object literal variable

Question

var example= {
        'fr' : {
            name: "France",
            country: "europe",
        },
        'es' : {
            name: "Espana",
            pre: "europe",
        },
    };

I would like to find an array name using a variable. Here there is an example that doesn't work:

var select = 'country';
console.log(example['fr'].select);

I would like that this piece of code return "europe", but it doesn't. How could I do in a simple way?

score 6 · Accepted Answer · answered Nov 04 '12 at 21:00

6

Do it like this:

var select = 'country';
console.log(example['fr'][select]);

answered Nov 04 '12 at 21:00

yakxxx

2,841
2
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score 4 · Answer 2 · answered Nov 04 '12 at 21:00

4

console.log(example['fr'][select]);

maybe?

answered Nov 04 '12 at 21:00

Michael Krelin - hacker

138,757
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score 1 · Answer 3 · answered Nov 04 '12 at 21:24

The problem with your code is that you are using wrong syntax. You have a two-dimensional array, i.e. array nested in another array. So, the expression example['fr'] returns you an array with two members:

{
   name: "France",
   country: "europe",
}

and you have to get the value bound to country key from it like this:

ar2 = example['fr'];
console.log(ar[select]);

or to make it more concise:

console.log(example['fr'][select]);

directly referring to the element of the innermost array without using a temporary variable.

object literal variable

3 Answers3