concat vs spread

Concat vs Spread

When working with arrays in JavaScript, there are two common methods that come up: concat() and spread operator (...).

Concat()

The concat() method is used to merge two or more arrays, and returns a new array with the merged values. Here is an example:

const arr1 = [1, 2, 3];
const arr2 = [4, 5, 6];

const mergedArr = arr1.concat(arr2);
console.log(mergedArr); // [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]

As you can see, the concat() method simply combines the two arrays into a new array without changing the original arrays.

Spread Operator (...)

The spread operator is a newer feature in JavaScript and can also be used to merge arrays. Here is how it works:

const arr1 = [1, 2, 3];
const arr2 = [4, 5, 6];

const mergedArr = [...arr1, ...arr2];
console.log(mergedArr); // [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]

As you can see, the spread operator can be used to spread out the values of an array into another array. This allows for a more concise and readable way of merging arrays.

Differences

While both concat() and the spread operator can be used to merge arrays, there are some differences between the two methods:

• Concat() modifies the original arrays: When using concat(), the original arrays are not preserved and a new array is returned with the merged values. This means that if you need to keep the original arrays intact, you will need to make a copy of them before using concat().
• The spread operator can be used for other purposes: While concat() is specifically designed for merging arrays, the spread operator can be used for other purposes as well, such as spreading out the elements of an array into function arguments.

Overall, both concat() and the spread operator are useful tools for working with arrays in JavaScript. Which one you use will depend on your specific needs and preferences.