The typeof
operator returns a string indicating the type of the unevaluated operand.
The typeof
operator is followed by its operand:
typeof operand
operand
is an expression representing the object or primitive whose type is to be returned.
The following table summarizes the possible return values of typeof
. For more information about types and primitives, see also the JavaScript data structure page.
Type | Result |
---|---|
Undefined | "undefined" |
Null |
"object" (see below) |
Boolean | "boolean" |
Number | "number" |
String | "string" |
Symbol (new in ECMAScript 2015) | "symbol" |
Host object (provided by the JS environment) | Implementation-dependent |
Function object (implements [[Call]] in ECMA-262 terms) | "function" |
Any other object | "object" |
// Numbers typeof 37 === 'number'; typeof 3.14 === 'number'; typeof(42) === 'number'; typeof Math.LN2 === 'number'; typeof Infinity === 'number'; typeof NaN === 'number'; // Despite being "Not-A-Number" typeof Number(1) === 'number'; // but never use this form! // Strings typeof '' === 'string'; typeof 'bla' === 'string'; typeof '1' === 'string'; // note that a number within a string is still typeof string typeof (typeof 1) === 'string'; // typeof always returns a string typeof String('abc') === 'string'; // but never use this form! // Booleans typeof true === 'boolean'; typeof false === 'boolean'; typeof Boolean(true) === 'boolean'; // but never use this form! // Symbols typeof Symbol() === 'symbol' typeof Symbol('foo') === 'symbol' typeof Symbol.iterator === 'symbol' // Undefined typeof undefined === 'undefined'; typeof declaredButUndefinedVariable === 'undefined'; typeof undeclaredVariable === 'undefined'; // Objects typeof {a: 1} === 'object'; // use Array.isArray or Object.prototype.toString.call // to differentiate regular objects from arrays typeof [1, 2, 4] === 'object'; typeof new Date() === 'object'; // The following is confusing. Don't use! typeof new Boolean(true) === 'object'; typeof new Number(1) === 'object'; typeof new String('abc') === 'object'; // Functions typeof function() {} === 'function'; typeof class C {} === 'function'; typeof Math.sin === 'function';
null
// This stands since the beginning of JavaScript typeof null === 'object';
In the first implementation of JavaScript, JavaScript values were represented as a type tag and a value. The type tag for objects was 0. null
was represented as the NULL pointer (0x00 in most platforms). Consequently, null had 0 as type tag, hence the bogus typeof
return value. (reference)
A fix was proposed for ECMAScript (via an opt-in), but was rejected. It would have resulted in typeof null === 'null'
.
new
operator// All constructor functions while instantiated with 'new' keyword will always be typeof 'object' var str = new String('String'); var num = new Number(100); typeof str; // It will return 'object' typeof num; // It will return 'object' // But there is a exception in case of Function constructor of Javascript var func = new Function(); typeof func; // It will return 'function'
Callable regular expressions were a non-standard addition in some browsers.
typeof /s/ === 'function'; // Chrome 1-12 Non-conform to ECMAScript 5.1 typeof /s/ === 'object'; // Firefox 5+ Conform to ECMAScript 5.1
Before ECMAScript 2015, typeof
was always guaranteed to return a string for any operand it was supplied with. But with the addition of non-hoisted, block-scoped let
and const
, using typeof
on let
and const
variables in a block before they are declared will throw a ReferenceError
. This is in contrast with undeclared variables, for which typeof
will return 'undefined'. Block scoped variables are in a "temporal dead zone" from the start of the block until the initialization is processed, during which, it will throw an error if accessed.
typeof undeclaredVariable === 'undefined'; typeof newLetVariable; let newLetVariable; // ReferenceError typeof newConstVariable; const newConstVariable = 'hello'; // ReferenceError
All current browsers expose a non-standard host object document.all
with type Undefined.
typeof document.all === 'undefined';
Although the specification allows custom type tags for non-standard exotic objects, it requires those type tags to be different from the predefined ones. The case of document.all
having type tag 'undefined'
must be classified as an exceptional violation of the rules.
Specification | Status | Comment |
---|---|---|
ECMAScript Latest Draft (ECMA-262) The definition of 'The typeof Operator' in that specification. | Draft | |
ECMAScript 2015 (6th Edition, ECMA-262) The definition of 'The typeof Operator' in that specification. | Standard | |
ECMAScript 5.1 (ECMA-262) The definition of 'The typeof Operator' in that specification. | Standard | |
ECMAScript 3rd Edition (ECMA-262) The definition of 'The typeof Operator' in that specification. | Standard | |
ECMAScript 1st Edition (ECMA-262) The definition of 'The typeof Operator' in that specification. | Standard | Initial definition. Implemented in JavaScript 1.1. |
Feature | Chrome | Edge | Firefox | Internet Explorer | Opera | Safari |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Basic support | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Feature | Android webview | Chrome for Android | Edge mobile | Firefox for Android | Opera Android | iOS Safari | Samsung Internet |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Basic support | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | ? |
On IE 6, 7, and 8 a lot of host objects are objects and not functions. For example:
typeof alert === 'object'
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Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License v2.5 or later.
https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/JavaScript/Reference/Operators/typeof