How to determine equality for two JavaScript objec

Question

A strict equality operator will tell you if two object types are equal. However, is there a way to tell if two objects are equal, much like the hash code value in Java?

Stack Overflow question Is there any kind of hashCode function in JavaScript? is similar to this question, but requires a more academic answer. The scenario above demonstrates why it would be necessary to have one, and I'm wondering if there is any equivalent solution.

Answer 1

If you have a deep copy function handy, you can use the following trick to still use JSON.stringify while matching the order of properties:

function equals(obj1, obj2) {
    function _equals(obj1, obj2) {
        return JSON.stringify(obj1)
            === JSON.stringify($.extend(true, {}, obj1, obj2));
    }
    return _equals(obj1, obj2) && _equals(obj2, obj1);
}

Demo: http://jsfiddle.net/CU3vb/3/

Rationale:

Since the properties of obj1 are copied to the clone one by one, their order in the clone will be preserved. And when the properties of obj2 are copied to the clone, since properties already existing in obj1 will simply be overwritten, their orders in the clone will be preserved.

Answer 2

I'm making the following assumptions with this function:

1. You control the objects you are comparing and you only have primitive values (ie. not nested objects, functions, etc.).
2. Your browser has support for Object.keys.

This should be treated as a demonstration of a simple strategy.

/**
 * Checks the equality of two objects that contain primitive values. (ie. no nested objects, functions, etc.)
 * @param {Object} object1
 * @param {Object} object2
 * @param {Boolean} [order_matters] Affects the return value of unordered objects. (ex. {a:1, b:2} and {b:2, a:1}).
 * @returns {Boolean}
 */
function isEqual( object1, object2, order_matters ) {
    var keys1 = Object.keys(object1),
        keys2 = Object.keys(object2),
        i, key;

    // Test 1: Same number of elements
    if( keys1.length != keys2.length ) {
        return false;
    }

    // If order doesn't matter isEqual({a:2, b:1}, {b:1, a:2}) should return true.
    // keys1 = Object.keys({a:2, b:1}) = ["a","b"];
    // keys2 = Object.keys({b:1, a:2}) = ["b","a"];
    // This is why we are sorting keys1 and keys2.
    if( !order_matters ) {
        keys1.sort();
        keys2.sort();
    }

    // Test 2: Same keys
    for( i = 0; i < keys1.length; i++ ) {
        if( keys1[i] != keys2[i] ) {
            return false;
        }
    }

    // Test 3: Values
    for( i = 0; i < keys1.length; i++ ) {
        key = keys1[i];
        if( object1[key] != object2[key] ) {
            return false;
        }
    }

    return true;
}

Answer 3

Are you trying to test if two objects are the equal? ie: their properties are equal?

If this is the case, you'll probably have noticed this situation:

var a = { foo : "bar" };
var b = { foo : "bar" };
alert (a == b ? "Equal" : "Not equal");
// "Not equal"

you might have to do something like this:

function objectEquals(obj1, obj2) {
    for (var i in obj1) {
        if (obj1.hasOwnProperty(i)) {
            if (!obj2.hasOwnProperty(i)) return false;
            if (obj1[i] != obj2[i]) return false;
        }
    }
    for (var i in obj2) {
        if (obj2.hasOwnProperty(i)) {
            if (!obj1.hasOwnProperty(i)) return false;
            if (obj1[i] != obj2[i]) return false;
        }
    }
    return true;
}

Obviously that function could do with quite a bit of optimisation, and the ability to do deep checking (to handle nested objects: var a = { foo : { fu : "bar" } }) but you get the idea.

As FOR pointed out, you might have to adapt this for your own purposes, eg: different classes may have different definitions of "equal". If you're just working with plain objects, the above may suffice, otherwise a custom MyClass.equals() function may be the way to go.

Answer 4

I don't know if anyone's posted anything similar to this, but here's a function I made to check for object equalities.

function objectsAreEqual(a, b) {
  for (var prop in a) {
    if (a.hasOwnProperty(prop)) {
      if (b.hasOwnProperty(prop)) {
        if (typeof a[prop] === 'object') {
          if (!objectsAreEqual(a[prop], b[prop])) return false;
        } else {
          if (a[prop] !== b[prop]) return false;
        }
      } else {
        return false;
      }
    }
  }
  return true;
}

Also, it's recursive, so it can also check for deep equality, if that's what you call it.

Answer 5

Pulling out from my personal library, which i use for my work repeatedly. The following function is a lenient recursive deep equal, which does not check

• Class equality
• Inherited values
• Values strict equality

I mainly use this to check if i get equal replies against various API implementation. Where implementation difference (like string vs number) and additional null values, can occur.

