JavaScript Array Methods – How to Use every() and some() in JS

In JavaScript, every and some help you test if something is true for every element or some elements of an array.

In this article, I'll show you how to use these helpful array methods.

1How every() and some() Work – an Overview#

First we need some data to test. For simplicity let's consider an array of numbers:

const nums = [34, 2, 48, 91, 12, 32];

Now let's say we want to test if every number in the array is less than 100. Using every we can easily test it like below:

nums.every(n => n < 100);
// true

Short and sweet! You can think about what happens here like this:

• every loops over the array elements left to right.
  • For each iteration, it calls the given function with the current array element as its 1st argument.
  • The loop continues until the function returns a falsy value. And in that case every returns false – otherwise it returns true.

some also works very similarly to every:

• some loops over the array elements left to right.
  • For each iteration, it calls the given function with the current array element as its 1st argument.
  • The loop continues until the function returns a truthy value. And in that case some returns true – otherwise it returns false.

Now let's use some to test if some number in the array is odd:

nums.some(n => n % 2 == 1);
// true

That's really true! 91 is odd.

But this is not the end of the story. These methods have some more depth. Let's dig in.

2Parameters of every and some#

The way to use every and some array methods is exactly the same. They have the same set of parameters and those parameters also mean identical things. So it's very easy to learn them at once.  

We have already worked with first parameter of these methods which is a function. We call this function predicate.

In computer science, a predicate is a function of a set of parameters that returns a boolean as an answer. JavaScript treats the function we give to every/some as a predicate. We can return any type of value we wish, but those are treated as a Boolean, so it's common to call this function a predicate.

They also have an optional 2nd parameter to control this inside of non-arrow predicates. We call it thisArg.

So you can call these methods in the following ways:

arr.every(predicate)
arr.every(predicate, thisArg)

arr.some(predicate)
arr.some(predicate, thisArg)

Let's see the predicate and the optional thisArg in detail below.

2.1predicate#

Through the predicate, every/some not only gives us access to the current array element but also its index and the original array through its parameters like below:

• 1st parameter: The current array element.
• 2nd parameter: The index of the current element.
• 3rd parameter: The array itself on which every/some is called.

We have only seen the first parameter in action in earlier examples. Let's catch the index and the array by defining two more parameters. This time, let's say we have some T-Shirt data to test if all of them have freeCodeCampe logo:

let tshirts = [
  { size: "S", color: "black", logo: "freeCodeCamp" },
  { size: "S", color: "white", logo: "freeCodeCamp" },
  { size: "S", color: "teal",  logo: "freeCodeCamp" },
  { size: "M", color: "black", logo: "freeCodeCamp" },
  { size: "M", color: "white", logo: "freeCodeCamp" },
  { size: "M", color: "teal",  logo: "freeCodeCamp" },
  { size: "L", color: "black", logo: "freeCodeCamp" },
  { size: "L", color: "white", logo: "freeCodeCamp" },
  { size: "L", color: "teal",  logo: "freeCodeCamp" },
];

tshirts.every((item, i, arr) => {
  console.log(i);
  console.log(arr);
  return item.logo == "freeCodeCamp";
})

Try this out in your console to see the output. And don't forget to play around with some too.

2.2Optional thisArg#

If in any case you need to have a particular this value inside your predicate, you can set that with thisArg. Note that is only applicable for non-arrow predicates because arrow functions have no this bindings.

If you omit this argument, this inside the predicate (non-arrow function) works as usual, that is:

• In strict mode this is undefined.
• In sloppy mode this is the global object which is window in browser and global in Node.

I can't think of any good use case of thisArg. But I think it's good that it exists because now you have control over this inside your predicate. So even if someday there is a need for it you will know that there is a way.

If you have any good ideas for uses of thisArg, please let me know on Twitter :)

3Edge cases for every and some#

3.1What happens when every and some is called on an empty array?#

Sometimes the array you want to test might be empty. For example, you fetched an array from an API and it can have an arbitrary number of elements at different times including zero.

For the case of every a true return value can mean two things:

• If the array has more than zero elements, then all elements of the array satisfies the predicate.
• The array has no elements.

So if we want we can do crazy things inside the predicate like below:

const myCatsBankAccounts = [];
myCatsBankAccounts.every(account => account.balance > elonMusk.totalWealth)

And still get true as the return value!

If the array is empty, JavaScript directly returns true without any calls to the predicate.

It's because in logic, you can say anything about the elements of an empty set and that is regarded as true or more precisely vacuously true. Such logic might seem nonsense in everyday usage but it's how logic works. Read the wiki page linked above to know more about it.

So if you get true as the the return value of every you should be aware that the array could be empty.

some on the other hand, directly returns false on empty arrays without any calls to predicate and without any weirdness.

3.2Non-existing elements are ignored#

If your array has holes in it like below, they are ignored by every/some:

const myUntiddyArry = [1,,,3,,42];

3.3Mutating the array in the predicate#

I will not discuss this case here, because mutating the original array in most cases just complicates things and makes more room for bugs.

If you really need to or are interested, please read the note in the spec for details.

4A challenge for you#

Express every with some and some with every in JavaScript.

I hope you will also feel the immense joy and wonder that I got when I discovered this relationship!

const myEvery = (arr, predicate) => !arr.some(e => !predicate(e));

const mySome = (arr, predicate) => !arr.every(e => !predicate(e));

Thanks for reading! I hope this article was helpful. Check out my other articles here. Let's connect on Twitter.