a property on myObject when using 'dot' syntax. To get Javascript to treat _thing_ as a variable, you must use [] syntax. – ricanontherun Apr 17 '17 at 15:00

score 92 · Answer 2 · answered Aug 15 '11 at 18:29

92

You could use:

myObject[propertyString] ;

answered Aug 15 '11 at 18:29

Ryan

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why myObject.thing does not retrive the value? – D.B Sep 19 '16 at 02:51
@D.B Because that notation looks for an attributed named `thing`. – JCarlosR Mar 31 '21 at 16:50

Getting a Custom Objects properties by string var

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