jquery .data() method

Question

When I store an object like {a: 1, b: 2 } in jQuery's data, does it copy the object or save a reference to it?

I have a huge object and I want different elements to store different references from different points to the same object, and I don't want it to get copied.

Like

var obj = { 
    a: {
        one: 1, two: 2
    },
    b: {
        apple: 'yummy', banana: 'ehh'
    }
    c: {
        d: {
            'jQuery': jQuery
        }
        e: ['You get the point']
    }
};

$('div').data('info', obj.b);
$('#JQ').data('jq_reference', obj.c.d.jQuery);

Alnitak · Accepted Answer · 2011-04-17 16:46:05Z

5

According to my jsfiddle test, it stores a reference.

If I do this:

$('div').data('info', obj.b);
obj.b.apple = 'bleuch';
alert($('div').data('info').apple);

It alerts "bleuch", showing that a reference to the original object is being stored.

edited Apr 17, 2011 at 16:46

answered Apr 17, 2011 at 16:35

Alnitak

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SLaks · Accepted Answer · 2011-04-17 16:34:09Z

2

It will save a reference to it.

Javascript objects are never copied, unless you explicitly make a copy.

answered Apr 17, 2011 at 16:34

SLaks

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3 Comments

Alnitak Over a year ago

I think the point of his question was to ask whether jQuery makes such an explicit copy

SLaks Over a year ago

jQuery never copies things unless you tell it to.

Alnitak Over a year ago

sure, but where's that documented?

Joey C. · Accepted Answer · 2011-04-17 16:36:58Z

0

From http://api.jquery.com/data/

"The data- attributes are pulled in the first time the data property is accessed and then are no longer accessed or mutated (all data values are then stored internally in jQuery)."

answered Apr 17, 2011 at 16:36

Joey C.

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