JavaScript Iterator Class

JQuery has the each() method: http://api.jquery.com/jQuery.each/

but probably there's something similar even in other libraries such as Moo or Dojo.

Javascript 1.7 implements the Iterator function: https://developer.mozilla.org/en/Core_JavaScript_1.5_Guide/Iterators_and_Generators

This is my attempt (jsfiddle) for ECMAScript 262 5th edition (aka Javascript). (Uses for example Object.keys and Array.isArray)

//Usage
b=Iterator(a);
while(b()){
  console.log(b.value);
}

The code:

function Iterator(input,keys) {
  // Input:
  //  input : object|array
  //  keys   : array|undefined|boolean
  function my() {
    ++my.index;
    if (my.index >= my.keys.length) {
      my.index = my.keys.length -1;
      my.key = my.value = undefined;
      return false;
    }
    my.key = my.useIndex ? my.index : my.keys[my.index];
    my.value = my.input[my.key];
    return my.index < my.keys.length;
  }
  if (input === null || typeof input !== 'object') {
    throw new TypeError("'input' should be object|array");
  }
  if (
    !Array.isArray(keys)
    && (typeof keys !== 'undefined')
    && (typeof keys !== 'boolean')
    ) {
    throw new TypeError("'keys' should be array|boolean|undefined");
  }
  // Save a reference to the input object.
  my.input = input;
  if (Array.isArray(input)) {
    //If the input is an array, set 'useIndex' to true if 
    //the internal index should be used as a key.
    my.useIndex = !keys;
    //Either create and use a list of own properties,
    // or use the supplied keys
    // or at last resort use the input (since useIndex is true in that
    // case it is only used for the length)
    my.keys = keys===true ? Object.keys(input) : keys || input;
  } else {
    my.useIndex = false;
    my.keys = Array.isArray(keys) ? keys : Object.keys(input);
  }
  // Set index to before the first element.
  my.index = -1;
  return my;
}

Examples:

function Person(firstname, lastname, domain) {
  this.firstname = firstname;
  this.lastname = lastname;
  this.domain = domain;
}
Person.prototype.type = 'Brillant';

var list = [
  new Person('Paula','Bean','some.domain.name'),
  new Person('John','Doe','another.domain.name'),
  new Person('Johanna','Doe','yet.another.domain.name'),
];

var a,b; 
var data_array = ['A','B','C','D','E','F'];
data_array[10]="Sparse";


console.log('Iterate over own keys in an object, unknown order');
a = Iterator(list[0]);
while(a()) console.log("  ",a.key, a.value);

console.log('Iterate over keys from anywhere, in specified order');
a = Iterator(list[0], ['lastname','firstname','type']);
while(a()) console.log("  ",a.key, a.value);

console.log('Iterate over all values in an array');
a = Iterator(list);
while(a()) console.log(a.key, a.value.firstname, a.value.lastname);


//Some abusing, that works for arrays (if the iterator.keys is modified
//it can also be used for objects)
console.log('Add more entries to the array, reusing the iterator...');
list.push(new Person('Another','Name','m.nu'));
while(a()) console.log(a.key, a.value.firstname, a.value.lastname);

console.log('Reset index and print everything again...');
a.index=-1; //Reset the index.
while(a()) console.log(a.key, a.value.firstname, a.value.lastname);

//With arrays, if setting 'keys' to true it will only print the
//elements that has values (If the array has more own enumerable values
//they too will be included)
console.log('Print sparce arrays...');
a = Iterator(data_array,true);
while(a()) console.log(a.key, a.value);

In the time since this question was asked JavaScript has added actual Iterators. Some built-in types, such as Array, Map, and String now have a default iteration behavior, but you can add your own to any object by including a next() function which returns one of two objects:

{done:true}     /*or*/
{done:false, value:SOMEVALUE}

One way to access an object Iterator is with the:

for ( var of object ) { }

loop. Here is a (reasonably silly) example where we define an Iterator and then use it in such a loop to produce a string 1, 2, 3:

"use strict";

function count ( i ) {
  let n = 0;
  let I = {};
  I[Symbol.iterator] = function() {
     return { next: function() { return (n > i) ? {done:true}
                                                : {done:false, value:n++} } } };
  let s = "";
  let c = "";
  for ( let i of I ) {       /* use the iterator we defined above */
      s += c + i;
      c = ", "
  }
  return s;
}


let s = count(3);
console.log(s);

Ive used LINQ to Javascript in a few projects.

http://jslinq.codeplex.com/Wikipage

var myList = [
            {FirstName:"Chris",LastName:"Pearson"},
            {FirstName:"Kate",LastName:"Johnson"},
            {FirstName:"Josh",LastName:"Sutherland"},
            {FirstName:"John",LastName:"Ronald"},
            {FirstName:"Steve",LastName:"Pinkerton"}
            ];

var exampleArray = JSLINQ(myList)
                   .Where(function(item){ return item.FirstName == "Chris"; })
                   .OrderBy(function(item) { return item.FirstName; })
                   .Select(function(item){ return item.FirstName; });

I'm still a learner of js.class. Though being close to Ruby, helps me.

http://jsclass.jcoglan.com/enumerable.html

MarkT

Since this hasn't been mention yet arrays have higher-order functions built in.

Map works like iterator that can only do a single pass.

[1,2,3,4,5].map( function(input){ console.log(input); } );

This code passes each element in the list into a function, in this case its a simple printer.

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