JavaScript Data Types
JavaScript is a versatile programming language with various data types categorized into primitive and non-primitive types. Here’s a detailed description with examples:
Primitive Data Types
Primitive data types represent single values and are immutable.
1. Number
The Number
type represents both integer and floating-point numbers.
-
Example:
let age = 25; // Integer let price = 99.99; // Floating-point let notANumber = NaN; // Special number representing "Not a Number" let infinity = Infinity; // Special number for infinity
2. String
The String
type is used for textual data, enclosed in single ('
), double ("
), or backticks (`
) for template literals.
-
Example:
let name = "Alice"; let greeting = 'Hello'; let message = `Welcome, ${name}!`; // Template literal with interpolation
3. Boolean
The Boolean
type represents logical values: true
or false
.
-
Example:
let isAdult = true; let hasPermission = false;
4. Undefined
A variable that has been declared but not assigned a value has the type undefined
.
-
Example:
let uninitialized; console.log(uninitialized); // Output: undefined
5. Null
The null
value represents an intentional absence of any value.
-
Example:
let emptyValue = null; console.log(emptyValue); // Output: null
6. Symbol (ES6)
The Symbol
type creates unique and immutable identifiers.
-
Example:
let uniqueID = Symbol("id"); console.log(uniqueID); // Output: Symbol(id)
7. BigInt (ES11)
The BigInt
type is used for very large integers beyond the Number
limit.
-
Example:
let bigNumber = 1234567890123456789012345678901234567890n; // 'n' suffix indicates BigInt console.log(bigNumber);
Non-Primitive Data Types
Non-primitive types are objects that can store collections of data or more complex entities.
1. Object
Objects are collections of key-value pairs.
-
Example:
let person = { name: "Alice", age: 25, isStudent: true }; console.log(person.name); // Accessing properties
2. Array
An array is a special type of object used to store ordered lists of items.
-
Example:
let colors = ["red", "green", "blue"]; console.log(colors[0]); // Accessing the first element
3. Function
Functions are first-class objects in JavaScript and can be assigned to variables or passed as arguments.
-
Example:
function greet(name) { return `Hello, ${name}!`; } console.log(greet("Alice"));
4. Date
The Date
object is used to handle dates and times.
-
Example:
let today = new Date(); console.log(today.toDateString());
5. Map
A Map
stores key-value pairs with any type of key.
-
Example:
let map = new Map(); map.set("name", "Alice"); map.set("age", 25); console.log(map.get("name")); // Output: Alice
6. Set
A Set
stores unique values of any type.
-
Example:
let set = new Set([1, 2, 3, 2]); console.log(set); // Output: Set { 1, 2, 3 }
Type Checking
JavaScript has two main ways to check types:
-
typeof
Operator
Returns the type of a variable.console.log(typeof 25); // Output: "number" console.log(typeof "Hello"); // Output: "string"
-
instanceof
Operator
Checks if an object is an instance of a specific class.console.log([] instanceof Array); // Output: true
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