Before my re-entry in JavaScript (and related) I've done lots of ActionScript 3 and there they had a Dictionary
object that had weak keys, just like WeakMap
introduced with ECMAScript 6; but the AS3 version still was enumerable like a regular generic object while the WeakMap
specifically has no .keys()
or .values()
.
The AS3 version allowed us to rig some really interesting and useful constructs but I feel the JS version is somewhat limited. Why is that?
If the Flash VM could do it then what is keeping browsers from doing same? I read how it would be “non-deterministic” but that is sort of the point right?
Finally found the real answer: http://tc39wiki.calculist.org/es6/weak-map/
A key property of Weak Maps is the inability to enumerate their keys. This is necessary to prevent attackers observing the internal behavior of other systems in the environment which share weakly-mapped objects. Should the number or names of items in the collection be discoverable from the API, even if the values aren't, WeakMap instances might create a side channel where one was previously not available.