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Jan 26, 2017 6:00:03 AM | JavaScript - ReferenceError: invalid assignment left-hand side

Today we examine the invalid assignment error, which is thrown, as the name implies, when code attempts to perform an invalid assignment somewhere.

Next on the list in our extensive JavaScript Error Handling series we're going to examine the Invalid Left-Hand Assignment error in greater detail. The Invalid Left-Hand Assignment error is a sub-object of ReferenceError and is thrown, as the name implies, when code attempts to perform an invalid assignment somewhere.

In this post we'll look at a few code examples to illustrate some common methods of producing an Invalid Left-Hand Assignment error, as well as examine how to handle this error when it rears its ugly head. Let the party begin!

The Technical Rundown

  • All JavaScript error objects are descendants of the  Error  object, or an inherited object therein.
  • The  ReferenceError  object is inherited from the  Error  object.
  • The Invalid Left-Hand Assignment error is a specific type of ReferenceError object.

When Should You Use It?

As one of the simplest JavaScript errors to understand, the Invalid Left-Hand Assignment error appears in only a handful of situations in which code is attempting to pass an assignment incorrectly. While this is generally thought of as a syntactic issue, JavaScript defines this particular assignment error as a ReferenceError, since the engine effectively assumes an assignment to a non-referenced variable is being attempted.

The most common example of an Invalid Left-Hand Assignment error is when attempting to compare a value using a assignment operator (=), rather than using a proper comparison operator (== or ===). For example, here we're attempting to perform a basic comparison of the variable name with the values John or Fred. Unfortunately, we've made the mistake of using the assignment operator =, instead of a comparison operator such as == or ===:

try { var name = 'Bob'; if (name = 'John' || name = 'Fred') { console.log(`${name} returns!`) } else { console.log(`Just ${name} this time.`) } } catch (e) { if (e instanceof ReferenceError) { printError(e, true); } else { printError(e, false); } }

Sure enough, rather than giving us an output, the JavaScript engine produces the expected Invalid Left-Hand Assignment error:

It's worth noting that catching an Invalid Left-Hand Assignment error with a typical try-catch block is particular difficult, because the engine parses the code from inside out, meaning inner code blocks are parsed and executed before outer blocks. Since the issue of using a = assignment operator instead of a == comparison operator means the actual structure of the code is changed from the expected, the outer try-catch fails to be parsed and properly executed. In short, this means Invalid Left-Hand Assignment errors are always "raw", without any simple means of catching them.

Another common method for producing an Invalid Left-Hand Assignment error is when attempting to concatenate a string value onto a variable using the addition assignment += operator, instead of the concatenation operator +. For example, below we're attempting to perform concatenation on the name variable on multiple lines, but we've accidentally used the += operator:

try { var name = 'Bob' += ' Smith';

console.log(`Name is ${name}.`); } catch (e) { if (e instanceof ReferenceError) { printError(e, true); } else { printError(e, false); } }

This isn't the syntax JavaScript expects when concatenating multiple values onto a string, so an Invalid Left-Hand Assignment error is thrown:

To resolve this, we simply need to replace += with the concatenation operator +:

try { var name = 'Bob' + ' Smith';

Now we skip the Invalid Left-Hand Assignment error entirely and get our expected output indicating the full name stored in the name variable:

To dive even deeper into understanding how your applications deal with JavaScript Errors, check out the revolutionary Airbrake JavaScript error tracking tool for real-time alerts and instantaneous insight into what went wrong with your JavaScript code.

Written By: Frances Banks

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Dec 28, 2016 8:00:56 AM | JavaScript Error Handling - ReferenceError: assignment to undeclared variable “x”

Feb 15, 2017 7:41:35 am | javascript error handling: syntaxerror: "use strict" not allowed in function with non-simple parameters, may 21, 2017 9:00:51 am | javascript errors - syntaxerror: test for equality mistyped as assignment.

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ReferenceError: invalid assignment left-hand side

The JavaScript exception "invalid assignment left-hand side" occurs when there was an unexpected assignment somewhere. For example, a single " = " sign was used instead of " == " or " === ".

ReferenceError .

What went wrong?

There was an unexpected assignment somewhere. This might be due to a mismatch of a assignment operator and an equality operator , for example. While a single " = " sign assigns a value to a variable, the " == " or " === " operators compare a value.

