Technology Guides and Tutorials

Cloning a JavaScript Object: A Step-by-Step Guide

What is Cloning a JavaScript Object?

Cloning a JavaScript object is the process of creating a copy of an existing object. This is useful when you want to make changes to an object without affecting the original object. Cloning an object is also known as deep copying, as it creates a new object with all the same properties and values as the original object.

How to Clone a JavaScript Object

There are several ways to clone a JavaScript object. The most common methods are using the Object.assign() method, the JSON.parse() and JSON.stringify() methods, and the spread operator. Let’s take a look at each of these methods in more detail.

Object.assign() Method

The Object.assign() method is the simplest way to clone a JavaScript object. It takes two parameters: the target object and the source object. The target object is the object that will be cloned, and the source object is the object that will be used to copy the properties and values from. Here is an example of how to use the Object.assign() method:

const originalObject = {
  name: 'John',
  age: 30
};

let clone = Object.assign({}, originalObject);
  

In this example, the originalObject is the source object, and the clonedObject is the target object. The Object.assign() method will copy all the properties and values from the originalObject to the clone. The result will be a new object with the same properties and values as the original object.

JSON.parse() and JSON.stringify() Methods

The JSON.parse() and JSON.stringify() methods are another way to clone a JavaScript object. The JSON.stringify() method takes an object and converts it into a string. The JSON.parse() method takes a string and converts it back into an object. Here is an example of how to use these methods to clone an object:

let originalObject = {
   name: 'John',
   age: 30};

let clone = JSON.parse(JSON.stringify(originalObject));

In this example, the originalObject is converted to a string using the JSON.stringify() method. The string is then converted back into an object using the JSON.parse() method. The result will be a new object with the same properties and values as the original object.

Spread Operator

JavaScript ES6 (ECMAScript 6) introduced the spread operator.

https://www.w3schools.com/js/js_es6.asp

The spread operator is another way to clone a JavaScript object. The spread operator takes an object and spreads its properties and values into a new object. Here is an example of how to use the spread operator to clone an object:

let originalObject = {
   name: 'John',
   age: 30};

let clonedObject = {...originalObject};

In this example, the originalObject is spread into a new object using the spread operator. The result will be a new object with the same properties and values as the original object.

Summary

Cloning a JavaScript object is a useful way to make changes to an object without affecting the original object. There are several ways to clone an object, including the Object.assign() method, the JSON.parse() and JSON.stringify() methods, and the spread operator. Each of these methods has its own advantages and disadvantages, so it is important to choose the method that best suits your needs

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