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Discussion on: objects? No... array, please!

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alainvanhout profile image
Alain Van Hout

Using arrays for everything will get you in the same place as using varchar columns for everything in an sql database: it might seem to save some effort and thinking in the short term, but it will be an enormous pain to maintain in the long run.

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genta profile image
Fabio Russo

Just someway to do It.
I agree that sometimes you’ve to work with It.
Consider the DOM... most of the times it’s easier to work with arrays.

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alainvanhout profile image
Alain Van Hout

In the case of the DOM, you’re already working with objects, which just happen to be composed into larger hierarchies via arrays. Imagine if a DOM object were an array, where you’d have to look up each property in the array rather than having direct access to it. It’d be cumbersome to work with, not to mention the inherently poor performance that it would entail.

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genta profile image
Fabio Russo

Most of the time with nodeList... I know what you’re talking about but I use to convert them in arrays if there’s not a HUGE amount of stuff to do.

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alainvanhout profile image
Alain Van Hout

Yes, that allows you to leverage the extra methods (i.e. power) of javascript arrays (since a nodeList is just a poor-man’s array anyway). But that’s quite different from the approach you discuss above, about using arrays instead of objects with fields.

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genta profile image
Fabio Russo

Maybe It was not so clear ☹️