find duplicate in an array code example

Example 1: javascript find duplicate in array

// JavaScript - finds if there is duplicate in an array. 
// Returns True or False.

const isThereADuplicate = function(arrayOfNumbers) {
    // Create an empty associative array or hash. 
    // This is preferred,
    let counts = {};
    // // but this also works. Comment in below and comment out above if you want to try.
    // let counts = [];

    for(var i = 0; i <= arrayOfNumbers.length; i++) {
        // As the arrayOfNumbers is being iterated through,
        // the counts hash is being populated.
        // Each value in the array becomes a key in the hash. 
        // The value assignment of 1, is there to complete the hash structure.
        // Once the key exists, meaning there is a duplicate, return true.
        // If there are no duplicates, the if block completes and returns false.
        if(counts[arrayOfNumbers[i]] === undefined) {
            counts[arrayOfNumbers[i]] = 1;
        } else {
            return true;
        }
    }
    return false;
}

Example 2: find-array-duplicates

npm i find-array-duplicates

import duplicates from 'find-array-duplicates'

const names = [
 { 'age': 36, 'name': 'Bob' },
 { 'age': 40, 'name': 'Harry' },
 { 'age': 1,  'name': 'Bob' }
]
 
duplicates(names, 'name').single()
// => { 'age': 36, 'name': 'Bob' }