alert() entire multi-dimensional object

Question

My entire code example is below and on jsFiddle: http://jsfiddle.net/rEhvt/.

I'm trying to alert() my multi-dimensional JavaScript object. If I alert() a single property of the object - it works. For example:

alert(votes['77777'].stay);

However, if I try to alert() the entire object, then I either get a lot of NULLs or blanks. I tried the following:

alert(JSON.stringify(votes));//returns lots of NULLs

alert(votes.join('\n'));//returns lots of blanks

My intention is to eventually send the object to localStorage with

localStorage['votes']=JSON.stringify(votes);

and retrieve it with

retrievedVotes=JSON.parse(localStorage['votes'])

However, I want to first be able to see the object structure. This is my first attempts at understanding multi-dimensional objects with JavaScript, so any help you can offer is greatly appreciated! Below is all of my code, which is also on jsFiddle: http://jsfiddle.net/rEhvt/.

//Movie #1
var movieID = 55555;
var stay = 'yes';

var votes = [];
votes[movieID]=[];
votes[movieID].stay = stay;

var scenes = 1;
votes[movieID].scenes = scenes; 

//Movie #2
var movieID = 77777;
var stay = 'no';

var votes = [];
votes[movieID]=[];
votes[movieID].stay = stay;

var scenes = 0;
votes[movieID].scenes = scenes; 

//Alert Single Item from votes
alert(votes['77777'].stay);

//Alert entire object
alert(JSON.stringify(votes));//returns NULLs

//Alert entire object
alert(votes.join('\n'));//returns lots of blanks

Answer 1

Use an object {} rather than an array []... setting votes[7777] is going to reindex the array to accommodate 7,778 elements... with lots and lots of undefined elements (which JSON.stringify() will convert to null).

Plus, you're setting named properties on an array:

votes[movieID]=[];
votes[movieID].stay = stay;

Here's a functional sample using objects (fiddle):

var votes = {
    // Movie #1
    '55555': { 
        stay: 'yes',
        scenes: 1,
        outtakes: 0,
        enhanced: 0,
        teaser: 0
    },
    // Movie #2
    '77777': { 
        stay: 'no',
        scenes: 0,
        outtakes: 0,
        enhanced: 0,
        teaser: 0
    }   
};

console.log(votes[77777].stay);
console.log(votes);

and a 1-to-1 change in your provided code (fiddle):

//Movie #1
var movieID = 55555;
var stay = 'yes';

var votes = {}; // changed to {}
votes[movieID]= {}; // changed to {}
votes[movieID].stay = stay;

var scenes = 1;
votes[movieID].scenes = scenes; 
var outtakes = 0;
votes[movieID].outtakes = outtakes; 
var enhanced = 0;
votes[movieID].enhanced = enhanced; 
var teaser = 0;
votes[movieID].teaser = teaser; 

//Movie #2
var movieID = 77777;
var stay = 'no';

//var votes = []; removed
votes[movieID]= {};  // changed to {}
votes[movieID].stay = stay;

var scenes = 0;
votes[movieID].scenes = scenes; 
var outtakes = 0;
votes[movieID].outtakes = outtakes; 
var enhanced = 0;
votes[movieID].enhanced = enhanced; 
var teaser = 0;
votes[movieID].teaser = teaser; 

//Alert Single Item from votes
alert(votes['77777'].stay);

//Alert entire object/array
alert(JSON.stringify(votes));//returns NULLs​