Typical invalid assignments

In the if statement, you want to use an equality operator ("=="), and for the string concatenation, the plus ("+") operator is needed.

  • Assignment operators
  • Equality operators

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  • ReferenceError: invalid assignment left-hand side

ReferenceError .

What went wrong?

There was an unexpected assignment somewhere. This might be due to a mismatch of a assignment operator and a comparison operator , for example. While a single " = " sign assigns a value to a variable, the " == " or " === " operators compare a value.

In the if statement, you want to use a comparison operator ("=="), and for the string concatenation, the plus ("+") operator is needed.

  • Assignment operators
  • Comparison operators

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  • ReferenceError: invalid assignment left-hand side

The JavaScript exception "invalid assignment left-hand side" occurs when there was an unexpected assignment somewhere. For example, a single " = " sign was used instead of " == " or " === ".

ReferenceError .

What went wrong?

There was an unexpected assignment somewhere. This might be due to a mismatch of a assignment operator and a comparison operator , for example. While a single " = " sign assigns a value to a variable, the " == " or " === " operators compare a value.

Typical invalid assignments

In the if statement, you want to use a comparison operator ("=="), and for the string concatenation, the plus ("+") operator is needed.

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JavaScript ReferenceError – Invalid assignment left-hand side

This JavaScript exception invalid assignment left-hand side occurs if there is a wrong assignment somewhere in code. A single “=” sign instead of “==” or “===” is an Invalid assignment.

Error Type:

Cause of the error: There may be a misunderstanding between the assignment operator and a comparison operator.

Basic Example of ReferenceError – Invalid assignment left-hand side, run the code and check the console

Example 1: In this example, “=” operator is misused as “==”, So the error occurred.

Example 2: In this example, the + operator is used with the declaration, So the error has not occurred.

Output: 

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JavaScript SyntaxError: invalid assignment left-hand side

The JavaScript exception "SyntaxError: invalid assignment left-hand side" occurs when there is an unexpected assignment somewhere in the code. This can happen for a number of reasons, but some of the most common causes include:

  • Using the assignment operator (=) instead of the equality operator (== or ===)
  • Assigning to the result of a function call, new call, super(), or this
  • Assigning to a property of a value that is not an object

Here are some examples of code that would cause this error:

To fix this error, you need to make sure that the left-hand side of the assignment expression is a valid reference. This means that it should be a variable, property, or element of an array.

Here are some examples of corrected code:

SyntaxError: invalid assignment left-hand side

The JavaScript exception "invalid assignment left-hand side" occurs when there was an unexpected assignment somewhere. It may be triggered when a single = sign was used instead of == or === .

SyntaxError or ReferenceError , depending on the syntax.

What went wrong?

There was an unexpected assignment somewhere. This might be due to a mismatch of an assignment operator and an equality operator , for example. While a single = sign assigns a value to a variable, the == or === operators compare a value.

Typical invalid assignments

In the if statement, you want to use an equality operator ( === ), and for the string concatenation, the plus ( + ) operator is needed.

Assignments producing ReferenceErrors

Invalid assignments don't always produce syntax errors. Sometimes the syntax is almost correct, but at runtime, the left hand side expression evaluates to a value instead of a reference , so the assignment is still invalid. Such errors occur later in execution, when the line is actually executed.

Function calls, new calls, super() , and this are all values instead of references. If you want to use them on the left hand side, the assignment target needs to be a property of their produced values instead.

Note: In Firefox and Safari, the first example produces a ReferenceError in non-strict mode, and a SyntaxError in strict mode . Chrome throws a runtime ReferenceError for both strict and non-strict modes.

Using optional chaining as assignment target

Optional chaining is not a valid target of assignment.

Instead, you have to first guard the nullish case.

  • Assignment operators
  • Equality operators

© 2005–2023 MDN contributors. Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License v2.5 or later. https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/JavaScript/Reference/Errors/Invalid_assignment_left-hand_side

How to fix SyntaxError: invalid assignment left-hand side

by Nathan Sebhastian

Posted on Jul 10, 2023

error invalid assignment left hand side detail invalid assignment left hand side

When running JavaScript code, you might encounter an error that says:

Both errors are the same, and they occured when you use the single equal = sign instead of double == or triple === equals when writing a conditional statement with multiple conditions.

