I am curious about an improved way to dynamically delete properties from a javascript object based on wildcards. Firstly, suppose I have the following object:
object =
{
checkbox_description_1 : 'Chatoyant',
checkbox_description_2 : 'Desultory',
random_property : 'Firefly is a great program',
checkbox_mood_1 : 'Efflorescent',
checkbox_description_3 : 'Ephemeral'
}
Task
Now, the end result is to have removed all properties under the guise of
'checkbox_description' and leave the rest of the object intact as shown:
object =
{
random_property : 'Firefly is a great program',
checkbox_mood_1 : 'Efflorescent',
}
My solution
At present my solution involves jquery and the following code:
var strKeyToDelete = 'checkbox_description'
/* Start looping through the object */
$.each(object, function(strKey, strValue) {
/* Check if the key starts with the wildcard key to delete */
if(this.match("^"+strKey) == strKeyToDelete) {
/* Kill... */
delete object[strKey];
};
});
Issue
Something about this seems very inelegant to me and if the object were to be of reasonable size very process intensive. Is there a better way of performing this operation?
This is the bare minimum required:
function deleteFromObject(keyPart, obj){
for (var k in obj){ // Loop through the object
if(~k.indexOf(keyPart)){ // If the current key contains the string we're looking for
delete obj[k]; // Delete obj[key];
}
}
}
var myObject = {
checkbox_description_1 : 'Chatoyant',
checkbox_description_2 : 'Desultory',
random_property : 'Firefly is a great program',
checkbox_mood_1 : 'Efflorescent',
checkbox_description_3 : 'Ephemeral'
};
deleteFromObject('checkbox_description', myObject);
console.log(myObject);
// myObject is now: {random_property: "Firefly is a great program", checkbox_mood_1: "Efflorescent"};
So that's pretty close to the jQuery function you have.
(Though a little faster, considering it doesn't use jQuery, and indexOf
instead of match
)
So, what's with the ~
before indexOf
?
indexOf
returns a integer value: -1
if the string is not found, and a index, starting from 0
, if it is found. (So always a positive integer if found)
~
is a bitwise NOT
, that inverts this output. As it happens to be, the inverted output of indexOf
is just what we need to indicate "found" or "not found".
~-1
becomes 0
, a false-ish value.
~x
, where x
is 0
or postitive, becomes -(x+1)
, a true-ish value.
This way, ~string.indexOf('needle')
acts like string.contains('needle')
, a function that we don't have in JavaScript.
Additionally, you could add a double boolean not (!!
) in front of the ~
, to convert the true-ish or false-ish output to a real true / false, but that's not necessary in JavaScript.
Functionally, ~string.indexOf('needle')
and !!~string.indexOf('needle')
are equal.
In case you specifically need the key to begin with the needle, replace the:
~k.indexOf(keyPart)
With:
k.indexOf(keyPart) === 0
You can use How to check if a string "StartsWith" another string?:
function deleteFromObject(keyToDelete, obj) {
var l = keyToDelete.length;
for (var key in obj)
if (key.substr(0, l) == keyToDelete) // key begins with the keyToDelete
delete obj[key];
}