Dynamically updating a JavaScript object from a string path [duplicate]

Answer 1

You want to update your method signature to accept the: object you're modifying, the path string, and the value you're assigning to the final path property.

function updateObject(data, path, value) {
        var pathArray = path.split(">");
        var pointer = data; // points to the current nested object
        for (var i = 0, len = pathArray.length; i < len; i++) {
            var path = pathArray[i];
            if (pointer.hasOwnProperty(path)) {
                if (i === len - 1) { // terminating condition
                    pointer[path] = value;
                } else {
                    pointer = pointer[path];
                }
            } else {
                // throw error or terminate. The path is incorrect
            }
        }
    }

Or recurse. Or use a while loop. But this is the general idea.

Fiddle: http://jsfiddle.net/Sq8j3/8/