JavaScript “new Array(n)” and “Array.prototype.map

Question

I've observed this in Firefox-3.5.7/Firebug-1.5.3 and Firefox-3.6.16/Firebug-1.6.2

When I fire up Firebug:

    >>> x = new Array(3)
    [undefined, undefined, undefined]
    >>> y = [undefined, undefined, undefined]
    [undefined, undefined, undefined]

    >>> x.constructor == y.constructor
    true

    >>> x.map(function(){ return 0; })
    [undefined, undefined, undefined]
    >>> y.map(function(){ return 0; })
    [0, 0, 0]

What's going on here? Is this a bug, or am I misunderstanding how to use new Array(3)?

Answer 1

Here's a simple utility method as a workaround:

Simple mapFor

function mapFor(toExclusive, callback) {
    callback = callback || function(){};
    var arr = [];
    for (var i = 0; i < toExclusive; i++) {
        arr.push(callback(i));
    }
    return arr;
};

var arr = mapFor(3, function(i){ return i; });
console.log(arr); // [0, 1, 2]
arr = mapFor(3);
console.log(arr); // [undefined, undefined, undefined]

Complete Example

Here's a more complete example (with sanity checks) which also allows specifying an optional starting index:

function mapFor() {
var from, toExclusive, callback;
if (arguments.length == 3) {
    from = arguments[0];
    toExclusive = arguments[1];
    callback = arguments[2];
} else if (arguments.length == 2) {
    if (typeof arguments[1] === 'function') {
        from = 0;
        toExclusive = arguments[0];
        callback = arguments[1];
    } else {
        from = arguments[0];
        toExclusive = arguments[1];
    }
} else if (arguments.length == 1) {
    from = 0;
    toExclusive = arguments[0];
}

callback = callback || function () {};

var arr = [];
for (; from < toExclusive; from++) {
    arr.push(callback(from));
}
return arr;
}

var arr = mapFor(1, 3, function (i) { return i; });
console.log(arr); // [1, 2]
arr = mapFor(1, 3);
console.log(arr); // [undefined, undefined]
arr = mapFor(3);
console.log(arr); // [undefined, undefined, undefined]

Counting Down

Manipulating the index passed to the callback allows counting backwards:

var count = 3;
var arr = arrayUtil.mapFor(count, function (i) {
    return count - 1 - i;
});
// arr = [2, 1, 0]

Answer 2

ES6 solution:

[...Array(10)]

Doesn't work on typescript (2.3), though

Answer 3

In ECMAScript 6th edition specification.

new Array(3) only define property length and do not define index properties like {length: 3}. see https://www.ecma-international.org/ecma-262/6.0/index.html#sec-array-len Step 9.

[undefined, undefined, undefined] will define index properties and length property like {0: undefined, 1: undefined, 2: undefined, length: 3}. see https://www.ecma-international.org/ecma-262/6.0/index.html#sec-runtime-semantics-arrayaccumulation ElementList Step 5.

methods map, every, some, forEach, slice, reduce, reduceRight, filter of Array will check the index property by HasProperty internal method, so new Array(3).map(v => 1) will not invoke the callback.

for more detail, see https://www.ecma-international.org/ecma-262/6.0/index.html#sec-array.prototype.map

How to fix?

let a = new Array(3);
a.join('.').split('.').map(v => 1);

let a = new Array(3);
a.fill(1);

let a = new Array(3);
a.fill(undefined).map(v => 1);

let a = new Array(3);
[...a].map(v => 1);

Answer 4

It appears that the first example

x = new Array(3);

Creates an array with undefined pointers.

And the second creates an array with pointers to 3 undefined objects, in this case the pointers them self are NOT undefined, only the objects they point to.

y = [undefined, undefined, undefined]
// The following is not equivalent to the above, it's the same as new Array(3)
y = [,,,];

As map is run in the context of the objects in the array I believe the first map fails to run the function at all while the second manages to run.

Answer 5

From the MDC page for map:

[...] callback is invoked only for indexes of the array which have assigned value; [...]

[undefined] actually applies the setter on the index(es) so that map will iterate, whereas new Array(1) just initializes the index(es) with a default value of undefined so map skips it.

I believe this is the same for all iteration methods.

Answer 6

I think the best way to explain this is to look at the way that Chrome handles it.

>>> x = new Array(3)
[]
>>> x.length
3

So what is actually happening is that new Array() is returning an empty array that has a length of 3, but no values. Therefore, when you run x.map on a technically empty array, there is nothing to be set.

Firefox just 'fills in' those empty slots with undefined even though it has no values.

I don't think this is explicitly a bug, just a poor way of representing what is going on. I suppose Chrome's is "more correct" because it shows that there isn't actually anything in the array.