Question

SPOT THE DIFFERENCE between toString() and + ''.

Asked by: Hamlet

Can someone tell me what functional difference (if any) there is between these two expressions...
  obj.func1(x.toString());
... and ...
  obj.func1(x + '');

I'm working on a script that calls functions of an object provided from a separate system.  We recently had a problem where the other system was not correctly accepting a value because it was an integer and the function required a string.

They suggested that rather than just pass the variable containing the integer value (x) that we pass x + ''.  They had tried it and it worked.

I thought that was okay, but just thought the + '' looked untidy, and preferred toString() as it makes the code much clearer (strange idea to try and make Javascript clear - I know).

So I adjusted my script using toString() and they said, "No it doesn't work".

So I experimented with this...

var x = 12;
var y = x.toString();
var z = x + '';

alert(y === z);

... and is said "true".  Which inclined me to think that the two expressions ARE the same.

So what's going on here?  Am I missing something?  Or is someone pulling my chain?

This Question has been solved and asker verified All Experts Exchange premium technology solutions are available to subscription members.

Subscribe now for full access to Experts Exchange and get

Instant Access to this Solution

  • Plus...
  • 30 Day FREE access, no risk, no obligation
  • Collaborate with the world's top tech experts
  • Unlimited access to our exclusive solution database
  • Never be left without tech help again

Subscribe Now

Asked On
2006-06-17 at 05:19:15ID21889896
Tags

difference

,

spot

,

between

,

javascript

Topic

JavaScript

Participating Experts
4
Points
300
Comments
6

Trusted by hundreds of thousands everyday for fast, accurate and reliable tech support.

  • "The time we save is the biggest benefit of Experts Exchange to Warner Bros. What could take multiple guys 2 hours or more each to find is accessed in around 15 minutes on Experts Exchange." Mike Kapnisakis, Warner Bros.
  • "Our team likes having a resource that is more secure than just using Google and most experts using this service really know their stuff. It's nice to look here first versus using Google." Dayna Sellner, Lockheed Martin
  • "Anytime that I've been stumped with a problem, 9 out of 10 times Experts Exchange has either the accepted solution or an open discussion of the potential solution to the problem." Kenny Red, eBay Inc.

See what Experts Exchange can do for you.

Got a question?

We've got the answer.

Experts Exchange has been collecting answers to technology questions since 1996…3 million and counting! If you have a question, chances are we already have your answer.

Screenshot of Experts Exchange Knowledgebase

Need individual assistance?

Our experts are ready to help.

If you can't find the exact answer you're looking for, ask our exclusive community of 50,000 experts. You’ll get a personalized answer from a trusted professional.

Screenshot of Experts Exchange Knowledgebase

Want to learn from the best?

Read articles from industry experts.

Thousands of free tech tips, tricks, how-to’s and tutorials are available in our peer reviewed articles section. See for yourself how smart our experts are, no login required.

Screenshot of an Article

Working on a long term project?

Store your work and research.

Save solutions to your questions, answers you’ve discovered through searching plus helpful articles in your personal knowledgebase for easy future access.

Screenshot of Experts Exchange Knowledgebase

Access the answers to your technology questions today.

Subscribe Now

30-day free trial. Register in 60 seconds.

What Makes Experts Exchange Unique?

Members of the expert community talk about why the experience at Experts Exchange is different than what you will find anywhere else.

Trusted by the world's most respected brands.

image of each brand's logo

Faithfully serving IT professionals since 1996.

Experts Exchange Logo

Try it out and discover for yourself.

Subscribe Now

30-day free trial. Register in 60 seconds.

Related Solutions

  1. ToString - ASP.net
    What is ToString? How do we use it? I'm just trying to understand it. If(languageList.SelectedItem is Nothing) = False Then language = LanguageList.SelectedItem.ToString() ISBN = books(language).Tostring cookie = New HttpCookie(langeuage, ISBN) Response.Cookies.Add(c...
  2. toString()
    I'm trying to make a toString method that will mimic a Collection toString() Looking for actual code of the method or code of the Collection toString()

Free Tech Articles

  1. WARNING: 5 Reasons why you should NEVER fix a computer for free.
    It is in our nature to love the puzzle. We are obsessed. The lot of us. We love puzzles. We love the challenge. We thrive on finding the answer. We hate disarray. It bothers us deep in our soul. W...
  2. SCCM OSD Basic troubleshooting
    SCCM 2007 OSD is a fantastic way to deploy operating systems, however, like most things SCCM issues can sometimes be difficult to resolve due to the sheer volume of logs to sift through and the dispe...
  3. Migrate Small Business Server 2003 to Exchange 2010 and Windows 2008 R2
    This guide is intended to provide step by step instructions on how to migrate from Small Business Server 2003 to Windows 2008 R2 with Exchange 2010. For this migration to work you will need the fo...
  4. Create a Win7 Gadget
    This article shows you how to create a simple "Gadget" -- a sort of mini-application supported by Windows 7 and Vista. Gadgets can be dropped anywhere on the desktop to provide instant information, ...
  5. Outlook continually prompting for username and password
    There have been a lot of questions recently regarding Outlook prompting for a username and password whilst using Exchange 2007. There are a few reasons why this would happen and I will try to cover t...
  6. Backup Exchange 2010 Information Store using Windows Backup
    There seems to be quite a lot of confusion around the ability to backup Exchange 2010 using the built in Windows Backup feature. This stems from the omission of this feature prior to Exchange 2007 s...

