What is the different between een Array and this?

What is the different between een Array and this?

Hello,

As early mentioned I try to understand and learn jQuery becaus I'm busy for a joomla component.

I have read a joomla example and there was this used:
  1. return { minlat: latlngMapbounds[1],
                 maxlat: latlngMapbounds[3],
                 minlng: latlngMapbounds[0],
                 maxlng: latlngMapbounds[2] }
I thought ok, that's an array on a strange way implemented. So I thought for my implementation I do not so difficult, I will return a 'simple' array. But than it doesn't work. So I made my software analog to this example/tutorial and now it is working! I understan now it is not a 'simple' array but an 'object'.

I'm only asking myself:
  • how is this named?(So that I can google on it)
  • It is a object I understand now, what is exactly the difference between this 'object array' and a normal array?
  • And what is the advantage of it?
  • I'm googling for an example how to itterate through it in jQuery? On this moment I do not need it but just to know how it works in jQuery (In Joomla - PHP, I know how to get access to the individual value's of this object.)
Thanks in advance,

Best Regards,

Nico