Object

`Object.getOwnPropertyDescriptor`

Returns a property descriptor for an own property of a given object

Syntax

JavaScript

Object.getOwnPropertyDescriptor(obj, prop)

Parameters

Parameter	Type	Description
obj	object	The object to look up
prop	string \| symbol	Name of the property

Return Value

A property descriptor, or undefined if the property doesn't exist

Examples

Basic Usage

const obj = { name: 'Alice' };
const desc = Object.getOwnPropertyDescriptor(obj, 'name');
console.log(desc);
// { value: 'Alice', writable: true, enumerable: true, configurable: true }

Practical Example

const frozen = Object.freeze({ x: 1 });
const desc = Object.getOwnPropertyDescriptor(frozen, 'x');
console.log(desc?.writable); // false

Advanced Usage

const arr = [1, 2, 3];
const desc = Object.getOwnPropertyDescriptor(arr, 'length');
console.log(desc?.writable); // true

Understanding Object.getOwnPropertyDescriptor

The Object.getOwnPropertyDescriptor method in JavaScript returns a property descriptor for an own property of a given object. It belongs to the Object object and is one of the most widely used methods for working with object values in modern JavaScript and TypeScript applications.

The method signature is Object.getOwnPropertyDescriptor(obj, prop). It accepts 2 parameters: obj, prop. When called, it returns a property descriptor, or undefined if the property doesn't exist. Understanding when and how to use getOwnPropertyDescriptor() helps you write more expressive, readable code.

Common use cases for Object.getOwnPropertyDescriptor include data transformation, input validation, API response processing, and building reusable utility functions. It works well alongside related methods like object-defineproperty, object-getownpropertynames, enabling you to chain operations together for complex data manipulation pipelines.

Browser support for Object.getOwnPropertyDescriptor is excellent across all modern browsers including Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge. It is also fully supported in Node.js and Deno. For older environments, transpilation with Babel or a polyfill may be needed.