Let me show you an example that causes this error and how I fix it.

How to reproduce this error

Suppose you have an if statement with two conditions that use the logical OR || operator.

You proceed to write the statement as follows:

When you run the code above, you’ll get the error:

This error occurs because you used the assignment operator with the logical OR operator.

An assignment operator doesn’t return anything ( undefined ), so using it in a logical expression is a wrong syntax.

How to fix this error

To fix this error, you need to replace the single equal = operator with the double == or triple === equals.

Here’s an example:

By replacing the assignment operator with the comparison operator, the code now runs without any error.

The double equal is used to perform loose comparison, while the triple equal performs a strict comparison. You should always use the strict comparison operator to avoid bugs in your code.

Other causes for this error

There are other kinds of code that causes this error, but the root cause is always the same: you used a single equal = when you should be using a double or triple equals.

For example, you might use the addition assignment += operator when concatenating a string:

The code above is wrong. You should use the + operator without the = operator:

Another common cause is that you assign a value to another value:

This is wrong because you can’t assign a value to another value.

You need to declare a variable using either let or const keyword, and you don’t need to wrap the variable name in quotations:

You can also see this error when you use optional chaining as the assignment target.

For example, suppose you want to add a property to an object only when the object is defined:

Here, we want to assign the age property to the person object only when the person object is defined.

But this will cause the invalid assignment left-hand side error. You need to use the old if statement to fix this:

Now the error is resolved.

The JavaScript error SyntaxError: invalid assignment left-hand side occurs when you have an invalid syntax on the left-hand side of the assignment operator.

This error usually occurs because you used the assignment operator = when you should be using comparison operators == or === .

Once you changed the operator, the error would be fixed.

I hope this tutorial helps. Happy coding!

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Invalid left-hand side in assignment in JavaScript [Solved]

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Last updated: Feb 16, 2023 Reading time · 2 min

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# Invalid left-hand side in assignment in JavaScript [Solved]

The "Invalid left-hand side in assignment" error occurs when we have a syntax error in our JavaScript code.

The most common cause is using a single equal sign instead of double or triple equals in a conditional statement.

To resolve the issue, make sure to correct any syntax errors in your code.

invalid left hand side in assignment error

Here are some examples of how the error occurs.

# Use double or triple equals when comparing values

The most common cause of the error is using a single equal sign = instead of double or triple equals when comparing values.

use double or triple equals when comparing values

The engine interprets the single equal sign as an assignment and not as a comparison operator.

We use a single equals sign when assigning a value to a variable.

assignment vs equality

However, we use double equals (==) or triple equals (===) when comparing values.

# Use bracket notation for object properties that contain hyphens

Another common cause of the error is trying to set an object property that contains a hyphen using dot notation.

use bracket notation for object properties containing hyphens

You should use bracket [] notation instead, e.g. obj['key'] = 'value' .

# Assigning the result of calling a function to a value

The error also occurs when trying to assign the result of a function invocation to a value as shown in the last example.

If you aren't sure where to start debugging, open the console in your browser or the terminal in your Node.js application and look at which line the error occurred.

The screenshot above shows that the error occurred in the index.js file on line 25 .

You can hover over the squiggly red line to get additional information on why the error was thrown.

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Understanding & Fixing the Invalid Left-hand Side in Assignment Error: A Comprehensive Guide

David Henegar

The "Invalid Left-hand Side in Assignment" error is a common issue that developers often encounter while working with JavaScript or other programming languages. This error occurs when you attempt to assign a value to something that is not a valid target for assignment. In this guide, we will go through the reasons behind this error, how to fix it, and provide answers to frequently asked questions related to this topic.

Table of Contents

What causes the invalid left-hand side in assignment error, how to fix the invalid left-hand side in assignment error, common mistakes to avoid.

The "Invalid Left-hand Side in Assignment" error occurs when you try to assign a value to something that cannot hold a value. In JavaScript, this can happen in several scenarios, such as:

  • Assigning a value to a number or a string.
  • Assigning a value to an object when it should be assigned to a property of the object.
  • Using an assignment operator (=) instead of a comparison operator (== or ===) in an if statement or other conditional expressions.

