Objects

In real life, things are described using properties. A person has a name, age, and address. A product has a price, category, and availability.

In JavaScript, an object allows us to store related data together using key–value pairs.

What Is an Object?

An object is a collection of properties. Each property has a name (key) and a value.

Objects help represent real-world entities in code.

Creating an Object

Objects are created using curly braces { }.

let user = {
  name: "Alex",
  age: 25,
  isMember: true
};
  

This object stores information about a user.

Accessing Object Properties

You can access object values using dot notation.

console.log(user.name);
console.log(user.age);
  

Dot notation is simple and commonly used.

Bracket Notation

Bracket notation is useful when property names are dynamic or contain special characters.

console.log(user["isMember"]);
  

Both notations access the same value.

Updating Object Properties

Object properties can be updated or added at any time.

user.age = 26;
user.city = "San Francisco";
  

Objects are flexible and dynamic.

Real-World Example

Imagine storing product details in an online store:

let product = {
  name: "Laptop",
  price: 1200,
  inStock: true
};

if (product.inStock) {
  console.log("Available for purchase");
}
  

Objects make it easy to work with structured data.

Common Beginner Mistakes

• Forgetting commas between properties
• Using dot notation for dynamic keys
• Confusing objects with arrays

Remember: objects store properties, arrays store ordered lists.

Thumb Rules

• Use objects to group related data
• Use dot notation whenever possible
• Objects can grow as needed
• Keep object structures meaningful

More on Objects Later

This lesson introduced objects at a beginner-friendly level.

More advanced object concepts are covered later.

• Object methods and behavior are explored in Lesson 36 (OOP Basics)
• Object destructuring is covered in Lesson 31 (Destructuring)

What Comes Next?

Now that you know how to store structured data, the next step is working with built-in utilities.

In the next lesson, we will learn about Date and Math objects.