Lodash _.property() Method

What You’ll Learn

By the end of this tutorial, you’ll use Lodash’s _.property() to build small getter functions that read nested object paths—then reuse them in map, sortBy, and your own code.

What Is _.property()?

_.property(path) is a getter factory. You give it a property path once; it returns a function that reads that path from any object you pass in. Instead of writing (user) => user.address.city everywhere, you create const getCity = _.property('address.city') and call getCity(user).

Lodash uses this pattern internally. When you write _.map(users, 'name'), the string shorthand is converted to _.property('name') under the hood—the same idea you can use explicitly for clarity or dynamic paths.

📝 Syntax

Pass a path as a dot string or key array:

_.property(path)

Syntax Rules

• path — dot-path string ('a.b.c') or array of keys (['a','b','c']).
• Return value — a function (object) => value that reads the path.
• Missing paths — returns undefined; does not throw.
• Nested access — resolves deep properties like _.get().
• Iteratee shorthand — 'name' in _.map behaves like _.property('name').

import property from "lodash/property";



const user = {

  name: "Ada",

  address: { city: "London" },

};



const getCity = property("address.city");



getCity(user);

// "London"

Examples Gallery

Practical _.property() patterns with copy-ready code, sample output, and interactive Try It Yourself labs.

const user = {

  id: 1,

  name: "John Doe",

  address: { city: "New York", zip: "10001" },

};



const getCity = _.property("address.city");



console.log(getCity(user));

// "New York"

New York

const user = {

  address: { city: "New York", zip: "10001" },

};



const getZipDot = _.property("address.zip");

const getZipArr = _.property(["address", "zip"]);



console.log(getZipDot(user));

console.log(getZipArr(user));

// "10001"

// "10001"

10001

10001

const users = [

  { name: "Ada", role: "admin" },

  { name: "Bob", role: "editor" },

];



const getName = _.property("name");



console.log(_.map(users, getName));

console.log(_.map(users, "name")); // string shorthand — same idea

// ["Ada", "Bob"]

// ["Ada", "Bob"]

["Ada", "Bob"]

["Ada", "Bob"]

const people = [

  { name: "Zara", age: 30 },

  { name: "Amy", age: 22 },

  { name: "Ben", age: 27 },

];



console.log(_.sortBy(people, _.property("age")));

// Amy (22), Ben (27), Zara (30)

[{ name: "Amy", age: 22 }, { name: "Ben", age: 27 }, { name: "Zara", age: 30 }]

const user = {

  address: { zip: "10001" },

};



const field = "address.zip";

const getField = _.property(field);



console.log(getField(user));

console.log(_.property("address.country")(user));

// "10001"

// undefined — no error

10001

undefined

const product = { details: { price: 19.99 } };



// One-shot read — immediate value

console.log(_.get(product, "details.price"));



// Reusable getter — path fixed

const getPrice = _.property("details.price");

console.log(getPrice(product));



// Reusable reader — object fixed (see propertyOf tutorial)

const readFromProduct = _.propertyOf(product);

console.log(readFromProduct("details.price"));

// 19.99, 19.99, 19.99

19.99

19.99

19.99

📝 Notes

• _.property(path) returns a function—call it with an object: getCity(user), not _.property(user, 'city').
• String iteratees in Lodash ('name', 'user.id') are shorthand for _.property(...).
• Missing paths return undefined; use _.get() when you need a default in one expression.
• For “does this field equal X?” use _.matchesProperty(), not property alone.
• Modern JS optional chaining (obj?.a?.b) reads inline; property shines when you need a reusable getter passed around.
• Next in the series: _.propertyOf()—fix the object first, pass paths later.

💡 Best Practices