Javascript String

How to handle String in Javascript

Carefully and with love :)

How to handle String in Javascript

Unlike some other programming
languages strings in javascript
are objects just like almost everthing
else is in javascript but they can
be treated as primitives in many
situations.

And there is actually a difference between strings created using a primitive value and strings created using new String. :)

var a = 'Daddy';
a.cool = 1;

var b = new String('Daddy');
b.cool = 1;

alert(a.cool+' '+b.cool) // result: undefined 1

And the String.prototype can add new fun functionality to strings:
String.prototype.phpish = function(obj){
var str = this;
obj = obj || window;
str = str.replace(/\$([A-Za-z_0-9]*)/g,'|||$1|||')
for(var i in obj){
str = str.split('|||' + i + '|||').join(obj[i]);
};
return str
};

bloke = {
name: "Earl",
type: "pearl"
};

var a = "My name is $name and I'm a $type!".phpish(bloke);
alert(a);

This is a result of
the toString() method
in the native code
being invoked
in this case ...
var a = 'Daddy';
a.cool = 1;

the a in
a.cool
is in fact an object but
becuase of the native code it
yeilds a primitive, the underlying
object is not accessable because
the toString method is invoked
here is very similar code

var b={}
b.toString().cool = 'string';
alert(b.cool)

the toString is automatic in
var a = 'Daddy';
a.cool = 1;

Also, strings created as objects are unique instances - strings created as primitives are not. This can be quite useful.

Proof of concept:

var a = new String('Hello');
var b = 'Hello';
var c = 'Hello';

alert((a == b) + ' ' + (b == c)) // true true
alert((a === b) + ' ' + (b === c)) // false true


Example of how to use:
var a = new String('Anna');
var b = new String('Anna');
var c = new String('Peter');
c.loves = a;

alert(
'And there they were ' + a + ' and ' + b + '.'
+ '\n' + c + ' was in love with the '
+ (a === c.loves ? 'first one' : '')
+ (b === c.loves ? 'second one' : '')
+ (a !== c.loves && b!== c.loves ? 'none of them' : '')
+ '.'
);