How to Move an Array Element from One Array Position to Another in JavaScript

As a software developer, you will come across situations where you need to manipulate arrays.

One such scenario is moving an array element from one position to another.

This can be achieved through a variety of techniques in JavaScript.

In this tutorial, we will explore the different ways of moving an array element in JavaScript.

Array Splice Method

The Array.splice() method is one of the easiest and straightforward ways of moving an element within an array in JavaScript.

This method is used to add, remove, and replace elements within an array.

To move an element from one position to another, you can use the splice method to remove the element at the current position and add it to the new position.

Here’s an example of how you can use the splice method to move an element from index 2 to index 4 in an array:

let numbers = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9];

let removed = numbers.splice(2, 1); // remove element at index 2

numbers.splice(4, 0, removed[0]); // add element at index 4

console.log(numbers); // [1, 2, 4, 5, 3, 6, 7, 8, 9]

Array Slice Method

Another way to move an element within an array in JavaScript is by using the Array.slice() method.

This method is used to extract a portion of an array and return it as a new array.

To move an element, you can use the slice method to extract the element at the current position, create a new array with the extracted element, and then concatenate it with the original array.

Here’s an example of how you can use the slice method to move an element from index 2 to index 4 in an array:

let numbers = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9];

let extracted = numbers.slice(2, 3); // extract element at index 2

let front = numbers.slice(0, 4);
let back = numbers.slice(4);

let result = front.concat(extracted, back);

console.log(result); // [1, 2, 4, 5, 3, 6, 7, 8, 9]

Array Destructuring and Spread Operator

You can also use array destructuring and the spread operator to move an element within an array in JavaScript.

This method involves splitting the array into two parts, using destructuring to extract the element at the current position, and using the spread operator to concatenate the two parts of the array with the extracted element at the new position.

Here’s an example of how you can use array destructuring and the spread operator to move an element from index 2 to index 4 in an array:

let numbers = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9];

let [front, removed, ...back] = numbers;

let result = [...front, ...removed, ...back.slice(0, 2), ...removed, ...back.slice(2)];

console.log(result); // [1, 2, 4, 5, 3, 6, 7, 8, 9]

Conclusion

In conclusion, moving an element within an array in JavaScript can be achieved through a variety of techniques such as the Array.splice() method, the Array.