What are JavaScript Numbers?
JavaScript numbers are primitive data types that can represent both integers and floating-point values. They are stored in 64-bit format using the IEEE-754 standard. This means that JavaScript numbers can have a very large range of values, from approximately -1.8 × 10^308 to 1.8 × 10^308.
Creating JavaScript Numbers
There are two main ways to create JavaScript numbers:
Using number literals: Number literals are simply numeric values written in the code. For example, the following code creates two JavaScript numbers:
const myInteger = 10;
const myFloat = 3.14;
Using the Number()
constructor: The Number()
constructor can be used to convert any value to a number, if possible. For example, the following code converts the string “10” to a number:
const myNumber = Number("10");
Arithmetic Operations
JavaScript supports all of the standard arithmetic operations on numbers, including addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, and exponentiation. These operations can be performed using the following operators:
Operator | Description
------- | --------
+ | Addition
- | Subtraction
* | Multiplication
/ | Division
** | Exponentiation
For example, the following code performs some basic arithmetic operations on numbers:
const sum = 10 + 5;
// sum is now 15const difference = 10 - 5;
// difference is now 5const product = 10 * 5;
// product is now 50const quotient = 10 / 5;
// quotient is now 2const exponent = 10 ** 2;
// exponent is now 100
Number Comparison
JavaScript also supports the following operators for comparing numbers:
Operator | Description
------- | --------
== | Equal to
!= | Not equal to
< | Less than
> | Greater than
<= | Less than or equal to
>= | Greater than or equal to
For example, the following code compares two numbers:
const num1 = 10;
const num2 = 5;
if (num1 == num2) {
console.log("The numbers are equal.");
} else if (num1 > num2) {
console.log("The first number is greater than the second number.");
} else {
console.log("The first number is less than the second number.");
}
Output:
The first number is greater than the second number.
Number Methods
JavaScript provides a number of methods for working with numbers. Some of the most useful methods include:
ToString()
: Converts a number to a string.
ToFixed()
: Formats a number to a specific number of decimal places.
ToPrecision()
: Formats a number to a specific number of significant digits.
ParseInt()
: Parses a string into an integer.
ParseFloat()
: Parses a string into a floating-point number.
For example, the following code uses the toString()
, toFixed()
, and parseFloat()
methods to work with numbers:
const myNumber = 10.3456;
// Convert the number to a string.
const myString = myNumber.toString();
// Format the number to two decimal places.
const formattedNumber = myNumber.toFixed(2);
// Parse the string into a floating-point number.
const parsedNumber = parseFloat(myString);
console.log(myString);
// Output: “10.3456”console.log(formattedNumber);
// Output: “10.35”console.log(parsedNumber);
// Output: 10.3456Conclusion
JavaScript numbers are a powerful tool that can be used to perform a variety of tasks, such as mathematical calculations, data analysis, and graphics programming. By understanding the basics of JavaScript numbers, you can write more efficient and effective code.