esequal

EsEqual (EcmaScript Equal) make a universal and deep comparison between two values to determine if they are equivalent.

It's a simple function with less than 250 lines of code Javascript for nodejs and the browser, without dependencies, very quick and very robust.

It can compare Arrays, Array Buffers, Arrow Functions, Booleans, Class, Date, Error, Functions, Maps, Numbers, Objects, Regexp, Sets, Strings, Symbols and Typed Arrays.

EcmaScript 6 is supported, but it works perfectly on EcmaScript 5.1.

Installation

Using npm:

npm i --save esequal

In browser:

<script src="esequal.js"></script>

In Node.js:

var equal = require('esequal');

Basic use

equal( value1, value2 );

parameters

Must be all types of Javascript elements: arrays, array buffers, booleans, date, error, functions, maps, numbers, objects, regexp, sets, strings, symbols and typed arrays.

return

The function return 0 (falsy) when the parameters are not equivalents and more than 0 (truthy) when the values are equivalents (see Advanced Use for more information about these values).

Examples

• Basic types:

  if (equal(1, 1)) { 
    // ... 
  }
  if (equal('hello', 'hello')) { 
    // ... 
  }
  if (equal(true, true)) { 
    // ... 
  }

• Dates:

  var date1 = new Date(2016,11,31);
  var date2 = new Date(2016,11,31);
   
  if (equal(date1, date2)) { 
    // ... 
  }

• Objects:

  var obj1 = {a: 1, b: 2};
  var obj2 = {a: 1, b: 2};
   
  if (equal(obj1, obj2)) { 
    // ... 
  }

• Arrays:

  var arr1 = [{a: 1}, {b: 2}, 3];
  var arr2 = [{a: 1}, {b: 2}, 3];
   
  if (equal(arr1, arr2)) { 
    // ... 
  }

• Array Buffers:

  var buffer1 = new ArrayBuffer(8);
  new Uint32Array(buffer1).set([1000000, 1100000]);
   
  var buffer2 = new ArrayBuffer(8);
  new Uint16Array(buffer2).set([16960, 15, 51424, 16]);
   
  if (equal(buffer1, buffer2)) {
    // ...
  }

• Map:

  var keyObj = {};
   
  var map1 = new Map();
  map1.set('a', "value associated with a string");
  map1.set(1, "value associated with a number");
  map1.set(keyObj, "value associated with keyObj");
   
  var map2 = new Map();
  map2.set('a', "value associated with a string");
  map2.set(1, "value associated with a number");
  map2.set(keyObj, "value associated with keyObj");
   
  if (equal(map1, map2)) {
    console.log('Ok');
  }

Advanced use (options)

Options

equal( value1, value2, options );

equal() accept a third parameter, an object with options than change the default behavior. The options than can be included are:

• {nonStrict: true}

  By default, the comparison include value and type. With this option as true the comparison is not strict, and the type is not checked.

  Simple comparison as ==.

  if (equal("1", 1, {nonStrict: true})) {
      // ...
  }

  Example with Array and ArrayLike object.

  var arr1 = ['a', 'b', 'c'];
  var arrLike2 = {'0': 'a', '1': 'b', '2': 'c'};
  Object.defineProperty(arrLike2, 'length', {value: 3, enumerable: false});
   
  if (equal(arr1, arrLike2, {nonStrict: true})) {
      // ...
  }

• {nonEnumerableProperties: true}

  By default, only the own enumerable property are checked. With this option as true include the enumerable and nonenumerable properties into the comparison.

  var notEnumerable = {};
  Object.defineProperties( notEnumerable, {
    a: {value: 1, enumerable: false},
    b: {value: 2, enumerable: false}}
  );
  var enumerable = {a: 1, b: 2};
   
  if (equal(enumerable, notEnumerable, {nonEnumerableProperties: true})) {
    // ...
  }

• {allProperties: true}

  By default, only the own enumerable property are checked. With this option as true include the enumerable and nonenumerable, own and its prototype chain properties into the comparison. Include {nonEnumerableProperties: true}.

  var priv = new WeakMap();
  class ClassCheck  {
      constructor() {
          priv.set(this, {});
      }
      get a() {
          return priv.get(this).a;
      }
      set a(value) {
          var tmp = priv.get(this);
          tmp.a = value;
          priv.set(this, tmp);
      }
  }
  var fromClass1 = new ClassCheck();
  fromClass1.a = 10;
  fromClass1.b = 20;
  var fromClass2 = new ClassCheck();
  fromClass2.a = 10;
  fromClass2.b = 20;
   
  if (equal(fromClass1, fromClass2, {allProperties: true})) {
      // ...
  }

• {privateProperties: true}

  By default, the property names with started with _ are ignored. With this property as true these private properties are included into the comparison.

  var priv1 = { p: true, _x: 10, _z: 20 };
  var priv2 = { p: true, _x: 0,  _z: 0  };
   
  if (equal(priv1, priv2)) {
      // ...
  }
  if (equal(priv1, priv2, {privateProperties: true})) {
      // ...
  }

• {checkPropertyDescritors: true}

  By default, the properties name with first character _ are ignore. With this property as true these private properties are included into the comparison.

  var notWritable = {};
  Object.defineProperties( notWritable, {
     a: {value: 1, writable: false, enumerable: true},
     b: {value: 2, writable: false, enumerable: true}}
  );
  var writable = {a: 1, b: 2};
   
  if (!equal(notWritable, writable, {checkPropertyDescritors: true})) {
     // ...
  }

• {functionSource: true} (experimental feature)

  By default, the functions comparison return true only when they are exactly the same object. With this options as true the source code returned with toString() is compare for not native functions. It is a experimental feature and must be used with careful.

Return values

The equal() function return codes for a more accuracy comparison result. These values are defined as properties of equal function object:

• equal.NOT_EQUAL (0) The comparison is false.
• equal.VALUE (1) The comparison is the same value.
• equal.VALUE_AND_TYPE (2) The comparison is the same value and same type.
• equal.PROPERTIES (3) The objects has the same properties values.
• equal.PROPERTIES_AND_TYPE (4) The objects has the same properties values and types.
• equal.OBJECT (5) The objects are exactly the same object.
• equal.FUNCTION (6) The functions are equivalents.

Tests

The tests.js file include a huge number of checked case. This file use a simple console.assert() and don't have dependencies. You can use this test file on browser and Node.