332

I have two variables and need to insert string b into string a at the point represented by position. The result I'm looking for is "I want an apple". How can I do this with JavaScript?

var a = 'I want apple';
var b = ' an';
var position = 6;

12 Answers 12

479

var a = "I want apple";
var b = " an";
var position = 6;
var output = [a.slice(0, position), b, a.slice(position)].join('');
console.log(output);


Optional: As a prototype method of String

The following can be used to splice text within another string at a desired index, with an optional removeCount parameter.

if (String.prototype.splice === undefined) {
  /**
   * Splices text within a string.
   * @param {int} offset The position to insert the text at (before)
   * @param {string} text The text to insert
   * @param {int} [removeCount=0] An optional number of characters to overwrite
   * @returns {string} A modified string containing the spliced text.
   */
  String.prototype.splice = function(offset, text, removeCount=0) {
    let calculatedOffset = offset < 0 ? this.length + offset : offset;
    return this.substring(0, calculatedOffset) +
      text + this.substring(calculatedOffset + removeCount);
  };
}

let originalText = "I want apple";

// Positive offset
console.log(originalText.splice(6, " an"));
// Negative index
console.log(originalText.splice(-5, "an "));
// Chaining
console.log(originalText.splice(6, " an").splice(2, "need", 4).splice(0, "You", 1));
.as-console-wrapper { top: 0; max-height: 100% !important; }

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7 Comments

For long strings, this solution is faster (because it copies less) than nickf's solution.
This solution is not faster. I was curious about this and ran a jsperf. This is a note to anyone who reads this in the future. jsperf.com/javascript-string-splice. Tested in latest FF/Chrome/IE10/IE9. I would use lean nickf's approach over this one for both clarity and performance.
Well, thats very possible. The answer here is almost 3 years old, the majority of browsers and versions back then, indeed performed way faster with an Array join (especially IE).
I beg your pardon to have revived such an old question, but for what I'm worth it should be var output = [a.slice(0, position + 1), b, a.slice(position)].join(''); to give the OPs "I want an apple", instead of "I wantan apple".
@PaulVon Its never wrong to correct something, so no need to pardon. Anyway, I kind of disagree. The functionally does what its intended to do, insert a string at a certain position within another string. Actually the inserted string should be like " an", which would be more correct in this instance.
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332
var output = a.substring(0, position) + b + a.substring(position);

Edit: replaced .substr with .substring because .substr is now a legacy function (per https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/JavaScript/Reference/Global_Objects/String/substr)

4 Comments

According to @junkyspace jsperf.com/javascript-string-splice, this answer is 640x faster than jAndy's one.
String.prototype.substr is deprecated now. developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/JavaScript/Reference/…
substring in this case is a direct replacement for the deprecated substr, so the answer becomes: var output = a.substring(0, position) + b + a.substring(position);.
It's not strictly deprecated, but legacy, so a good idea to replace as it will likely become deprecated, and is recommended by MDN to use .substring
41

You can add this function to string class

String.prototype.insert_at=function(index, string)
{   
  return this.substr(0, index) + string + this.substr(index);
}

so that you can use it on any string object:

var my_string = "abcd";
my_string.insertAt(1, "XX");

2 Comments

It is a bad practice to modify native object prototype: stackoverflow.com/questions/14034180/…
-1: doesn't modify original variable AND you incorrectly used camelCase instead of underscore_case in your second example
21

Using ES6 string literals, would be much shorter:

const insertAt = (str, sub, pos) => `${str.slice(0, pos)}${sub}${str.slice(pos)}`;
    
console.log(insertAt('I want apple', ' an', 6)) // logs 'I want an apple'

Comments

11

try

a.slice(0,position) + b + a.slice(position)

var a = "I want apple";
var b = " an";
var position = 6;

var r= a.slice(0,position) + b + a.slice(position);

console.log(r);

or regexp solution

"I want apple".replace(/^(.{6})/,"$1 an")

var a = "I want apple";
var b = " an";
var position = 6;

var r= a.replace(new RegExp(`^(.{${position}})`),"$1"+b);

console.log(r);
console.log("I want apple".replace(/^(.{6})/,"$1 an"));

1 Comment

the regexp made my day, thanks!
10

Maybe it's even better if you determine position using indexOf() like this:

function insertString(a, b, at)
{
    var position = a.indexOf(at); 

    if (position !== -1)
    {
        return a.substr(0, position) + b + a.substr(position);    
    }  

    return "substring not found";
}

then call the function like this:

insertString("I want apple", "an ", "apple");

Note, that I put a space after the "an " in the function call, rather than in the return statement.

1 Comment

This is not what it was asked. Even if this was the case this wouldn't work if you have multiple occurrences of the "at" substring
6

If ES2018's lookbehind is available, one more regexp solution, that makes use of it to "replace" at a zero-width position after the Nth character (similar to @Kamil Kiełczewski's, but without storing the initial characters in a capturing group):

"I want apple".replace(/(?<=^.{6})/, " an")

var a = "I want apple";
var b = " an";
var position = 6;

var r= a.replace(new RegExp(`(?<=^.{${position}})`), b);

console.log(r);
console.log("I want apple".replace(/(?<=^.{6})/, " an"));

Comments

5

The Underscore.String library has a function that does Insert

insert(string, index, substring) => string

like so

insert("I want apple", 6, " an");
// => "I want an apple"

2 Comments

Not by me, but probably because there was no mention of that library in the question. But he also doesn't seem to exclude other libraries IMO..
Even though I dislike using libraries unless necessary, I upvoted to offset the downvote :P
2
var array = a.split(' '); 
array.splice(position, 0, b);
var output = array.join(' ');

This would be slower, but will take care of the addition of space before and after the an Also, you'll have to change the value of position ( to 2, it's more intuitive now)

Comments

2

Quick fix! If you don't want to manually add a space, you can do this:

var a = "I want apple";
var b = "an";
var position = 6;
var output = [a.slice(0, position + 1), b, a.slice(position)].join('');
console.log(output);

(edit: i see that this is actually answered above, sorry!)

Comments

1

Well just a small change 'cause the above solution outputs

"I want anapple"

instead of

"I want an apple"

To get the output as

"I want an apple"

use the following modified code

var output = a.substr(0, position) + " " + b + a.substr(position);

2 Comments

yes, it's probably not desirable in this case, but adding an extra space automatically is almost definitely not desirable in all cases.
Wouldn't the correct solutions be to add the spaces in the string = ' an ', this way you can reuse the function
1

With RegExp replace

var a = 'I want apple';
var b = ' an';
var position = 6;
var output = a.replace(new RegExp(`^(.{${position}})(.*)`), `$1${b}$2`);

console.log(output);

Info:

1 Comment

Genius BTW, you can use just one capturing group: str.replace(/^(.{10})/, '$1replace') The rest of the string would remain untouched. thanks!

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