# converting a ruby array to javascript array

**URL:** <https://discuss.rubyonrails.org/t/converting-a-ruby-array-to-javascript-array/34572>\
**Category:** rubyonrails-talk\
**Created:** [September 21, 2008, 8:13am UTC](https://discuss.rubyonrails.org/t/converting-a-ruby-array-to-javascript-array/34572 "2008-09-21T08:13:27Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Dave\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7feea3/32.png) [@Dave\_L](https://discuss.rubyonrails.org/u/Dave_L)\
**Post date:** [September 21, 2008, 8:13am UTC](https://discuss.rubyonrails.org/t/converting-a-ruby-array-to-javascript-array/34572/1 "2008-09-21T08:13:27Z")

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I have this code within a javascript function:

&nbsp;&nbsp;function load(test) { &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;var coordinates = new Array(); &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;coordinates = \<%= params[:coordinates] %\> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;}

the params contains an array with double digit numbers such as [24,45], but when it is converted within the javascript function, it turns into one long number, i.e. 2445. I found this by doing an alert() with the result. I don't really know much about javascript, so Im not sure if this is an integer or a string or what, but ultimately I need to get these original two digit numbers separated and into a javascript array. I tried performing some javascript string operations but they do not seem to be working. Any one have any ideas here? Thanks, Dave

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**Author:** ![Thorsten\_Muller2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8edcca/32.png) [@Thorsten\_Muller2](https://discuss.rubyonrails.org/u/Thorsten_Muller2)\
**Post date:** [September 21, 2008, 12:22pm UTC](https://discuss.rubyonrails.org/t/converting-a-ruby-array-to-javascript-array/34572/2 "2008-09-21T12:22:27Z")

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there are two functions: array\_or\_string\_for\_javascript options\_for\_javascript

have a look at the source first one, it's basically doing: "['#{option.join('\',\'')}']"

joining the array elements to a string

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**Author:** ![Erol\_Fornoles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Erol\_Fornoles](https://discuss.rubyonrails.org/u/Erol_Fornoles)\
**Post date:** [September 21, 2008, 12:59pm UTC](https://discuss.rubyonrails.org/t/converting-a-ruby-array-to-javascript-array/34572/3 "2008-09-21T12:59:00Z")

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to\_json would also work:

\<%= params[:coordinates].to\_json %\>

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Dave\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7feea3/32.png) [@Dave\_L](https://discuss.rubyonrails.org/u/Dave_L)\
**Post date:** [September 22, 2008, 3:04am UTC](https://discuss.rubyonrails.org/t/converting-a-ruby-array-to-javascript-array/34572/4 "2008-09-22T03:04:33Z")

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cool, yea array\_or\_string\_for\_javascript works well: var coordinates = \<%= array\_or\_string\_for\_javascript(params[:coordinates])%\>