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JavaScript

Posted by Tunde Adegoroye
Tunde Adegoroye
20,597 Points

How to create multidimensional array with key value pair JS

Hey everyone i'm currently learning more about javascript and wanted to know how to do something like this in PHP which is a multidimensional array with key pairs

$array = array(
  "hilton" => array(
    "name" => "hilton hotel"
  "newton" => array(
    "name" => "newton hotel"
) ;

But how would i do something like this in javascript this is what i have attempted and so far only got errors i'm using an object rather than array if i'm going about this wrong please tell me haha

var hotels = {

     hilton = {
        name: "hilton hotel"
    }

     newton = {
        name: "newton hotel"
    }
}

Dave McFarland Andrew Chalkley

3 Answers

Daniel Newman
Daniel Newman
Courses Plus Student 10,715 Points

Oh, I see! What you calling array is collection indeed. To access it like hotels["hilton"]["name"] you need such object:

var hotels = { "hilton": {"name": "hilton hotel" } };

So, the solution to keep this data you need is:

var hotels = { 
                         "hilton": {"name": "hilton hotel" },
                         "newton": {"name", "newton hotel"}
                     };
Tunde Adegoroye
Tunde Adegoroye
20,597 Points

Your awesome haha sorry i thought it was called the same in js but thats exactly what i'm looking for are there any methods to add new items into the collection ?

Daniel Newman
Daniel Newman
Courses Plus Student 10,715 Points

Try to make it this way:

hotels["newone"] = {"name": "Whatever"};
Tunde Adegoroye
Tunde Adegoroye
20,597 Points

Awesome that works thanks for all your help mate :D

Daniel Newman
Daniel Newman
Courses Plus Student 10,715 Points

Regards!)

Andrew Chalkley
Andrew Chalkley
Treehouse Guest Teacher
Andrew Chalkley
Andrew Chalkley
Treehouse Guest Teacher

These are commonly known as Object Literals in JavaScript but yes they are indeed associative arrays since the indexes are named (with a string) and not a numeric index.

Daniel Newman
PLUS
Daniel Newman
Courses Plus Student 10,715 Points
Daniel Newman
Daniel Newman
Courses Plus Student 10,715 Points

Why do you try to make an Object? In Object JS doing it other way(with ":" and ",")

var hotels = {

     hilton : {
        name: "hilton hotel"
    },

     newton : {
        name: "newton hotel"
    }
}
`

But if you need a multidimensional array do this way:

var hotels = [
               [
                  "hilton",
                   ["name", "hilton hotel"]
               ],
               [
                  "newton",
                  ["name", "newton hotel"]
               ]
             ];
Tunde Adegoroye
Tunde Adegoroye
20,597 Points

Would i just access the variables in the array like 

hotels["hilton"]["name"];
Daniel Newman
Daniel Newman
Courses Plus Student 10,715 Points

Noup. See below how to keep data you need.

Hugo Paz
Hugo Paz
15,622 Points
Hugo Paz
Hugo Paz
15,622 Points

Hi Tunde,

Since an array is an object in javascript, would something like this suit you?

<script>


var multiarray = {

    cat:{
        name:'tobias',
        legs:4
    },
    dog:{
        name:'bobi',
        legs:4
    }
}; 

</script>

You can access each property either like this: multiarray.cat.name or if you prefer it to be like php: multiarray['cat']['legs']