Cloud Class Webinars

  1. Avoiding Bugs in Microsoft Access
    Alison Balter takes and in-depth look at avoiding bugs in Access. In this webinar you will learn about using the immediate window to debug your applications, invoking the debugger, using breakpoints to troubleshoot, stepping through code, setting the next statement to execute, ...
  2. Top 10 Best New Features in Visio 2010
    Scott Helmers gives live demonstrations of the top 10 new features in Visio 2010. This webinar will teach you how to create compelling diagrams by adding shapes to the page with a single click, linking the shapes in a diagram to data in Excel (or SQL Server, or SharePoint), ...
  3. IT Consultant Business Secrets Revealed
    Michael Munger, Experts Exchange tech pro and IT consultant, pulls back the curtain on his very successful businesses and answers question on every IT consultant and business owner should know about. He shares secrets on what he did to solve the 5 most common problems in IT, ...
  4. Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity
    Quest CTO, Mike Billon, gives an overview of the steps involved in building a dunamic disaster recovery plan. Through case studies and an examination of software/hardware tooles for monitoring and testing, you'll gain a better understandin of where you are, where you want ...
  5. Organize Your Visio Diagrams with Containers and Lists
    Scott Helmers uses cross functional flowcharts, wireframe diagrams, data graphic legends and seating charts to teach you: how to ustilize all three new structured diagram components in Visio 2010, the best practices for organizeing shapes in previous version of Visio, how to organize ...
  6. How to Us Objects, Properties, Events and Methods in Microsoft Access
    Alison Dalter gives an in-depbth look at objects, properties, events and methods in Microsoft Access. In this webinar you will learn about using the object browser, referring to objects, working with properties and methods, working with object variables, understanding the ...

Join the Community

Give a Little. Get a Lot.

Join the community of experts here and help other tech pros by answering question in your area of expertise. You can earn FREE access to all Experts Exchange's premium features and resources.

Join the Community

Answers

 

by: ZvonkoPosted on 2006-06-17 at 05:43:35ID: 16926565

First Google shot was this:
http://www.webreference.com/js/column26/tostring.html

So I would confirm the readability aspects of toString() but at the end I would use +''

 

by: MorcalavinPosted on 2006-06-17 at 05:45:43ID: 16926567

Hrm...toString should be working:

var number = 12;
alert(typeof mynumber + ' is not a ' + typeof mynumber.toString());

Should alert "number is not a string".  So it is being converted.  What version of browser are they using?  Have you tried to pass the integer to the function, then on the first line of the function, convert it to a string?

x += ''  Adding a string to an integer in Javascript converts the entire variable to a string variable.  Many other languages will give you a type mismatch error.

 

by: ClickCentricPosted on 2006-06-17 at 07:19:56ID: 16926752

My guess is that if they suggested a specific method and you went with another, this is more a case of bitterness than coding.  You can't program out the human factor.

 

by: clockwatcherPosted on 2006-06-17 at 13:21:53ID: 16927539

Hate to be the bearer of bad news but they're not the same.  In the case that x is null, the toString will bomb the + '' won't.


<script language="javascript">

var a = null;

try
{  
   alert(a.toString());
}
catch (e)
{
    alert("sorry but this throws an error: " + e.description);
}


// this doesn't

alert(a + '');

</script>

 

by: HamletPosted on 2006-06-17 at 18:50:14ID: 16928243

Thanks for comments so far.  I'd like to see if there are any other suggestions before I give out points.

Morcalavin: They're using IE6, but something I forgot to mention is that the code specifies this as Javascript1.2 - which could make some difference I guess?  
I don't have direct access to their code, and am just providing them with a script to use in their system.

ClickCentric: I don't think it's them being bitter - They could be mistaken though and maybe the whole thing is a red herring.

clockwatcher: Good point regarding nulls.  Doesn't apply in this particular case as the variable being passed will always be defined, and always be an integer (before being forced to string)  - But good point to remember.

At this stage I have to assume that either they are mistaken, OR we haven't hit on it yet.

I might throw some more points out there and see if I can attract any additional suggestions.



 

by: MorcalavinPosted on 2006-06-18 at 05:13:31ID: 16929446

Chages were made to the toString() method between 1.2 and 1.3.  Zvonko's post points out at least one of those changes in toString when it is operated on an object.  Perhaps you could have them specify 1.3 code and see if that makes a difference?

20120131-EE-VQP-002

3 Ways to Join

30-Day Free Trial

The Experts

98% positive feedback on 31,087 answers since March 2000. angeliii is a Microsoft Most Valuable Professional for his work with MS SQL Server & Develoment.

He has also proven his knowledge of Visual Basic Programming, PHP Scripting and Oracle Databases.

The Experts

97% positive feedback on 10,752 answers since July 2000. lrmoore has more than 18 years experience in the networking industry.

The six-time Mircosoft MVPs specialties include firewalls, virtual private networking, and network management.

Testimonials

"...and excellent source for support... Kind of like having your very own IT dept." Electriciansnet

Testimonials

"I was apprehensive at signing up at first. However... it has already made my life as an IT administrator much easier." JaCrews

Testimonials

"WOW! You guys have great, active, and knowledgeable people on here." moore50

Business Clients

Business Clients

In the Press

"If you’ve got a question... Experts Exchange can supply an answer.”

In the Press

"...an invaluable aid for both IT professionals and those who require tech support."

In the Press

"where IT professionals provide quick answers on just about any topic"

Business Account Plans

Loading Advertisement...