Returning a “typeof” value in a function?

I’m a total beginner, so it would be very helpful if someone posted the full solution in the comments.

I’m trying to solve the following challenge on edabit:

Create a function that takes an array and returns the types of values (data types) in a new array.

arrayValuesTypes([1, 2, "null", []])
// expected output ➞ ["number", "number", "string", "object"]

arrayValuesTypes(["214", true, false, 2, 2.15, [], null])
// expected output ➞ ["string", "boolean", "boolean", "number", "number", "object", "object"]

arrayValuesTypes([21.1, "float", "array", ["I am array"], null, true, 214])
// expected output ➞ ["number", "string", "string", "object", "object", "boolean", "number"]

So far I have this:

    arr = [1, 2, "null", []]
    
    function arrayValuesTypes(arr) {
        for (let i = 0; i < arr.length; i++) {
         return typeof arr[i]
      }
    }

// output ➞
// 'number'

But when I change “return” to a console.log, it gives me a result closer to what I am looking for. Why is that?

arr = [1, 2, "null", []]

function arrayValuesTypes(arr) {
    for (let i = 0; i < arr.length; i++) {
     console.log(typeof arr[i])
  }
}
// output ➞
// 'number'
// 'number'
// 'string'
// 'object'

Answer

Why is that?

Because return inside a function will return the value and so stop the function, regardless of the for loop.

---

So use map() to apply it for each item in the array, and then return that array created by map:

function arrayValuesTypes(arr) {
    return arr.map(tmp => typeof tmp);
}

const tests = [
  [1, 2, "null", []],
  ["214", true, false, 2, 2.15, [], null],
  [21.1, "float", "array", ["I am array"], null, true, 214]
];
for (let testIndex in tests) {
  console.log(arrayValuesTypes(tests[testIndex]));
}

["number", "number", "string", "object"] 
["string", "boolean", "boolean", "number", "number", "object", "object"] 
["number", "string", "string", "object", "object", "boolean", "number"]