Manipulating two-dimensional arrays in JavaScript

javascript_2_dimensional_array_manipulator.js

var matrix = {
    create: function(rows, columns) {
        var newMatrix = [];
        for (var i = 0; i < rows; i++) {
            var row = [];
            for (var j = 0; j < columns; j++) {
                row.push(0); // Inicializa a matriz com valores zero
            }
            newMatrix.push(row);
        }
        return newMatrix;
    },
    set: function(matrix, row, column, value) {
        if (row >= 0 && row < matrix.length && column >= 0 && column < matrix[0].length) {
            matrix[row][column] = value;
        } else {
            console.error("Índices fora do alcance da matriz.");
        }
    },
    get: function(matrix, row, column) {
        if (row >= 0 && row < matrix.length && column >= 0 && column < matrix[0].length) {
            return matrix[row][column];
        } else {
            console.error("Índices fora do alcance da matriz.");
            return undefined;
        }
    }
};

var m4x4 = matrix.create(4, 4);

matrix.set(m4x4, 0, 0, 1); matrix.set(m4x4, 0, 1, 0); matrix.set(m4x4, 0, 2, 0); matrix.set(m4x4, 0, 3, 0);
matrix.set(m4x4, 1, 0, 0); matrix.set(m4x4, 1, 1, 1); matrix.set(m4x4, 1, 2, 0); matrix.set(m4x4, 1, 3, 0);
matrix.set(m4x4, 2, 0, 0); matrix.set(m4x4, 2, 1, 0); matrix.set(m4x4, 2, 2, 1); matrix.set(m4x4, 2, 3, 0);
matrix.set(m4x4, 3, 0, 0); matrix.set(m4x4, 3, 1, 0); matrix.set(m4x4, 3, 2, 0); matrix.set(m4x4, 3, 3, 1);
//console.log(m4x4);

printMatrix(m4x4);

function printMatrix(matrix) {
    for (var i = 0; i < matrix.length; i++) {
        console.log(matrix[i]);    
    }
}

Two-dimensional arrays are a common data structure in many programming languages, but JavaScript does not have a built-in way to create and manipulate them. However, there are some workarounds and tricks that can help us achieve this functionality. Here I will share how I used an AI tool (Chat GPT) to implement a solution manipulate two-dimensional arrays in JavaScript after I read a blog article that sparked my interest.

I saw a blog post about how to make arrays work like matrices in JavaScript, and I remembered the programming logic exercises we did in school with nested loops.

I read the author's suggestions, which went from simple nested loops to Array.from and the Spread Operator, but as a C# fan, I wanted a more reusable way to do this, how could I make something that takes parameters for making the matrix and then coordinates for changing the cells in it?

So, I asked Chat GPT to help me make a function in JavaScript that had 3 methods:

1. A constructor that made a matrix with the size parameters I gave in rows and columns.

2. A method that set a value to a coordinate of the matrix that I would give as a parameter with the value.

3. A method that got the value of a matrix coordinate given that I would give that coordinate.