---
title: "Explain the difference between an iterable and an iterator in JavaScript."  
description: "Explain the difference between an iterable and an iterator in JavaScript."  
author: "Revati S Misra"  
published: 2023-11-01  
updated: 2023-11-02  
canonical: https://www.mindstick.com/forum/160374/explain-the-difference-between-an-iterable-and-an-iterator-in-javascript  
category: "javascript"  
tags: ["javascript", "iterable"]  
reading_time: 2 minutes  

---

# Explain the difference between an iterable and an iterator in JavaScript.

[Explain the difference](https://www.mindstick.com/forum/156125/can-you-explain-the-difference-between-organic-and-paid-results) between an iterable and an [iterator](https://www.mindstick.com/interview/1937/what-is-a-list-iterator-in-java) in JavaScript.

## Replies

### Reply by Aryan Kumar

In JavaScript, iterable and iterator are related concepts, but they serve different purposes and have distinct characteristics:

## Iterable:

- An iterable is an object that defines how it can be iterated over. It is any object that has a special method called **Symbol.iterator** that returns an iterator.
- Iterables can be looped over using the **for...of** loop, which simplifies the process of accessing their elements.
- Examples of iterables include arrays, strings, sets, maps, and user-defined iterable objects.

## Iterator:

- An iterator is an object responsible for keeping track of the current position during iteration and providing the next value in a sequence.
- It has two important methods: **next()** and **return()**. The **next()** method is used to retrieve the next value in the sequence and also returns information about whether the iteration is complete. The **return()** method is used to signal the end of iteration and can be used to clean up resources if necessary.
- Iterators are obtained from an iterable by calling the **Symbol.iterator** method on the iterable object. This returns an iterator object.
- Iterators maintain internal state, such as the current position, which allows them to produce the next value when **next()** is called. If the iteration is complete, the iterator returns an object with the **done** property set to **true**.

Here's a simple example to illustrate the [difference](https://www.mindstick.com/articles/157114/good-news-or-bad-news-and-the-difference-is):

```plaintext
const iterable = [1,
```

In this example, **iterable** is an array, and we obtain an iterator from it using the **Symbol.iterator** method. The **iterator** object keeps track of the current position and provides the values as we call its **next()** method.

To summarize, an iterable is an object that can be iterated over, while an iterator is the object that facilitates the iteration, maintaining its state and providing the values. Iterable objects provide iterators to allow efficient and controlled access to their elements.


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Original Source: https://www.mindstick.com/forum/160374/explain-the-difference-between-an-iterable-and-an-iterator-in-javascript

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