Chapter 10: Problem 21

What is the purpose of the delete operator?

Short Answer

Expert verified

Answer: The delete operator in JavaScript is used to remove properties from an object, helping to free up memory or prevent unintended access to certain properties. To use the delete operator, the general syntax is `delete object.property;`. For example, with an object `person` containing properties `firstName`, `lastName`, and `age`, we can use `delete person.age;` to remove the `age` property. To verify the deletion, we can use the `in` keyword, which checks if the specified property exists in an object and returns `true` or `false`. In this case, `console.log("age" in person);` would output `false`.

Step by step solution

The delete operator in JavaScript is a useful tool for removing properties from an object. It can be used to free up memory or to prevent unintended access to a particular property. The general syntax for the delete operator is: `delete object.property;` #Step 2: Creating an Example Object#

To demonstrate the delete operator, let's create a simple object: ```js let person = { firstName: "John", lastName: "Doe", age: 30 }; ``` In the example above, `person` is an object with three properties: `firstName`, `lastName`, and `age`. #Step 3: Using the Delete Operator#

Now, let's say we want to remove the `age` property from the `person` object. To do this, we can use the delete operator: ```js delete person.age; ``` After this operation, the `person` object will only have the `firstName` and `lastName` properties. #Step 4: Verifying the Property Deletion#

To check if the `age` property has been successfully deleted from the `person` object, we can use the `in` keyword: ```js console.log("age" in person); // This will output false ``` The `in` keyword checks if a specified property exists in an object and returns `true` if it does, or `false` otherwise. In this case, since we deleted the `age` property, the output will be `false`.

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What is the purpose of the delete operator?

Short Answer

Step by step solution

The delete operator in JavaScript is a useful tool for removing properties from an object. It can be used to free up memory or to prevent unintended access to a particular property. The general syntax for the delete operator is: `delete object.property;` #Step 2: Creating an Example Object#

Now, let's say we want to remove the `age` property from the `person` object. To do this, we can use the delete operator: ```js delete person.age; ``` After this operation, the `person` object will only have the `firstName` and `lastName` properties. #Step 4: Verifying the Property Deletion#

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