I saw an answer of a question it says
As a general rule, in JavaScript all values, all objects, and all of their properties are stored on the heap.
So i started searching and i found this page it says
JavaScript values in V8 are represented as objects and allocated on the V8 heap, no matter if they are objects, arrays, numbers or strings. This allows us to represent any value as a pointer to an object.
and from the book : Speaking JavaScript
Primitive Values
The following are all of the primitive values (or primitives for short):
- Booleans: true, false (see “Booleans” on page 12)
- Numbers: 1736, 1.351 (see “Numbers” on page 14)
- Strings: ‘abc’, “abc” (see “Strings” on page 15)
- Two “nonvalues”: undefined, null (see “undefined and null” on page 10)
Primitives have the following characteristics:
Compared by value
The “content” is compared:
3 === 3
true
'abc' === 'abc'
true
Always immutable
Properties can’t be changed, added, or removed:
var str = 'abc'; str.length = 1; // try to change property `length` str.length // ⇒ no effect 3 str.foo = 3; // try to create property `foo` str.foo // ⇒ no effect, unknown property undefined
(Reading an unknown property always returns undefined.)
Objects
All nonprimitive values are objects. The most common kinds of objects are:
- Plain objects, which can be created by object literals (see “Single Objects” on page 25):
{ firstName: 'Jane', lastName: 'Doe' }
The preceding object has two properties: the value of property firstName is ‘Jane’
and the value of property lastName is ‘Doe’.
- Arrays, which can be created by array literals (see “Arrays” on page 28):
[ 'apple', 'banana', 'cherry' ]
The preceding array has three elements that can be accessed via numeric indices.
For example, the index of ‘apple’ is 0.
- Regular expressions, which can be created by regular expression literals (see “Regular
Expressions” on page 31):/^a+b+$/
Objects have the following characteristics:
Compared by reference
Identities are compared; every value has its own identity:
{} === {} false // two different empty objects var obj1 = {}; var obj2 = obj1; obj1 === obj2 true
Mutable by default
You can normally freely change, add, and remove properties (see “Single Objects” on page 25):
var obj = {}; obj.foo = 123; // add property `foo` obj.foo 123
So my qusetion : Engine must know the value is a primative or object to know which characteristics will be applied. V8 engine represents any value as a pointer to an object.
So How does the V8 engine know the diffrence between primitive and object ( both are references ) ?
I think that
the pointer (reference) has a part that contains the primitive value itself ( for example if the primitive value is “hello” the pointer (reference) will contain “hello” ) if this part is empty the V8 engine will know this pointer (reference) points to an object
or the pointer has a part and this part works like a flag and that part tells the V8 engine if this pointer (reference) points to an object or this pointer (reference) points to a primitive value