propertyIsEnumerable

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Summary

Returns a Boolean indicating whether the specified property is enumerable.

Method of Object
Implemented in JavaScript ?
ECMAScript Edition ECMAScript 3rd Edition

Syntax

obj.propertyIsEnumerable(prop)

Parameters

prop
The name of the property to test.

Description

Every object has a propertyIsEnumerable method. This method can determine whether the specified property in an object can be enumerated by a for...in loop, with the exception of properties inherited through the prototype chain. If the object does not have the specified property, this method returns false.

Note: Starting in JavaScript 1.8.1 (in Firefox 3.6), propertyIsEnumerable("prototype") returns false instead of true; this makes the result compliant with ECMAScript 5.

Examples

Example: A basic use of propertyIsEnumerable

The following example shows the use of propertyIsEnumerable on objects and arrays:

var o = {};
var a = [];
o.prop = 'is enumerable';
a[0] = 'is enumerable';

o.propertyIsEnumerable('prop');   // returns true
a.propertyIsEnumerable(0);        // returns true

Example: User-defined versus built-in objects

The following example demonstrates the enumerability of user-defined versus built-in properties:

var a = ['is enumerable'];

a.propertyIsEnumerable(0);          // returns true
a.propertyIsEnumerable('length');   // returns false

Math.propertyIsEnumerable('random');   // returns false
this.propertyIsEnumerable('Math');     // returns false

Example: Direct versus inherited properties

var a = [];
a.propertyIsEnumerable('constructor');         // returns false

function firstConstructor() {
  this.property = 'is not enumerable';
}

firstConstructor.prototype.firstMethod = function () {};

function secondConstructor() {
  this.method = function method() { return 'is enumerable'; };
}

secondConstructor.prototype = new firstConstructor;
secondConstructor.prototype.constructor = secondConstructor;

var o = new secondConstructor();
o.arbitraryProperty = 'is enumerable';

o.propertyIsEnumerable('arbitraryProperty');   // returns true
o.propertyIsEnumerable('method');              // returns true
o.propertyIsEnumerable('property');            // returns false

o.property = 'is enumerable';

o.propertyIsEnumerable('property');            // returns true

// These return false as they are on the prototype which 
// propertyIsEnumerable does not consider (even though the last two
// are iteratable with for-in)
o.propertyIsEnumerable('prototype'); // returns false (as of JS 1.8.1/FF3.6)
o.propertyIsEnumerable('constructor'); // returns false
o.propertyIsEnumerable('firstMethod'); // returns false

See also

Tags (2)