published: 23 Jul 2022
2 min read
How to split a string in JavaScript
To split a string into an array of substrings in JavaScript:
- Use the
String.split()method. - Pass an optional separator as a parameter. The default separator is an empty string (
' ') that splits the string between words. - Specify an optional second parameter to limit the number of matches.
- The
String.split()method returns a new array and does not change the original string.
Examples
The String.split() method splits the string every time it matches against a set of characters provided as an argument.
If you have a comma-separated string, you could split it into an array like the below:
const str = 'lion,fox,dog,panda';
const animals = str.split(',');
console.log(animals);
// [ 'lion', 'fox', 'dog', 'panda' ]
The delimiter argument could be anything: dashes, underscores, and even spaces after commas:
const str = 'lion, fox, dog, panda';
const animals = str.split(', ');
console.log(animals);
// [ 'lion', 'fox', 'dog', 'panda' ]
White space as a delimiter works too:
const str = 'lion fox dog panda';
const animals = str.split(' ');
console.log(animals);
// [ 'lion', 'fox', 'dog', 'panda' ]
You can also pass in an empty string as a delimiter. In this case, the string will be split between each character:
const str = 'lion';
const chars = str.split('');
console.log(chars);
// [ 'l', 'i', 'o', 'n' ]
Limiting the number of results
To limit the number of items in your array, just pass in an integer as a second argument to specify the number of splits:
const str = 'lion,fox,dog,panda';
const animals = str.split(',', 3);
console.log(animals);
// [ 'lion', 'fox', 'dog' ]
Browser compatibility
The String.split() method works in all modern browsers and back to at least IE 6.
What's next?
Read this article to learn more about converting a string into an array using JavaScript.
Are we missing something? Help us improve this article. Reach out to us.
How to split a string in JavaScript
To split a string into an array of substrings in JavaScript:
- Use the
String.split()method. - Pass an optional separator as a parameter. The default separator is an empty string (
' ') that splits the string between words. - Specify an optional second parameter to limit the number of matches.
- The
String.split()method returns a new array and does not change the original string.
Examples
The String.split() method splits the string every time it matches against a set of characters provided as an argument.
If you have a comma-separated string, you could split it into an array like the below:
const str = 'lion,fox,dog,panda';
const animals = str.split(',');
console.log(animals);
// [ 'lion', 'fox', 'dog', 'panda' ]
The delimiter argument could be anything: dashes, underscores, and even spaces after commas:
const str = 'lion, fox, dog, panda';
const animals = str.split(', ');
console.log(animals);
// [ 'lion', 'fox', 'dog', 'panda' ]
White space as a delimiter works too:
const str = 'lion fox dog panda';
const animals = str.split(' ');
console.log(animals);
// [ 'lion', 'fox', 'dog', 'panda' ]
You can also pass in an empty string as a delimiter. In this case, the string will be split between each character:
const str = 'lion';
const chars = str.split('');
console.log(chars);
// [ 'l', 'i', 'o', 'n' ]
Limiting the number of results
To limit the number of items in your array, just pass in an integer as a second argument to specify the number of splits:
const str = 'lion,fox,dog,panda';
const animals = str.split(',', 3);
console.log(animals);
// [ 'lion', 'fox', 'dog' ]
Browser compatibility
The String.split() method works in all modern browsers and back to at least IE 6.
What's next?
Read this article to learn more about converting a string into an array using JavaScript.
Are you looking for other code tips?
JS Nooby
Javascript connoisseur