Its implementation is quite straightforward and short (if all the comments is stripped off)

/** Recursively check if both objects are equal in value
***
*** This function is designed to use multiple methods from most probable 
*** (and in most cases) valid, to the more regid and complex method.
***
*** One of the main principles behind the various check is that while
*** some of the simpler checks such as == or JSON may cause false negatives,
*** they do not cause false positives. As such they can be safely run first.
***
*** # !Important Note:
*** as this function is designed for simplified deep equal checks it is not designed
*** for the following
***
*** - Class equality, (ClassA().a = 1) maybe valid to (ClassB().b = 1)
*** - Inherited values, this actually ignores them
*** - Values being strictly equal, "1" is equal to 1 (see the basic equality check on this)
*** - Performance across all cases. This is designed for high performance on the
***   most probable cases of == / JSON equality. Consider bench testing, if you have
***   more 'complex' requirments
***
*** @param  objA : First object to compare
*** @param  objB : 2nd object to compare
*** @param  .... : Any other objects to compare
***
*** @returns true if all equals, or false if invalid
***
*** @license Copyright by [e-mail], 2012.
***          Licensed under the MIT license: http://opensource.org/licenses/MIT
**/
function simpleRecusiveDeepEqual(objA, objB) {
	// Multiple comparision check
	//--------------------------------------------
	var args = Array.prototype.slice.call(arguments);
	if(args.length > 2) {
		for(var a=1; a<args.length; ++a) {
			if(!simpleRecusiveDeepEqual(args[a-1], args[a])) {
				return false;
			}
		}
		return true;
	} else if(args.length < 2) {
		throw "simpleRecusiveDeepEqual, requires atleast 2 arguments";
	}
	
	// basic equality check,
	//--------------------------------------------
	// if this succed the 2 basic values is equal,
	// such as numbers and string.
	//
	// or its actually the same object pointer. Bam
	//
	// Note that if string and number strictly equal is required
	// change the equality from ==, to ===
	//
	if(objA == objB) {
		return true;
	}
	
	// If a value is a bsic type, and failed above. This fails
	var basicTypes = ["boolean", "number", "string"];
	if( basicTypes.indexOf(typeof objA) >= 0 || basicTypes.indexOf(typeof objB) >= 0 ) {
		return false;
	}
	
	// JSON equality check,
	//--------------------------------------------
	// this can fail, if the JSON stringify the objects in the wrong order
	// for example the following may fail, due to different string order:
	//
	// JSON.stringify( {a:1, b:2} ) == JSON.stringify( {b:2, a:1} )
	//
	if(JSON.stringify(objA) == JSON.stringify(objB)) {
		return true;
	}
	
	// Array equality check
	//--------------------------------------------
	// This is performed prior to iteration check,
	// Without this check the following would have been considered valid
	//
	// simpleRecusiveDeepEqual( { 0:1963 }, [1963] );
	//
	// Note that u may remove this segment if this is what is intended
	//
	if( Array.isArray(objA) ) {
		//objA is array, objB is not an array
		if( !Array.isArray(objB) ) {
			return false;
		}
	} else if( Array.isArray(objB) ) {
		//objA is not array, objB is an array
		return false;
	}
	
	// Nested values iteration
	//--------------------------------------------
	// Scan and iterate all the nested values, and check for non equal values recusively
	//
	// Note that this does not check against null equality, remove the various "!= null"
	// if this is required
	
	var i; //reuse var to iterate
	
	// Check objA values against objB
	for (i in objA) {
		//Protect against inherited properties
		if(objA.hasOwnProperty(i)) {
			if(objB.hasOwnProperty(i)) {
				// Check if deep equal is valid
				if(!simpleRecusiveDeepEqual( objA[i], objB[i] )) {
					return false;
				}
			} else if(objA[i] != null) {
				//ignore null values in objA, that objB does not have
				//else fails
				return false;
			}
		}
	}
	
	// Check if objB has additional values, that objA do not, fail if so
	for (i in objB) {
		if(objB.hasOwnProperty(i)) {
			if(objB[i] != null && !objA.hasOwnProperty(i)) {
				//ignore null values in objB, that objA does not have
				//else fails
				return false;
			}
		}
	}
	
	// End of all checks
	//--------------------------------------------
	// By reaching here, all iteration scans have been done.
	// and should have returned false if it failed
	return true;
}

// Sanity checking of simpleRecusiveDeepEqual
(function() {
	if(
		// Basic checks
		!simpleRecusiveDeepEqual({}, {}) ||
		!simpleRecusiveDeepEqual([], []) ||
		!simpleRecusiveDeepEqual(['a'], ['a']) ||
		// Not strict checks
		!simpleRecusiveDeepEqual("1", 1) ||
		// Multiple objects check
		!simpleRecusiveDeepEqual( { a:[1,2] }, { a:[1,2] }, { a:[1,2] } ) ||
		// Ensure distinction between array and object (the following should fail)
		simpleRecusiveDeepEqual( [1963], { 0:1963 } ) ||
		// Null strict checks
		simpleRecusiveDeepEqual( 0, null ) ||
		simpleRecusiveDeepEqual( "", null ) ||
		// Last "false" exists to make the various check above easy to comment in/out
		false
	) {
		alert("FATAL ERROR: simpleRecusiveDeepEqual failed basic checks");
	} else { 
		//added this last line, for SO snippet alert on success
		alert("simpleRecusiveDeepEqual: Passed all checks, Yays!");
	}
})();

Answer 6

If you are comparing JSON objects you can use https://github.com/mirek/node-rus-diff

npm install rus-diff

Usage:

a = {foo:{bar:1}}
b = {foo:{bar:1}}
c = {foo:{bar:2}}

var rusDiff = require('rus-diff').rusDiff

console.log(rusDiff(a, b)) // -> false, meaning a and b are equal
console.log(rusDiff(a, c)) // -> { '$set': { 'foo.bar': 2 } }

If two objects are different, a MongoDB compatible {$rename:{...}, $unset:{...}, $set:{...}} like object is returned.