Question

179

Assigning Values to JSON Objects in Javascript

rated 0 times [ 184] [ 5] / answers: 1 / hits: 53872 / 13 Years ago, sun, january 22, 2012, 12:00:00

This is what I'm trying to build via JavaScript in dot or [ ] notation:

var shoppingCart = { 

        'item1' : {

            'description' : 'This is item #1',

            'price' : 10,

            'quantity' : 1,

            'shipping' : 0,

            'total' : 10

        }

    };

Now if 'item1' is the variable name itemName.

This works:

var shoppingCart = {};

shoppingCart[itemName] = itemName;

alert(shoppingCart.item1);

Which returns item1

But this doesn't work:

1 var shoppingCart = {};

2 shoppingCart[itemName]['description'] = 'This is Item #1';

JS just dies at line 2, why? and how do I assign the description value to 'description'?

I would do it like this:

var shoppingCart = { 

        itemName : {

            'description' : description,

            'price' : price,

            'quantity' : quantity,

            'shipping' : shipping,

            'total' : total

        }

    };

...but it makes the key literally itemName instead of item1.

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susand

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3 Years ago

answered 13 Years ago stephonkeandrer · Accepted Answer

shoppingCart[itemName] doesn't exist.

You need to create it first:

var shoppingCart = {};

shoppingCart[itemName] = { };

shoppingCart[itemName].description = 'This is Item #1';

Or, better yet:

var shoppingCart = {};

shoppingCart[itemName] = { description: 'This is Item #1' };