javascript - Array of Array, JSON.stringify() giving empty array instead of entire object

Question

Here's my array (from Chrome console):

Here's the pertinent part of code:

console.log(hours);
var data = JSON.stringify(hours);
console.log(data);

In Chrome's console I get [] from the last line. I should get {'Mon':{...}...}

Here is the minimal amount of JavaScript to reproduce the issue:

var test = [];
test["11h30"] = "15h00"
test["18h30"] = "21h30"
console.log(test);    
console.log(JSON.stringify(test)); // outputs []

I tried some other stuff like Convert array to JSON or Convert javascript object or array to json for ajax data but the problem remains.

Answer 1

Here is the minimal amount of javascript to reproduce the issue

var test = [];
test["11h30"] = "15h00"
test["18h30"] = "21h30"
console.log(test);    
console.log(JSON.stringify(test)); // outputs []

The issue with the above is that, while javascript will be happy to let you late-bind new properties onto Array, JSON.stringify() will only attempt to serialize the actual elements in the array.

A minimal change to make the object an actual object, and JSON.stringify works as expected:

var test = {}; // here is thre only change. new array ([]) becomes new object ({})
test["11h30"] = "15h00"
test["18h30"] = "21h30"
console.log(test);
console.log(JSON.stringify(test)); // outputs {"11h30":"15h00","18h30":"21h30"}