Here's an example of code that would trigger this error:

Since const variables cannot be reassigned, attempting to do so will result in the "Invalid Left-hand Side in Assignment" error.

To fix this error, you need to identify the problematic assignment and change it to a valid assignment or use the appropriate comparison operator. Here are some examples and their solutions:

Since const variables cannot be reassigned, you should use a let variable instead:

Use a comparison operator (== or ===) instead of an assignment operator (=):

Here are some common mistakes that can lead to the "Invalid Left-hand Side in Assignment" error:

  • Using assignment operators (=) instead of comparison operators (== or ===) in conditional expressions.
  • Attempting to assign a value to a const variable.
  • Assigning a value to an invalid target, such as a number or a string.

By being aware of these common mistakes and carefully reviewing your code, you can prevent this error from occurring in your projects.

1. What is the difference between the assignment operator (=) and the comparison operators (== and ===)?

The assignment operator (=) is used to assign a value to a variable, while the comparison operators (== and ===) are used to compare two values. The double equals operator (==) compares values for equality, while the triple equals operator (===) compares values for both equality and type.

2. Can I assign a value to a const variable after declaring it?

No, you cannot assign a new value to a const variable after declaring it. If you need to reassign a value to a variable, you should use a let variable instead.

3. What types of values can be assigned to variables in JavaScript?

In JavaScript, you can assign various types of values to variables, such as numbers, strings, booleans, objects, arrays, functions, and more.

4. Can I use the assignment operator (=) inside an if statement?

Using the assignment operator (=) inside an if statement is not recommended, as it can lead to the "Invalid Left-hand Side in Assignment" error. Instead, use the appropriate comparison operator (== or ===) to compare values.

5. How can I prevent the "Invalid Left-hand Side in Assignment" error in my code?

To prevent this error, make sure that you are using the correct operators (assignment or comparison) in your code, avoid reassigning const variables, and only assign values to valid targets.

Related: Understanding & Fixing the "Uncaught TypeError: Cannot Set Property of Undefined" Error

Related: A Guide to JavaScript Variable Declarations: var, let, and const

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IMAGES

  1. Invalid Left Hand Side In Assignment

    error invalid assignment left hand side detail invalid assignment left hand side

  2. How to solve "Invalid left-hand side in assignment" in JavaScript

    error invalid assignment left hand side detail invalid assignment left hand side

  3. JavaScript ReferenceError

    error invalid assignment left hand side detail invalid assignment left hand side

  4. VITE + VUE3 项目,突然报 Invalid left-hand side in assignment 错误_vue invalid

    error invalid assignment left hand side detail invalid assignment left hand side

  5. JavaScript ReferenceError

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  6. javascript

    error invalid assignment left hand side detail invalid assignment left hand side

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COMMENTS

  1. SyntaxError: invalid assignment left-hand side

    Invalid assignments don't always produce syntax errors. Sometimes the syntax is almost correct, but at runtime, the left hand side expression evaluates to a value instead of a …

  2. SyntaxError: invalid assignment left-hand side

    Invalid assignments don't always produce syntax errors. Sometimes the syntax is almost correct, but at runtime, the left hand side expression evaluates to a value instead of a reference, so the assignment is still invalid. Such errors occur later in execution, when the statement is actually executed. Function calls, new calls, super (), and ...

  3. Why I get "Invalid left-hand side in assignment"?

    6 There is code: function search (list, q) { var result = {}; for (let id in list) ( (!q.id || (id == q.id)) && (!q.name || (list [id].name.search (q.name) > -1)) && result [id] = list [id] ); return result; } I get this error: Uncaught ReferenceError: Invalid left-hand side in assignment script.js:4 Why "&&" is wrong? javascript angularjs

  4. JavaScript

    The Invalid Left-Hand Assignment error is a specific type of ReferenceError object. When Should You Use It? As one of the simplest JavaScript errors to understand, the Invalid Left-Hand Assignment error appears in only a handful of situations in which code is attempting to pass an assignment incorrectly.

  5. Errors: Invalid assignment left-hand side

    Message ReferenceError: invalid assignment left-hand side Error type ReferenceError. What went wrong? There was an unexpected assignment somewhere. This might be due to a mismatch of a assignment operator and an equality operator, for example. While a single " = " sign assigns a value to a variable, the " == " or " === " operators compare a value.

