feat: add Util.value method to help retrieve alternate value from obj…

…ect using alternate keys

src/modules/Util.js

@@ -7,6 +7,16 @@ import path from 'path';
 let toString = Object.prototype.toString;
 
 export default {
+
+    /**
+     * tests if a variable is a string
+     *@param {*} variable - variable to test
+     *@returns {boolean}
+    */
+    isString(variable) {
+        return typeof variable === 'string';
+    },
+
     /**
      * tests if a variable is a number
      *@param {*} variable - variable to test
@@ -255,5 +265,27 @@ export default {
             }
         }
         return target;
-    }
+    },
+
+    /**
+     * returns the value for the first key in the keys array that exists in the object
+     * otherwise, return the default value
+     *
+     *@param {string[]|string} keys - array of keys or a single string key
+     *@param {Object} object - the object
+     *@param {mixed} [defaultValue=undefined] - the default value to return if otherwise.
+     * defaults to undefined
+     *@return mixed
+    */
+    value(keys, object, defaultValue) {
+        keys = this.makeArray(keys);
+
+        if (this.isPlainObject(object)) {
+            for (let key of keys) {
+                if (this.isString(key) && typeof object[key] !== 'undefined')
+                    return object[key];
+            }
+        }
+        return defaultValue;
+    },
 };

test/modules/Util.spec.js

@@ -4,6 +4,17 @@ import path from 'path';
 import rimraf from 'rimraf';
 
 describe('Util module', function() {
+    describe('.isString(variable)', function() {
+        it('should return true if argument is of type string', function() {
+            expect(Util.isString('')).to.be.true;
+        });
+
+        it('should return false if argument is not of type string', function() {
+            expect(Util.isString({})).to.be.false;
+            expect(Util.isString(2)).to.be.false;
+        });
+    });
+
     describe('.isNumber(variable)', function() {
         it('should return true if argument is a number', function() {
             expect(Util.isNumber(3.2)).to.be.true;
@@ -260,4 +271,22 @@ describe('Util module', function() {
             expect(Util.mkDirSync('/')).to.be.true;
         });
     });
+
+    describe('.value(keys, object, defaultValue=undefined)', function() {
+        let object = null;
+        beforeEach(function() {
+            object = {name: 'Harrison', age: 22};
+        });
+
+        it(`should return the value for the first key that exists in the object`, function() {
+            expect(Util.value(['firstName', 'name'], object)).to.equals('Harrison');
+        });
+
+        it(`should return the default value if none of the keys exists
+            in the object or if argument two is not an object`, function() {
+            expect(Util.value('height', object)).to.be.undefined;
+            expect(Util.value('height', object, '5ft')).to.equal('5ft');
+            expect(Util.value('height', null, '5ft')).to.equal('5ft');
+        });
+    });
 });