Need Help Understanding Record Collection

JavaScript
1

Hello, I am trying to understand the following code:

// Setup
var collection = {
  2548: {
    albumTitle: 'Slippery When Wet',
    artist: 'Bon Jovi',
    tracks: ['Let It Rock', 'You Give Love a Bad Name']
  },
  2468: {
    albumTitle: '1999',
    artist: 'Prince',
    tracks: ['1999', 'Little Red Corvette']
  },
  1245: {
    artist: 'Robert Palmer',
    tracks: []
  },
  5439: {
    albumTitle: 'ABBA Gold'
  }
};

// Only change code below this line
function updateRecords(object, id, prop, value) {
  if (value === '') delete object[id][prop];
  else if (prop === "tracks") {
    object[id][prop] = object[id][prop] || [];
    object[id][prop].push(value);
  } else {
    object[id][prop] = value;
  }

  return object;
}

updateRecords(collection, 1245, 'tracks', 'Test');

The main piece of code I am trying to understand is this piece:
object[id][prop] = object[id][prop] || [];

Why are we setting the objects to be equivalent to each other when it’s already equivalent? The OR statement part I understand, or so I think.

2

I’ve edited your post for readability. When you enter a code block into a forum post, please precede it with a separate line of three backticks and follow it with a separate line of three backticks to make it easier to read.

You can also use the “preformatted text” tool in the editor (</>) to add backticks around text.

Pre-formatted-text
Pre-formatted-text1356×380 401 KB

See this post to find the backtick on your keyboard.
Note: Backticks (`) are not single quotes (’).

3

There’s two cases when prop === "tracks":

  1. the corresponding object[id] already has an array with some tracks
  2. the corresponding object[id] doesn’t have any tracks array yet

So what that line does:

object[id][prop] is either equal to the object[id][prop] array that’s already there, OR - if that array doesn’t exist, it’ll be set to an empty array.

4

This solution be a bit tricky. How does this solution compare to your own? What case is that line handling?