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Sanket Patel
Sanket Patel

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isNaN('') = false 😅, how to handle it?

#isnan #javascript #tricks #number

I recently noticed that isNaN('') and isNaN(null) both return false in JavaScript. It means that both empty string and null are valid numbers. So if you want to perform any number specific operation by just comparing the variable using isNaN(), it won't work. Here is an example:

function formattedAmount(x) {
  if (isNaN(x)) {
    return "Not a Number!";
  }
  return "$ " + x.toFixed(2);
}

console.log(formattedAmount(""));
// output: Error: x.toFixed is not a function

console.log(formattedAmount(null));
// output: Error: Cannot read property 'toFixed' of null
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This can be fixed using Number() function or + operator. It will create Number object of variable x. Hence both empty string and null will result into number 0 and accordingly, rest of the statement will be executed.

function formattedAmount(x) {
  if (isNaN(x)) {
    return "Not a Number!";
  }
  return "$ " + Number(x).toFixed(2);
  // OR
  // return '$ '+ (+x).toFixed(2);
}

console.log(formattedAmount(""));
// output: "$ 0.00"

console.log(formattedAmount(null));
// output: "$ 0.00"

console.log(formattedAmount(12.126));
// output: "$ 12.13"
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Hope you find it useful.

I made a quick check but didn't get why exactly in JavaScript isNaN('') is false. I would love to know if you have anything to say regarding that. Thanks for reading!

Proofread by @ron4ex

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robotmayo profile image
Robotmayo •

Whats happening is you are misunderstanding what isNaN does. It does not check if the value passed is or isn't a number, it only check if the value is the global constant NaN