Return multiple values in JavaScript?

Question

I am trying to return two values in JavaScript. Is this possible?

var newCodes = function() {  
    var dCodes = fg.codecsCodes.rs;
    va         


        

Answer 1

You can do this from ECMAScript 6 onwards using arrays and "destructuring assignments". Note that these are not available in older Javascript versions (meaning — neither with ECMAScript 3rd nor 5th editions).

It allows you to assign to 1+ variables simultaneously:

var [x, y] = [1, 2];
x; // 1
y; // 2

// or

[x, y] = (function(){ return [3, 4]; })();
x; // 3
y; // 4

You can also use object destructuring combined with property value shorthand to name the return values in an object and pick out the ones you want:

let {baz, foo} = (function(){ return {foo: 3, bar: 500, baz: 40} })();
baz; // 40
foo; // 3

And by the way, don't be fooled by the fact that ECMAScript allows you to return 1, 2, .... What really happens there is not what might seem. An expression in return statement — 1, 2, 3 — is nothing but a comma operator applied to numeric literals (1 , 2, and 3) sequentially, which eventually evaluates to the value of its last expression — 3. That's why return 1, 2, 3 is functionally identical to nothing more but return 3.

return 1, 2, 3;
// becomes
return 2, 3;
// becomes
return 3;