---
id: javascript-tostring
title: "JavaScript toString"
category: "Frontend"
status: "draft"
verification_status: "conceptual"
canonical_id: ""
aliases: ["toString", "toString()", "JS toString", "array toString", "number toString", "object toString"]
duplicate_of: ""
source_trust_level: "B"
confidence_score: 0.88
created_at: 2026-06-23
updated_at: 2026-06-23
review_reason: ""
merge_history: []
tags: ["javascript", "js", "web", "frontend", "w3schools", "tostring", "type-conversion"]
raw_sources: ["https://www.w3schools.com/js/js_tostring.asp"]
applied_in: []
github_commit: ""
---

# [[JavaScript toString]]

## 🎯 한 줄 통찰 (One-line insight)
`toString()` is a built-in method that converts a variable or value to a string, available across many data types — numbers, arrays, dates, and objects. [S1]

## 🧠 핵심 개념 (Core concepts)
- **General-purpose converter** — `toString()` converts a variable (or a value) to a string. [S1]
- **Built-in across types** — It is a built-in method for many data types, including numbers, arrays, dates, and objects. [S1]
- **Array → comma-separated** — On an array, `toString()` returns the array elements as a comma separated string. [S1]
- **Date → human-readable** — On a date, `toString()` returns a human-readable date and time string. [S1]
- **Number → string, with optional base** — On a number, it returns the number as a string; it can accept a base argument (e.g. `2` for binary). [S1]
- **Function → source code** — On a function, `toString()` returns the source code of the function as a string. [S1]
- **Object → `[object Object]`** — On an object, `toString()` returns `"[object Object]"` by default, but can be overridden in the object definition. [S1]

## 🧩 추출된 패턴 (Extracted patterns)
- **Display-formatting** — Convert data to a readable format for display. [S1]
- **Type-compatibility guard** — Ensure a string type when a string is required. [S1]
- **Radix conversion** — Pass a base to `Number.prototype.toString()` (e.g. `x.toString(2)`) to render numbers in other bases. [S1]
- **Custom representation** — Override `toString()` in an object definition to give it a meaningful string form for UIs or debugging. [S1]

## 📖 세부 내용 (Details)
**JavaScript toString() Method**
The JavaScript `toString()` method converts a variable (or a value) to a string. It is a built-in method for many data types, including numbers, arrays, dates, and objects. The method is useful for: converting data to a readable format for display; ensuring type compatibility when a string is required; customizing objects for user interfaces; and customizing objects for debugging. [S1]

**JavaScript Array toString()**
When used on an array, `toString()` returns the array elements as a comma separated string. [S1]
```javascript
const fruits = ["Banana", "Orange", "Apple", "Mango"];
let myList = fruits.toString();
```

**JavaScript Date toString()**
When used on a date, `toString()` returns a human-readable date and time string. Convert a date object to a string: [S1]
```javascript
const d = new Date();
let text = d.toString();
```

**JavaScript Number toString()**
When used on a number, `toString()` returns the number as a string. [S1]
```javascript
let x = 123;
let text = x.toString();
```
Convert a number to a string, using base 2 (binary): [S1]
```javascript
let x = 123;
let text = x.toString(2);
```

**JavaScript Function toString()**
When used on a function, `toString()` returns the source code of the function as a string. [S1]

**JavaScript Object toString()**
When used on an object, `toString()` returns `"[object Object]"`. To provide a meaningful string representation, it can be overridden in the object definition: [S1]
```javascript
let person = {
  firstname: "John",
  lastname: "Doe",
}
let text = person.toString();
```

## 🛠️ 적용 사례 (Applied in summary)
The page's own snippets are the canonical applied examples — `fruits.toString()`, `d.toString()`, `x.toString(2)`, and a `person` object's `toString()`. No external project/commit applications found in the source.

## 💻 코드 패턴 (Code patterns)
Convert a number to a binary string (language: JavaScript):
```javascript
let x = 123;
let text = x.toString(2);
```
Convert an array to a comma-separated string:
```javascript
const fruits = ["Banana", "Orange", "Apple", "Mango"];
let myList = fruits.toString();
```

## ⚖️ 모순 및 업데이트 (Contradictions & updates)
No contradictions found in the source.

## ✅ 검증 상태 및 신뢰도
- **상태:** draft
- **검증 단계:** conceptual (실제 적용 사례 발견 시 applied/validated로 승격 가능)
- **출처 신뢰도:** B (W3Schools — widely used educational reference, not a primary standards body)
- **신뢰 점수:** 0.88
- **중복 검사 결과:** 신규 생성 (New discovery)

## 🔗 지식 그래프 (Knowledge Graph)
- **상위/루트:** [[JavaScript Tutorial]]
- **관련 개념:** [[JavaScript toLocaleString]], [[JavaScript Type Conversion]], [[JavaScript Object Types Note]], [[JavaScript Introduction]]
- **참조 맥락:** Referenced whenever a value must be rendered as text — output, logging, or radix conversion.

## 📚 출처 (Sources)
- [S1] W3Schools — JavaScript toString — https://www.w3schools.com/js/js_tostring.asp

## 📝 변경 이력 (Change history)
- 2026-06-23: Initial draft synthesized from the W3Schools "JavaScript toString" page (Astra wiki-curation, P-Reinforce v3.1 format).
