To remove the first character from the string in JavaScript, use the slice() method. The string.slice() is a built-in JavaScript method that extracts a part of a string. The slice() method returns the extracted part in a new string. The slice() method does not change the original string.
Syntax
string.slice(startIndex, endIndex);
Parameters
start index – It is a required parameter that needs to pass a starting index number of the string.
end index – It is an optional argument, and we can give an ending index number of the string.
Example
let string = "Greetings from JavaScript";
string = string.slice(1)
console.log(string);
Output
reetings from JavaScript
In the above example, we remove the first character using the slice() method, so the slice() method returns a shallow copy of that string, and we store that string in the original string.
Removing the first character using the substring() method
You can use the substring() method to remove the first character of a string in JavaScript. The substring() method also accepts two parameters: one is the starting number of the index, and the second is the endindex number. But if we pass only one parameter so, by default, it will consider the first parameter as 0.
Syntax
string.substring(startIndex, endIndex);
Parameters
start index – We can pass the starting index number of the string. It is a required parameter.
end index – We can give an ending index number of the string. This parameter is optional.
Example
let string = "Greetings from Javascript";
string = string.substring(1)
console.log(string);
Output
reetings from Javascript
Using the substring () method, we removed the first character, “G,” from the string using the substring() method.
Removing the first character using the shift() method
JavaScript shift() is a built-in method that removes the first element from an array and returns that removed element. To convert a string to an array in JavaScript, use the string.split() method and then use the shift() method to remove the first character and then use the array.join() method to convert an array to a string.
The shift() method changes the length of the array.
Syntax
array.shift()
Parameters
It does not take any argument.
Example
let string = "Greetings from JavaScript";
const refStringArray = string.split("");
refStringArray.shift();
const result = refStringArray.join('');
console.log("Removed first character from string:-", result);
Output
Removed first character from string:- reetings from JavaScript
We removed the first character using the shift() method by converting an array and then convert back to a string.
Using String.replace() method
The String.replace() is a built-in JavaScript method that searches a string for a value or a regular expression. It only replaces the first occurrence of the matched string.
Syntax
string.replace(searchValue, newValue)
Arguments
The searchValue is the required parameter: a value or regular expression which is to search for.
The newValue is the required parameter that is the value to replace with.
Example
let string = "Greetings from Javascript";
let firstChar = string.charAt(0);
const newString = string.replace(firstChar, '');
console.log(newString)
Output
reetings from Javascript
Conclusion
The most optimal way to remove the first character from a string in JavaScript is to use the string.slice() method. It is straightforward to use and takes less time compared to other approaches.
That’s it for this tutorial.
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Krunal Lathiya is a Software Engineer with over eight years of experience. He has developed a strong foundation in computer science principles and a passion for problem-solving. Krunal has experience with various programming languages and technologies, including PHP, Python, and expert in JavaScript. He is comfortable working in front-end and back-end development.