JavaScript Map & Set
JavaScript WeakMap and WeakSet
WeakMap and WeakSet hold objects without preventing them being cleaned up.
A normal Map keeps its keys alive forever, which can leak memory.
A WeakMap lets the browser reclaim an object once nothing else refers to it.
Example
Example
javascript
const cache = new WeakMap();
const user = { name: "Ada" };
cache.set(user, "some cached data");
console.log(cache.get(user));
console.log(cache.has(user));The output is the cached data then true.
How They Differ
Keys must be objects; primitives are not allowed.
They are not iterable, and have no size.
Entries disappear automatically when the key object is no longer used.
Syntax
Syntax
javascript
const map = new WeakMap();
map.set(objectKey, value);Only get, set, has and delete are available.
Keys Must Be Objects
A string key throws immediately.
Example
Example
javascript
const map = new WeakMap();
let message;
try {
map.set("a string", 1);
} catch (error) {
message = "keys must be objects";
}
console.log(message);A normal Map would have accepted it.
No size and No Looping
You cannot ask how many entries there are.
That is deliberate: the count could change at any moment.
Example
Example
javascript
const map = new WeakMap();
const key = {};
map.set(key, 1);
console.log(map.size === undefined ? "no size property" : map.size);
console.log(typeof map.forEach);Both confirm there is no way to inspect the contents.
Attaching Private Data
A WeakMap can hold data about an object without touching the object itself.
Private class fields have largely replaced this pattern.
Example
Example
javascript
const secrets = new WeakMap();
class Person {
constructor(name, secret) {
this.name = name;
secrets.set(this, secret);
}
reveal() {
return secrets.get(this);
}
}
const ada = new Person("Ada", "hidden value");
console.log(ada.reveal());
console.log(Object.keys(ada).join(","));The secret never appears as a property of the object.
WeakSet
The same idea, holding objects rather than pairs.
Example
Example
javascript
const seen = new WeakSet();
const item = { id: 1 };
seen.add(item);
console.log(seen.has(item));
console.log(seen.has({ id: 1 }));The second is false, because it is a different object.
When to Use Them
Use a WeakMap to attach data to objects you do not own.
For everything else, a normal Map is easier to work with.
Example
Example
javascript
const map = new Map();
const weak = new WeakMap();
const key = { id: 1 };
map.set(key, "a");
weak.set(key, "b");
console.log(map.size);
console.log(weak.get(key));The Map can be counted and looped; the WeakMap cannot.
Complete Example
Complete Example
html
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<title>JavaScript WeakMap</title>
</head>
<body>
<h1>WeakMap and WeakSet</h1>
<p id="out"></p>
<script>
const secrets = new WeakMap();
class Person {
constructor(name, secret) {
this.name = name;
secrets.set(this, secret);
}
reveal() {
return secrets.get(this);
}
}
const ada = new Person("Ada", "kept outside the object");
document.getElementById("out").innerHTML =
"Name: " + ada.name +
"<br>Own properties: " + Object.keys(ada).join(", ") +
"<br>Secret: " + ada.reveal();
</script>
</body>
</html>Try It Yourself
Run the above example in the Try It Editor.
Try a string key:
Call secrets.set("x", 1) and see the error.
Important Points
- WeakMap keys must be objects.
- They are not iterable and have no
size. - Entries vanish when the key object is no longer referenced.
- Useful for attaching data to objects you do not own.
- For ordinary work, a normal Map is easier.
Conclusion
Weak collections solve a memory problem rather than a convenience one.
You will meet them rarely, but knowing why they exist is worth it.
Private class fields have replaced their most common use.