var myhash = {}; // a new, empty object myhash["hello"] = 3; myhash.world = 6; // obj.name is equivalent to obj["name"] for certain values of name myhash["!"] = 9; var output = '', // initialise as string key; for (key in myhash) { if (myhash.hasOwnProperty(key)) { output += "key is: " + key; output += " => "; output += "value is: " + myhash[key]; // cannot use myhash.key, that would be myhash["key"] output += "\n"; } }