ECMAScript® 2024 Language Specification

Draft ECMA-262 / February 15, 2024

21.2 BigInt Objects

21.2.1 The BigInt Constructor

The BigInt constructor:

  • is %BigInt%.
  • is the initial value of the "BigInt" property of the global object.
  • performs a type conversion when called as a function rather than as a constructor.
  • is not intended to be used with the new operator or to be subclassed. It may be used as the value of an extends clause of a class definition but a super call to the BigInt constructor will cause an exception.

21.2.1.1 BigInt ( value )

This function performs the following steps when called:

  1. If NewTarget is not undefined, throw a TypeError exception.
  2. Let prim be ? ToPrimitive(value, number).
  3. If prim is a Number, return ? NumberToBigInt(prim).
  4. Otherwise, return ? ToBigInt(prim).

21.2.1.1.1 NumberToBigInt ( number )

The abstract operation NumberToBigInt takes argument number (a Number) and returns either a normal completion containing a BigInt or a throw completion. It performs the following steps when called:

  1. If IsIntegralNumber(number) is false, throw a RangeError exception.
  2. Return ℤ(ℝ(number)).

21.2.2 Properties of the BigInt Constructor

The BigInt constructor:

  • has a [[Prototype]] internal slot whose value is %Function.prototype%.
  • has the following properties:

21.2.2.1 BigInt.asIntN ( bits, bigint )

This function performs the following steps when called:

  1. Set bits to ? ToIndex(bits).
  2. Set bigint to ? ToBigInt(bigint).
  3. Let mod be ℝ(bigint) modulo 2bits.
  4. If mod ≥ 2bits - 1, return ℤ(mod - 2bits); otherwise, return ℤ(mod).

21.2.2.2 BigInt.asUintN ( bits, bigint )

This function performs the following steps when called:

  1. Set bits to ? ToIndex(bits).
  2. Set bigint to ? ToBigInt(bigint).
  3. Return ℤ(ℝ(bigint) modulo 2bits).

21.2.2.3 BigInt.prototype

The initial value of BigInt.prototype is the BigInt prototype object.

This property has the attributes { [[Writable]]: false, [[Enumerable]]: false, [[Configurable]]: false }.

21.2.3 Properties of the BigInt Prototype Object

The BigInt prototype object:

The phrase “this BigInt value” within the specification of a method refers to the result returned by calling the abstract operation ThisBigIntValue with the this value of the method invocation passed as the argument.

21.2.3.1 BigInt.prototype.constructor

The initial value of BigInt.prototype.constructor is %BigInt%.

21.2.3.2 BigInt.prototype.toLocaleString ( [ reserved1 [ , reserved2 ] ] )

An ECMAScript implementation that includes the ECMA-402 Internationalization API must implement this method as specified in the ECMA-402 specification. If an ECMAScript implementation does not include the ECMA-402 API the following specification of this method is used:

This method produces a String value that represents this BigInt value formatted according to the conventions of the host environment's current locale. This method is implementation-defined, and it is permissible, but not encouraged, for it to return the same thing as toString.

The meanings of the optional parameters to this method are defined in the ECMA-402 specification; implementations that do not include ECMA-402 support must not use those parameter positions for anything else.

21.2.3.3 BigInt.prototype.toString ( [ radix ] )

Note

The optional radix should be an integral Number value in the inclusive interval from 2𝔽 to 36𝔽. If radix is undefined then 10𝔽 is used as the value of radix.

This method performs the following steps when called:

  1. Let x be ? ThisBigIntValue(this value).
  2. If radix is undefined, let radixMV be 10.
  3. Else, let radixMV be ? ToIntegerOrInfinity(radix).
  4. If radixMV is not in the inclusive interval from 2 to 36, throw a RangeError exception.
  5. Return BigInt::toString(x, radixMV).

This method is not generic; it throws a TypeError exception if its this value is not a BigInt or a BigInt object. Therefore, it cannot be transferred to other kinds of objects for use as a method.

21.2.3.4 BigInt.prototype.valueOf ( )

  1. Return ? ThisBigIntValue(this value).

21.2.3.4.1 ThisBigIntValue ( value )

The abstract operation ThisBigIntValue takes argument value (an ECMAScript language value) and returns either a normal completion containing a BigInt or a throw completion. It performs the following steps when called:

  1. If value is a BigInt, return value.
  2. If value is an Object and value has a [[BigIntData]] internal slot, then
    1. Assert: value.[[BigIntData]] is a BigInt.
    2. Return value.[[BigIntData]].
  3. Throw a TypeError exception.

21.2.3.5 BigInt.prototype [ @@toStringTag ]

The initial value of the @@toStringTag property is the String value "BigInt".

This property has the attributes { [[Writable]]: false, [[Enumerable]]: false, [[Configurable]]: true }.

21.2.4 Properties of BigInt Instances

BigInt instances are ordinary objects that inherit properties from the BigInt prototype object. BigInt instances also have a [[BigIntData]] internal slot. The [[BigIntData]] internal slot is the BigInt value represented by this BigInt object.