JavaScript Iterables
An Iterable is an Iterable Object
An iterable can be iterated over with for..of loops
The For Of Loop
The JavaScript for..of statement loops
through the elements of an iterable object.
Syntax
for (variable of iterable) {
// code block to be executed
}
Iterating
Iterating means looping over a sequence of elements.
Here are some easy examples:
- Iterating over a String
- Iterating over an Array
- Iterating over a Set
- Iterating over a Map
Iterating Over a String
You can use a for..of loop to iterate over the elements of a string:
Example
const name = "W3Schools";
for (const x of name) {
// code block to be executed
}
Try it Yourself »
Iterating Over an Array
You can use a for..of loop to iterate over the elements of an Array:
Example 1
const letters = ["a","b","c"];
for (const x of letters) {
// code block to be executed
}
Try it Yourself »
Example 2
const numbers = [2,4,6,8];
for (const x of numbers) {
// code block to be executed
}
Try it Yourself »
Iterating Over a Set
You can use a for..of loop to iterate over the elements of a Set:
Example
const letters = new Set(["a","b","c"]);
for (const x of letters) {
// code block to be executed
}
Try it Yourself »
Iterating Over a Map
You can use a for..of loop to iterate over the elements of a Map:
Example
const fruits = new Map([
["apples", 500],
["bananas", 300],
["oranges", 200]
]);
for (const x of fruits) {
// code block to be executed
}
Try it Yourself »
JavaScript Iterators
The iterator protocol defines how to produce a sequence of values from an object.
An object becomes an iterator when it implements a next() method.
The next() method must return an object with two properties:
- value (the next value)
- done (true or false)
| value | The value returned by the iterator (Can be omitted if done is true) |
|---|---|
| done |
true if the iterator has completed false if the iterator has produced a new value |
Note
Technically, iterables must implement the Symbol.iterator method.
In JavaScript the following are iterables:
- Strings
- Arrays
- Typed Arrays
- Sets
- Maps
Because their prototype objects have a
Symbol.iterator method:
Home Made Iterable
This iterable returns never ending number: 10,20,30,40,.... when the
next() method is called:
Example
// Home Made Iterable
function myNumbers() {
let n = 0;
return {
next: function() {
n += 10;
return {value:n, done:false};
}
};
}
// Run the Iterable
const n = myNumbers();
n.next(); // Returns 10
n.next(); // Returns 20
n.next(); // Returns 30
Try it Yourself »
Note
Home made iterables do not support the JavaScript for..of statement.
A JavaScript iterable is an object that has a Symbol.iterator.
The Symbol.iterator is a function that returns a next() function.
An iterable can be iterated over with the code: for (const x of iterable) { }
Example
// Create an Object
myNumbers = {};
// Make it Iterable
myNumbers[Symbol.iterator] = function() {
let n = 0;
done = false;
return {
next() {
n += 10;
if (n == 100) {done = true}
return {value:n, done:done};
}
};
}
Now you can use for..of
for (const num of myNumbers) {
// Any Code Here
}
Try it Yourself »
The Symbol.iterator method is called automatically by for..of.
But we can also do it "manually":
Example
let iterator = myNumbers[Symbol.iterator]();
while (true) {
const result = iterator.next();
if (result.done) break;
// Any Code Here
}
Try it Yourself »
Note
Iterators provide a controlled way to work with data sequences, enabling custom iteration logic for various data structures.
In the next chapter you will learn about the new Iterator Helper Functions introduced in ECMAScript 2025.
