← Back tothis vs that

object.property vs object["property"]

Written byPhuoc Nguyen
Created
10 Jun, 2020
Category
JavaScript
In this post, we will see the differences between declaring and accessing the object property with and without quotes:
js
const obj = { key: 'value' };
obj.key;

// Or
const obj = { key: 'value' };
obj['key'];

Differences

  1. If the property name is a numeric literal, then you might to use different key to access the property value.
    js
    const obj = { 12e34: 'hello' };

    console.log(obj['1.2e34']); // undefined
    console.log(obj['1.2e+35']); // 'hello'
    Wrapping the property with quotes will help us avoid the problem:
    js
    const obj = { '12e34': 'hello' };

    console.log(obj['12e34']); // 'hello'
  2. If the property is one of reserved keywords, then we have to use with quotes to access the property value.
    js
    const styles = { class: 'foo' };

    // Will throw an exception because class is a reserved keyword
    styles[class];

    // returns 'foo'
    styles['class'];
    The same thing happens with the property contains special characters such as `-`.

See also

If you found this post helpful, please consider giving the repository a star on GitHub or sharing the post on your favorite social networks 😍. Your support would mean a lot to me!

Questions? 🙋

Do you have any questions about front-end development? If so, feel free to create a new issue on GitHub using the button below. I'm happy to help with any topic you'd like to learn more about, even beyond what's covered in this post.
While I have a long list of upcoming topics, I'm always eager to prioritize your questions and ideas for future content. Let's learn and grow together! Sharing knowledge is the best way to elevate ourselves 🥷.
Ask me questions

Recent posts ⚡

Newsletter 🔔

If you're into front-end technologies and you want to see more of the content I'm creating, then you might want to consider subscribing to my newsletter.
By subscribing, you'll be the first to know about new articles, products, and exclusive promotions.
Don't worry, I won't spam you. And if you ever change your mind, you can unsubscribe at any time.
Phước Nguyễn