JavaScript WeakSet Object

The JavaScript WeakSet object is the type of collection that allows us to store weakly held objects. Unlike Set, the WeakSet are the collections of objects only. It doesn't contain the arbitrary values.

Parameter

iterable - It represents the iterable object whose elements will be added to a new WeakSet.

Points to remember

• A WeakSet object contains unique objects only.
• In WeakSet, if there is no reference to a stored object, they are targeted to garbage collection.
• In WeakSet, the objects are not enumerable. So, it doesn't provide any method to get the specified objects.

WeakSet behaves similarly:

• It is analogous to Set, but we may only add objects to WeakSet (not primitives).
• An object exists in the set while it is reachable from somewhere else.
• Like Set, it supports add, has and delete, but not size, keys() and no iterations.

Being “weak”, it also serves as additional storage. But not for arbitrary data, rather for “yes/no” facts. A membership in WeakSet may mean something about the object.

For instance, we can add users to WeakSet to keep track of those who visited our site:

let visitedSet = new WeakSet();

let john = { name: "John" };
let pete = { name: "Pete" };
let mary = { name: "Mary" };

visitedSet.add(john); // John visited us
visitedSet.add(pete); // Then Pete
visitedSet.add(john); // John again

// visitedSet has 2 users now

// check if John visited?
alert(visitedSet.has(john)); // true

// check if Mary visited?
alert(visitedSet.has(mary)); // false

john = null;

// visitedSet will be cleaned automatically

The most notable limitation of WeakMap and WeakSet is the absence of iterations, and the inability to get all current content. That may appear inconvenient, but does not prevent WeakMap/WeakSet from doing their main job – be an “additional” storage of data for objects which are stored/managed at another place.