In Javascript how does the below code works.
var a = {
prop1: "a",
prop2: "b",
fun: function() {
return this.prop1 + " " + this.prop2;
}
}
var a2 = a;
a.fn = "v";
a = {};
if (a === a2) {
console.log(true);
} else {
console.log(false);
}
The above code prints false.
But if I comment out the line a={} the value which prints on console is true.
var a = {
prop1: "a",
prop2: "b",
fun: function() {
return this.prop1 + " " + this.prop2;
}
}
var a2 = a;
a.fn = "v";
//a={};
if (a === a2) {
console.log(true);
} else {
console.log(false);
}
How the above code works, as Both variables(a and a2) points to the same object but when I initialized a with {} it gave false.
...as Both variables(a and a2) points to the same object ...
They don't anymore, as of this line:
a={};
At that point, a2
refers to the old object, and a
refers to a new, different object.
a2 = a
doesn't create any kind of ongoing link between the variable a2
and the variable a
.
Let's throw some Unicode-art at it:
After this code runs:
var a = {
prop1: "a",
prop2: "b",
fun: function() {
return this.prop1 + " " + this.prop2;
}
}
var a2 = a;
a.fn = "v";
At this point, you have something like this in memory (with various details omitted):
a:Ref44512−−−+ | | | +−−−−−−−−−−−−−+ +−−−>| (object) | | +−−−−−−−−−−−−−+ | | prop1: "a" | | | prop2: "b" | +−−−−−−−−−−−−+ a2:Ref44512−−+ | fun:Ref7846 |−−>| (function) | | vn: "v" | +−−−−−−−−−−−−+ +−−−−−−−−−−−−−+
Those "Ref" values are object references. (We never actually see their values, those values are just made up nonsense.) Notice that the value in a
and the value in a2
is the same, however.
If you do a === a2
at this point, it will be true
: Both variables refer to the same object.
But when you do this:
a={};
+−−−−−−−−−−−−−+ a:Ref84521−−−−−−−>| (object) | +−−−−−−−−−−−−−+ +−−−−−−−−−−−−−+ a2:Ref44512−−−−−−>| (object) | +−−−−−−−−−−−−−+ | prop1: "a" | | prop2: "b" | +−−−−−−−−−−−−+ | fun:Ref7846 |−−>| (function) | | vn: "v" | +−−−−−−−−−−−−+ +−−−−−−−−−−−−−+
At this point, a === a2
is false
: The variables refer different objects.