String split method is returning empty string array

Question

I am new to Javascript. I want to know why the string split method is returning an array of two empty strings when I use this method with a forwarding slash.

"/".split("/") // => ["", ""]

Specification. Also relevant: Wikipedia entries for Substring and Empty string. — Sebastian Simon
– Sebastian Simon, Commented Oct 25, 2022 at 2:29

acenturyandabit · Accepted Answer · 2021-07-25 02:57:40Z

4

The string split function considers empty strings as acceptable outputs for splitting. So:

"a".split("a") == ["",""]; // is true, since
"a" == "" + "a" + ""; // is true; and more importantly,
["",""].join("a") == "a"; // is true

In short, the string split function has to give empty strings so that the .join() operator is the inverse of split.

Otherwise, if "/".split("/") gave [], then "/".split("/").join("/") would be "", which violates this inverseness.

If you want to actually get an empty array, you could do "/".split("/").filter(i=>i!=""), or just "/".split("/").filter(i=>i). Or some other variant.

answered Jul 25, 2021 at 2:57

acenturyandabit

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TheRakeshPurohit · Accepted Answer · 2021-07-25 02:48:23Z

1

According to MDN, it will divide the string into ordered sub strings. It will consider space as well.

answered Jul 25, 2021 at 2:48

TheRakeshPurohit

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