Detecting an undefined object property

Question

What\'s the best way of checking if an object property in JavaScript is undefined?

Answer 1

I didn't see (hope I didn't miss it) anyone checking the object before the property. So, this is the shortest and most effective (though not necessarily the most clear):

if (obj && obj.prop) {
  // Do something;
}

If the obj or obj.prop is undefined, null, or "falsy", the if statement will not execute the code block. This is usually the desired behavior in most code block statements (in JavaScript).

Answer 2

Crossposting my answer from related question How can I check for "undefined" in JavaScript?.

Specific to this question, see test cases with someObject.<whatever>.

---

Some scenarios illustrating the results of the various answers: http://jsfiddle.net/drzaus/UVjM4/

(Note that the use of var for in tests make a difference when in a scoped wrapper)

Code for reference:

(function(undefined) {
    var definedButNotInitialized;
    definedAndInitialized = 3;
    someObject = {
        firstProp: "1"
        , secondProp: false
        // , undefinedProp not defined
    }
    // var notDefined;

    var tests = [
        'definedButNotInitialized in window',
        'definedAndInitialized in window',
        'someObject.firstProp in window',
        'someObject.secondProp in window',
        'someObject.undefinedProp in window',
        'notDefined in window',

        '"definedButNotInitialized" in window',
        '"definedAndInitialized" in window',
        '"someObject.firstProp" in window',
        '"someObject.secondProp" in window',
        '"someObject.undefinedProp" in window',
        '"notDefined" in window',

        'typeof definedButNotInitialized == "undefined"',
        'typeof definedButNotInitialized === typeof undefined',
        'definedButNotInitialized === undefined',
        '! definedButNotInitialized',
        '!! definedButNotInitialized',

        'typeof definedAndInitialized == "undefined"',
        'typeof definedAndInitialized === typeof undefined',
        'definedAndInitialized === undefined',
        '! definedAndInitialized',
        '!! definedAndInitialized',

        'typeof someObject.firstProp == "undefined"',
        'typeof someObject.firstProp === typeof undefined',
        'someObject.firstProp === undefined',
        '! someObject.firstProp',
        '!! someObject.firstProp',

        'typeof someObject.secondProp == "undefined"',
        'typeof someObject.secondProp === typeof undefined',
        'someObject.secondProp === undefined',
        '! someObject.secondProp',
        '!! someObject.secondProp',

        'typeof someObject.undefinedProp == "undefined"',
        'typeof someObject.undefinedProp === typeof undefined',
        'someObject.undefinedProp === undefined',
        '! someObject.undefinedProp',
        '!! someObject.undefinedProp',

        'typeof notDefined == "undefined"',
        'typeof notDefined === typeof undefined',
        'notDefined === undefined',
        '! notDefined',
        '!! notDefined'
    ];

    var output = document.getElementById('results');
    var result = '';
    for(var t in tests) {
        if( !tests.hasOwnProperty(t) ) continue; // bleh

        try {
            result = eval(tests[t]);
        } catch(ex) {
            result = 'Exception--' + ex;
        }
        console.log(tests[t], result);
        output.innerHTML += "\n" + tests[t] + ": " + result;
    }
})();

And results:

definedButNotInitialized in window: true
definedAndInitialized in window: false
someObject.firstProp in window: false
someObject.secondProp in window: false
someObject.undefinedProp in window: true
notDefined in window: Exception--ReferenceError: notDefined is not defined
"definedButNotInitialized" in window: false
"definedAndInitialized" in window: true
"someObject.firstProp" in window: false
"someObject.secondProp" in window: false
"someObject.undefinedProp" in window: false
"notDefined" in window: false
typeof definedButNotInitialized == "undefined": true
typeof definedButNotInitialized === typeof undefined: true
definedButNotInitialized === undefined: true
! definedButNotInitialized: true
!! definedButNotInitialized: false
typeof definedAndInitialized == "undefined": false
typeof definedAndInitialized === typeof undefined: false
definedAndInitialized === undefined: false
! definedAndInitialized: false
!! definedAndInitialized: true
typeof someObject.firstProp == "undefined": false
typeof someObject.firstProp === typeof undefined: false
someObject.firstProp === undefined: false
! someObject.firstProp: false
!! someObject.firstProp: true
typeof someObject.secondProp == "undefined": false
typeof someObject.secondProp === typeof undefined: false
someObject.secondProp === undefined: false
! someObject.secondProp: true
!! someObject.secondProp: false
typeof someObject.undefinedProp == "undefined": true
typeof someObject.undefinedProp === typeof undefined: true
someObject.undefinedProp === undefined: true
! someObject.undefinedProp: true
!! someObject.undefinedProp: false
typeof notDefined == "undefined": true
typeof notDefined === typeof undefined: true
notDefined === undefined: Exception--ReferenceError: notDefined is not defined
! notDefined: Exception--ReferenceError: notDefined is not defined
!! notDefined: Exception--ReferenceError: notDefined is not defined

Answer 3

There is a nice and elegant way to assign a defined property to a new variable if it is defined or assign a default value to it as a fallback if it’s undefined.

var a = obj.prop || defaultValue;

It’s suitable if you have a function, which receives an additional configuration property:

var yourFunction = function(config){

   this.config = config || {};
   this.yourConfigValue = config.yourConfigValue || 1;
   console.log(this.yourConfigValue);
}

Now executing

yourFunction({yourConfigValue:2});
//=> 2

yourFunction();
//=> 1

yourFunction({otherProperty:5});
//=> 1

Answer 4

I provide three ways here for those who expect weird answers:

function isUndefined1(val) {
    try {
        val.a;
    } catch (e) {
        return /undefined/.test(e.message);
    }
    return false;
}

function isUndefined2(val) {
    return !val && val+'' === 'undefined';
}

function isUndefined3(val) {
    const defaultVal = {};
    return ((input = defaultVal) => input === defaultVal)(val);
}

function test(func){
    console.group(`test start :`+func.name);
    console.log(func(undefined));
    console.log(func(null));
    console.log(func(1));
    console.log(func("1"));
    console.log(func(0));
    console.log(func({}));
    console.log(func(function () { }));
    console.groupEnd();
}
test(isUndefined1);
test(isUndefined2);
test(isUndefined3);

isUndefined1:

Try to get a property of the input value, and check the error message if it exists. If the input value is undefined, the error message would be Uncaught TypeError: Cannot read property 'b' of undefined.

isUndefined2:

Convert the input value to a string to compare with "undefined" and ensure it's a negative value.

isUndefined3:

In JavaScript, an optional parameter works when the input value is exactly undefined.

Answer 5

If you are using Angular:

angular.isUndefined(obj)
angular.isUndefined(obj.prop)

Underscore.js:

_.isUndefined(obj) 
_.isUndefined(obj.prop) 

Answer 6

I use if (this.variable) to test if it is defined. A simple if (variable), recommended in a previous answer, fails for me.

It turns out that it works only when a variable is a field of some object, obj.someField to check if it is defined in the dictionary. But we can use this or window as the dictionary object since any variable is a field in the current window, as I understand it. Therefore here is a test:

if (this.abc) 
    alert("defined"); 
else 
    alert("undefined");

abc = "abc";
if (this.abc) 
    alert("defined"); 
else 
    alert("undefined");

It first detects that variable abc is undefined and it is defined after initialization.