When using objects, how are values accessed?

In the context of using objects in programming, values are accessed through keys. An object is a collection of properties, where each property consists of a key and its associated value. The keys serve as unique identifiers for the values contained in the object, allowing users to retrieve specific pieces of information by referencing these keys.

For example, if you have an object representing a person, it might look like this:

const person = {

name: "Alice",

age: 30,

occupation: "Engineer"

};

In this object, "name," "age," and "occupation" are keys that are used to access the corresponding values "Alice," 30, and "Engineer."

Accessing values by index numbers, position, or variables does not apply to objects. Index numbers are primarily used for arrays, where items are ordered and accessed based on their position in the list. Position similarly relates to ordered structures and does not fit the key-value pairing of objects. While variables can be utilized to store key names, they do not directly represent a method of accessing values from an object itself. Thus, keys are the fundamental method for accessing the values stored within an object.