var _={};
_.bullets='1,2,3';
console.log(typeof bullets);
string
console.log(_.bullets);
var bullets=_.bullets.split(',');
console.log(bullets); //REF 1
["1", "2", "3"]
console.log(typeof bullets);
object
Why is it not array? I can't figure out what I am doing wrong here
UPDATE
console.log([1,2,3]);
console.log(bullets); //REF 1
[1, 2, 3]
["1", "2", "3"]
What is the difference (one is a string one is a number?)
typeof never returns 'array'. For instances of Array, it returns 'object':
Table 20 — typeof Operator Results
Source: ECMAScript spec
Use Array.isArray(a) or a instanceof Array.
Arrays are objects, so typeof returns object.
Technically typeof fits for primitive types while instanceof fits for reference types.
If you use typeof for some reference types (Array, Object), it will return "object". Function is the third reference type; it behaves differently (typeof wise) as it will return "function" when typeof new Function().
Based on your example you can deduce that string is a primitive type in JavaScript as typeof "blabla" === string (which returns true). Yes that's something curious if you come from a traditional strongly typed language such as Java or C#.
typeof returns 'object' when supplied array values. To test for an array you can do something like this (from JavaScript the Good Parts):
var is_array = function (value) {
return value &&
typeof value === 'object' &&
typeof value.length === 'number' &&
typeof value.splice === 'function' &&
!(value.propertyIsEnumerable('length'));
};
typeof [] === "object"- the only objects where typeof does not yield"object"are functions.