  6. ReferenceError: Invalid left-hand side in assignment

    javascript - ReferenceError: Invalid left-hand side in assignment - Stack Overflow ReferenceError: Invalid left-hand side in assignment Ask Question Asked 10 years, 2 months ago Modified 3 years, 8 months ago Viewed 235k times 36 my code for a rock paper scissors game (called toss) is as follows:

  7. ReferenceError: invalid assignment left-hand side

    Message ReferenceError: invalid assignment left-hand side Error type ReferenceError. What went wrong? There was an unexpected assignment somewhere. This might be due to a mismatch of a assignment operator and a comparison operator, for example. While a single " = " sign assigns a value to a variable, the " == " or " === " operators compare a value.

  8. ReferenceError: invalid assignment left-hand side

    The JavaScript exception "invalid assignment left-hand side" occurs when there was an unexpected assignment somewhere. For example, a single " = " sign was used instead of " == " or " === ". Message

  9. JavaScript ReferenceError

    </head> <body style="text-align: center;"> <h1 style="color: green;"> GeeksforGeeks </h1> <p> JavaScript ReferenceError - Invalid assignment left-hand side </p> <button onclick="Geeks ();"> click here </button> <p id="GFG_DOWN"></p> <script>

  10. JavaScript

    Message SyntaxError: Invalid left-hand side in assignment (V8-based) SyntaxError: invalid assignment left-hand side (Firefox) SyntaxError: Left side of assignment is not a reference. (Safari) Error type SyntaxError or ReferenceError, depending on the syntax. What went wrong? There was an unexpected assignment somewhere.

  11. SyntaxError: Invalid left-hand side in assignment

    SyntaxError: Invalid left-hand side in assignment Ask Question Asked 3 years, 1 month ago Modified 3 years, 1 month ago Viewed 333 times 0 When I make event with "guildMemberAdd" I`m get err: SyntaxError: Invalid left-hand side in assignment. Code:

  12. Uncaught ReferenceError: Invalid left-hand side in assignment

    2 Answers Sorted by: 42 You can't assign a new value to the result of a function $ ('input#q').val () = urlencode ($ ('input#q').val ()); Use this instead: $ ('input#q').val (urlencode ($ ('input#q').val ())) It wouldn't work with the keypress either - maybe the page is simply submitted after the same js error occurs. Share Improve this answer

  13. How to fix SyntaxError: invalid assignment left-hand side

    SyntaxError: Invalid left-hand side in assignment This error occurs because you used the assignment operator with the logical OR operator. An assignment operator doesn't return anything ( undefined ), so using it in a logical expression is a wrong syntax. How to fix this error

  14. How to solve "Invalid left-hand side in assignment" in JavaScript

    "Invalid left-hand side in assignment" is an error caused by misspelled operator when comparing two values. Example: 4 1 2 if (5 =< 10 ) { 3 console.log("test"); 4 } Output: Uncaught SyntaxError: Invalid left-hand side in assignment Using "=" to compare two values This error also happens because instead of using "===", you use "=" to compare.

  15. what is the wrong in my code it showing error " Invalid left-hand side

    Tour Start here for a quick overview of the site Help Center Detailed answers to any questions you might have Meta Discuss the workings and policies of this site

  16. Invalid left-hand side in assignment in JavaScript [Solved]

    The "Invalid left-hand side in assignment" error occurs when we have a syntax error in our JavaScript code. The most common cause is using a single equal sign instead of double or triple equals in a conditional statement. To resolve the issue, make sure to correct any syntax errors in your code. shell

  17. Invalid Left-hand Side In Assignment (Resolved)

    Using an assignment operator (=) instead of a comparison operator (== or ===) in an if statement or other conditional expressions. Here's an example of code that would trigger this error: const x = 10; x = x + 5; // Error: Invalid Left-hand Side in Assignment Since const variables cannot be reassigned, attempting to do so will result in the ...

  18. ReferenceError: invalid assignment left-hand side

    Error: Permission denied to access property "x" InternalError: too much recursion; RangeError: argument is not a valid code point; RangeError: BigInt division by zero; RangeError: BigInt negative exponent; RangeError: invalid array length; ... ReferenceError: invalid assignment left-hand side