JavaScript - Variable/object as string and function at the same time

Question

Is it possible to create variable/object, which returns string and function at the same time?

> a
'Hello World'
> a()
2018-07-13T13:45:10.967Z

I've seen article about default methods of JavaScript objects, but I couldn't find it now.

I think it should be something like:

// Pseudo code
const a = {
    toString: "Hello World",
    function: () => new Date(),
};

@aquaballin did you mean do I test my "code"? :) Sure, but results is returned with: a.toString and a.function(). I'd like get values with a and a(). — Mateusz Jagiełło
– Mateusz Jagiełło, Commented Jul 13, 2018 at 13:51
You need to define a function a and then add a toString method to that function. — Axnyff
– Axnyff, Commented Jul 13, 2018 at 13:57
I am 100% sure that what you are trying to do is not possible, variables in Js can indeed assume different types, but you have to explicitly say that. — utalking2me
– utalking2me, Commented Jul 13, 2018 at 13:59

Nelson Teixeira · Accepted Answer · 2018-07-13 17:55:12Z

1

AFAIU this is only possible if, when you need the string, you use the variable in a way to enable explicit or implicit conversion, like this:

const a = function () {
  return new Date()
};
a.toString = function() {
  return "Hello world";
}

console.log('' + a);
console.log(String(a));
console.log(a());

edited Jul 13, 2018 at 17:55

answered Jul 13, 2018 at 14:54

Nelson Teixeira

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2 Comments

Bergi Over a year ago

This only works with console.log(String(a)). Logging a alone will log the object.

Nelson Teixeira Over a year ago

@bergi thanks for pointing my error. I was led to believe it was ok because in SO's snippet if you run the code the output of console.log(a) outputs Hello World. As I tried outside of it I saw you were right. I corrected my answer.

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