deep-assign
Recursive Object.assign() for deep merging JavaScript objects (deprecated).
What is deep-assign?
Deep-assign is a deprecated JavaScript utility library that provides recursive object merging functionality. It extends the native `Object.assign()` method to handle nested objects, allowing developers to deeply merge multiple source objects into a target object. The project solves the problem of shallow object assignment when working with complex nested data structures.
JavaScript and Node.js developers who need to merge nested configuration objects, combine complex data structures, or work with deeply nested objects in their applications.
Developers chose deep-assign for its simple API that mirrors `Object.assign()` while providing deep merging capabilities. Its main advantage was being a lightweight, focused solution specifically designed for recursive object assignment before better alternatives became available.
Overview
[DEPRECATED] Recursive Object.assign()
Use Cases
Best For
- Merging nested configuration objects in JavaScript applications
- Combining complex data structures with multiple levels of nesting
- Deep cloning objects with recursive property assignment
- Handling object merging in build tools or configuration management
- Working with deeply nested API response data
- Replacing shallow Object.assign() in legacy codebases
Not Ideal For
- New projects requiring actively maintained dependencies for security and updates
- Applications needing advanced merging features like array handling or custom merge strategies
- Teams with strict compliance policies that prohibit deprecated libraries in production
- High-performance scenarios where optimized libraries like lodash.merge offer better speed
Pros & Cons
Pros
Mirrors the native Object.assign() method, making it easy to adopt for developers familiar with standard JavaScript object assignment, as shown in the usage example with a similar function signature.
Deeply merges nested properties by recursively assigning source objects to target, demonstrated in the example where {a: {b: 0}} is combined to produce {a: {b: 1, c: 3}}.
Accepts multiple source objects with later sources overwriting previous ones, providing flexibility similar to Object.assign(), as indicated in the function description.
Copies only own enumerable properties, adhering to JavaScript conventions and ensuring predictable behavior, as stated in the feature list for enumerable property handling.
Cons
Explicitly marked as deprecated in the README, with the author stating version 2 has unresolved issues and no time to fix it, making it unsuitable for any new development.
Lacks ongoing updates, bug fixes, or support, posing risks for long-term project stability and security, as the author recommends alternatives instead.
Focused only on deep assignment without handling edge cases like arrays or non-enumerable properties, which alternatives like lodash.merge address more comprehensively.
Frequently Asked Questions
Related Projects
deep-object-diffDeep diffs two objects, including nested structures of arrays and objects, and returns the difference. ❄️
stringify-objectStringify an object/array like JSON.stringify just without all the double-quotes
get-valueUse property paths (`a.b.c`) get a nested value from an object.
set-valueSet nested properties on an object using dot-notation.
Found a gem we're missing?
Open-Awesome is built by the community, for the community. Submit a project, suggest an awesome list, or help improve the catalog on GitHub.