ECMAScript 6+ (ES6+) – Using Maps
ES6 introduced the Map object, which allows for storing key-value pairs and iterating over them in the order of insertion. This provides a more flexible alternative to objects for creating collections of data.
Creating a Map is simple:
function flashify_createMap() {
let myMap = new Map();
myMap.set('key1', 'value1');
myMap.set('key2', 'value2');
myMap.set('key3', 'value3');
myMap.forEach((value, key) => {
console.log(key + ' = ' + value);
});
}
Maps offer several advantages over objects:
- Order of keys: Maps maintain the order of key-value pairs as they are inserted, while objects do not guarantee any specific order.
- Iterating: Maps provide built-in methods like forEach for easy iteration over key-value pairs.
- Size: The size property of a Map provides an easy way to get the number of key-value pairs.
- Flexible keys: Maps allow for non-string keys, unlike objects which internally convert keys to strings.
Maps can be useful in scenarios where you need to store and retrieve data with specific keys and maintain the order of insertion. They are particularly handy when working with complex data structures or when the order of keys matters.
For more information on Maps in JavaScript, you can refer to the MDN Web Docs.
