Enumerability and ownership of properties

Enumerable properties are those properties whose internal enumerable flag is set to true, which is the default for properties created via simple assignment or via a property initializer. Properties defined via Object.defineProperty and such default enumerable to false.

Enumerable properties show up in for...in loops unless the property's key is a Symbol. Ownership of properties is determined by whether the property belongs to the object directly and not to its prototype chain. Properties of an object can also be retrieved in total.

Detecting, retrieving, and enumerating object properties

There are a number of built-in means of detecting, iterating/enumerating, and retrieving object properties. These are summarized in the tables below.

Detection

Own object Own object and prototype chain Prototype chain only
Enumerable

propertyIsEnumerable

hasOwnProperty

 Not available without extra code Not available without extra code
Nonenumerable

hasOwnProperty – filtered to exclude enumerables using propertyIsEnumerable

Not available without extra code Not available without extra code
Enumerable and Nonenumerable

hasOwnProperty

 in Not available without extra code

Retrieval

Own object Own object and prototype chain Prototype chain only
Enumerable

Object.keys

getOwnPropertyNames

getOwnPropertySymbols

 Not available without extra code Not available without extra code
Nonenumerable getOwnPropertyNames, getOwnPropertySymbols – filtered to exclude enumerables using propertyIsEnumerable Not available without extra code Not available without extra code
Enumerable and Nonenumerable

getOwnPropertyNames

getOwnPropertySymbols

 Not available without extra code Not available without extra code

Iteration

Own object Own object and prototype chain Prototype chain only
Enumerable

Object.keys

getOwnPropertyNames

getOwnPropertySymbols

for..in

(excluding symbols)

 Not available without extra code
Nonenumerable getOwnPropertyNames, getOwnPropertySymbols – filtered to exclude enumerables using propertyIsEnumerable Not available without extra code Not available without extra code
Enumerable and Nonenumerable

getOwnPropertyNames

getOwnPropertySymbols

 Not available without extra code Not available without extra code

Obtaining properties by enumerability/ownership

Note that this is not the most efficient algorithm for all cases, but useful for a quick demonstration.

  • Detection can occur by SimplePropertyRetriever.theGetMethodYouWant(obj).indexOf(prop) > -1
  • Iteration can occur by SimplePropertyRetriever.theGetMethodYouWant(obj).forEach(function (value, prop) {}); (or use filter(), map(), etc.)
var SimplePropertyRetriever = {
    getOwnEnumerables: function(obj) {
        return this._getPropertyNames(obj, true, false, this._enumerable);
         // Or could use for..in filtered with hasOwnProperty or just this: return Object.keys(obj);
    },
    getOwnNonenumerables: function(obj) {
        return this._getPropertyNames(obj, true, false, this._notEnumerable);
    },
    getOwnEnumerablesAndNonenumerables: function(obj) {
        return this._getPropertyNames(obj, true, false, this._enumerableAndNotEnumerable);
        // Or just use: return Object.getOwnPropertyNames(obj);
    },
    getPrototypeEnumerables: function(obj) {
        return this._getPropertyNames(obj, false, true, this._enumerable);
    },
    getPrototypeNonenumerables: function(obj) {
        return this._getPropertyNames(obj, false, true, this._notEnumerable);
    },
    getPrototypeEnumerablesAndNonenumerables: function(obj) {
        return this._getPropertyNames(obj, false, true, this._enumerableAndNotEnumerable);
    },
    getOwnAndPrototypeEnumerables: function(obj) {
        return this._getPropertyNames(obj, true, true, this._enumerable);
        // Or could use unfiltered for..in
    },
    getOwnAndPrototypeNonenumerables: function(obj) {
        return this._getPropertyNames(obj, true, true, this._notEnumerable);
    },
    getOwnAndPrototypeEnumerablesAndNonenumerables: function(obj) {
        return this._getPropertyNames(obj, true, true, this._enumerableAndNotEnumerable);
    },
    // Private static property checker callbacks
    _enumerable: function(obj, prop) {
        return obj.propertyIsEnumerable(prop);
    },
    _notEnumerable: function(obj, prop) {
        return !obj.propertyIsEnumerable(prop);
    },
    _enumerableAndNotEnumerable: function(obj, prop) {
        return true;
    },
    // Inspired by http://stackoverflow.com/a/8024294/271577
    _getPropertyNames: function getAllPropertyNames(obj, iterateSelfBool, iteratePrototypeBool, includePropCb) {
        var props = [];

        do {
            if (iterateSelfBool) {
                Object.getOwnPropertyNames(obj).forEach(function(prop) {
                    if (props.indexOf(prop) === -1 && includePropCb(obj, prop)) {
                        props.push(prop);
                    }
                });
            }
            if (!iteratePrototypeBool) {
                break;
            }
            iterateSelfBool = true;
        } while (obj = Object.getPrototypeOf(obj));

        return props;
    }
};

Detection Table

Enumerable Nonenumerable Symbols keys Inherited Enumerable Inherited Nonenumerable Inherited Symbols keys
in true true true true true true
for..in true false false true false false
obj.hasOwnProperty true true true false false false
obj.propertyIsEnumerable true false true false false false
Object.keys true false false false false false
Object.getOwnPropertyNames true true false false false false
Object.getOwnPropertyDescriptors true true true false false false
Reflect.ownKeys() true true true false false false

See also