JavaScript: The Web Warrior Series

by Sasha Vodnik

Using the Array Object Arrays are represented in JavaScript by the Array object. The Array object contains a special constructor named Array() that provides another way to create an array. A constructor is a special type of function that is used as the basis for creating reference variables (that is, variables whose data type is the reference data type). You can create new arrays with the Array() constructor by using the keyword new and the name of the Array() constructor with the following syntax: var arrayName = new Array(number of elements); Within the parentheses of the Array() construction, you include an integer that represents the number of elements to be contained in the array. The following code uses the Array() constructor to create an array named newsSections that has six elements: var newsSections = new Array(6); JavaScript programmers generally create arrays using literals rather than the constructor. Many programmers think using literals is easier than using the constructor, and the constructor offers no specific advantages over literals. For the remainder of this book, you’ll create arrays using literals rather than using the Array() constructor.

Using the Array Object