syntaxerror invalid left hand side in assignment in

Invalid left-hand side in assignment in JavaScript [Solved]

Last updated: Mar 2, 2024 Reading time · 2 min

# Invalid left-hand side in assignment in JavaScript [Solved]

The "Invalid left-hand side in assignment" error occurs when we have a syntax error in our JavaScript code.

The most common cause is using a single equal sign instead of double or triple equals in a conditional statement.

To resolve the issue, make sure to correct any syntax errors in your code.

invalid left hand side in assignment error

Here are some examples of how the error occurs.

# Use double or triple equals when comparing values

The most common cause of the error is using a single equal sign = instead of double or triple equals when comparing values.

The engine interprets the single equal sign as an assignment and not as a comparison operator.

We use a single equals sign when assigning a value to a variable.

However, we use double equals (==) or triple equals (===) when comparing values.

# Use bracket notation for object properties that contain hyphens

Another common cause of the error is trying to set an object property that contains a hyphen using dot notation.

use bracket notation for object properties containing hyphens

You should use bracket [] notation instead, e.g. obj['key'] = 'value' .

# Assigning the result of calling a function to a value

The error also occurs when trying to assign the result of a function invocation to a value as shown in the last example.

If you aren't sure where to start debugging, open the console in your browser or the terminal in your Node.js application and look at which line the error occurred.

The screenshot above shows that the error occurred in the index.js file on line 25 .

You can hover over the squiggly red line to get additional information on why the error was thrown.

Borislav Hadzhiev

Web Developer

JS Tutorial
JS Exercise
JS Interview Questions
JS Operator
JS Projects
JS Examples
JS Free JS Course
JS A to Z Guide
JS Formatter

How to fix SyntaxError - 'invalid assignment left-hand side in JavaScript'?

In JavaScript, a SyntaxError : Invalid Assignment Left-Hand Side occurs when the interpreter encounters an invalid expression or structure on the left side of an assignment operator ( = ).

This error typically arises when trying to assign a value to something that cannot be assigned, such as literals, expressions, or the result of function calls. Let’s explore this error in more detail and see how to resolve it with some examples.

Understanding an error

An invalid assignment left-hand side error occurs when the syntax of the assignment statement violates JavaScript's rules for valid left-hand side expressions. The left-hand side should be a target that can receive an assignment like a variable, object property or any array element, let's see some cases where this error can occur and also how to resolve this error.

Case 1: Error Cause: Assigning to Literals

When you attempt to assign a value to a literal like a number, string or boolean it will result in SyntaxError: Invalid Assignment Left-Hand Side .

Resolution of error

In this case values should be assigned to variables or expressions which will be on the left side of an equation and avoid assigning values directly to literals.

Case 2: Error Cause: Assigning to Function Calls

Assigning a value directly to the result of function call will give an invalid assignment left-hand side error.

Explanation : In this example, getX() returns a value but is not a valid target for assignment. Assignments should be made to variables, object properties, or array elements, not to the result of a function call.

Therefore, store it into a variable or at least place it on the left-hand side that is valid for assignment.