finding information inside of nested arrays

Question

I have an array that stores the values:

var array = [['favorite color'],['black','red']]

to get black I would:

document.write(array[0][1][0]);

then if i append to the array another question [['favorite thing']['box','ball']]

If I wanted ball I would:

document.write.array[1][1][1];

I am having trouble understanding arrays. I want an array with one question and multiple answers then I want to loop through them and display everything. I can do the loop but I am unsure how to find things in nested arrays once I create them.

"to get black I would: ... array[0][1][0]. No, that would result in an error. This would imply a structure such as [[...,['black',...]], ...]. You would get black with array[1][0] because array has to two elements, both arrays, and you want to get the first element (0) of the second array (1). — Felix Kling
– Felix Kling, Commented Mar 12, 2012 at 1:50

yas · Accepted Answer · 2012-03-12 01:57:05Z

3

Use a combination of objects (which work like dictionaries) and arrays. For example:

var array = [ 
  {'question' : 'favorite color', 'choices' : ['black','red'] },
  {'question' : 'favorite thing', 'choices' : ['box','ball'] }
]

for( var i = 0; i < array.length; i++ ) {
    var question = array[i]['question'];
    var choices = array[i]['choices'];

    // here you can display / write out the questions and choices
}

Bearing in mind, creating a class and using a constructor or init methods would probably be better to encapsulate the idea of questions and answers. But the above is the basic idea.

answered Mar 12, 2012 at 1:57

yas

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user1082764 Over a year ago

This is what i am trying to understand. this helps alot but how would i do this with numbers insead of words. How would i find ball? array[1][1][1]?

gideon · Accepted Answer · 2012-03-12 02:49:05Z

0

var array = [['favorite color'],['black','red','blue']];
document.writeln(array[1][1]);
document.write(array[1][2]);

Would print red then blue see it working live : http://jsfiddle.net/HJ872/

How?

array[0] => gets an *array* = ['favorite color'] 
           => array[0][0] gets this first element `favorite color`

array[1] => also gets this array = ['black','red','blue'] 
            => and then [1][1] will get 'red', [1][2] will get `blue`

edited Mar 12, 2012 at 2:49

answered Mar 12, 2012 at 1:57

gideon

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