# Destructuring — Binding and assignment

> For both object and array destructuring, there are two kinds of destructuring patterns: _{{Glossary("binding")}} pattern_ and _assignment pattern_, with slightly different syntaxes.

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## Knowledge

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For both object and array destructuring, there are two kinds of destructuring patterns: _{{Glossary("binding")}} pattern_ and _assignment pattern_, with slightly different syntaxes.

In binding patterns, the pattern starts with a declaration keyword (var, let, or const). Then, each individual property must either be bound to a variable or further destructured.

All variables share the same declaration, so if you want some variables to be re-assignable but others to be read-only, you may have to destructure twice — once with let, once with const.

In many other syntaxes where the language binds a variable for you, you can use a binding destructuring pattern. These include

The looping variable of for...in for...of, and for await...of loops; Function parameters; The catch binding variable.

In assignment patterns, the pattern does not start with a keyword. Each destructured property is assigned to a target of assignment — which may either be declared beforehand with var or let, or is a property of another object — in general, anything that can appear on the left-hand side of an assignment expression.

&gt; [!NOTE] &gt; The parentheses ( ... ) around the assignment statement are required when using object literal destructuring without a declaration. &gt; &gt; { a, b } = { a: 1, b: 2 } is not valid stand-alone syntax, as the { a, b } on the left-hand side is considered a block and not an object literal according to the rules of expression statements. However, ({ a, b } = { a: 1, b: 2 }) is valid, as is const { a, b } = { a: 1, b: 2 }. &gt; &gt; If your coding style does not include trailing semicolons, the ( ... ) expression needs to be preceded by a semicolon, or it may be used to execute a function on the previous line.

Note that the equivalent _binding pattern_ of the code above is not valid syntax

You can only use assignment patterns as the left-hand side of the assignment operator. You cannot use them with compound assignment operators such as += or =.

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