By Vishal Basumatary in javascript — Mar 25, 2023

splice javascript

Splice JavaScript

Splice is a built-in method in JavaScript that allows us to add or remove elements from an array. It is a powerful method that can modify an array in place without creating a new one.

Syntax:

array.splice(start, deleteCount, item1, item2, ...)

start: The index at which to start changing the array.
deleteCount: An integer indicating the number of old array elements to remove.
item1, item2, ...: The elements to add to the array, beginning at the start index. If you don't specify any elements, splice() will only remove elements from the array.

Let's see some examples:

Example 1: Remove elements from an array

let fruits = ['apple', 'banana', 'cherry', 'date'];

// remove one element from index 2
fruits.splice(2, 1);

console.log(fruits); // ['apple', 'banana', 'date']

In this example, we remove one element from the index 2 of the fruits array. The splice() method modifies the original array and returns the removed element(s).

Example 2: Add elements to an array

let fruits = ['apple', 'banana', 'date'];

// add two elements from index 1
fruits.splice(1, 0, 'cherry', 'elderberry');

console.log(fruits); // ['apple', 'cherry', 'elderberry', 'banana', 'date']

In this example, we add two elements to the index 1 of the fruits array. The splice() method modifies the original array and returns an empty array.

Example 3: Replace elements in an array

let fruits = ['apple', 'banana', 'cherry', 'date'];

// replace two elements from index 1
fruits.splice(1, 2, 'elderberry', 'fig');

console.log(fruits); // ['apple', 'elderberry', 'fig', 'date']

In this example, we replace two elements starting from index 1 with two new elements. The splice() method modifies the original array and returns the removed element(s).

Conclusion:

The splice() method is a powerful tool that allows us to modify an array in place. It can add, remove, or replace elements of an array. However, it's important to use it with care, especially when dealing with large arrays, as it can be a slow operation.

It is always a good practice to read the documentation and understand how a method works before using it in your code.