Using an integer as a key in an associative array in JavaScript

Question

When I create a new JavaScript array, and use an integer as a key, each element of that array up to the integer is created as undefined.

For example:

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Answer 1

Compiling other answers:

Object

var test = {};

When using a number as a new property's key, the number turns into a string:

test[2300] = 'Some string';
console.log(test['2300']);
// Output: 'Some string'

When accessing the property's value using the same number, the number is turned into a string again:

console.log(test[2300]);
// Output: 'Some string'

When getting the keys from the object, though, they aren't going to be turned back into numbers:

for (var key in test) {
    console.log(typeof key);
}
// Output: 'string'

Map

ECMAScript 6 allows the use of the Map object (documentation, a comparison with Object). If your code is meant to be interpreted locally or the ECMAScript 6 compatibility table looks green enough for your purposes, consider using a Map:

var test = new Map();
test.set(2300, 'Some string');
console.log(test.get(2300));
// Output: 'Some string'

No type conversion is performed, for better and for worse:

console.log(test.get('2300'));
// Output: undefined
test.set('2300', 'Very different string');
console.log(test.get(2300));
// Output: 'Some string'