CODEWITHSUNDEEP
javascript
sami
sami

Reputation: 7645

Inserting string at position x of another string

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;

Upvotes: 329

Views: 399143

Answers (12)

svarog
svarog

Reputation: 9839

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"

Upvotes: 5

Владислав Паршенцев
Владислав Паршенцев

Reputation: 19

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:

Upvotes: 1

jAndy
jAndy

Reputation: 236022

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; }

Upvotes: 476

dlauzon
dlauzon

Reputation: 1311

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"));

Upvotes: 6

nickf
nickf

Reputation: 546085

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)

Upvotes: 331

jasin_89
jasin_89

Reputation: 2001

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");

Upvotes: 41

Stefan J
Stefan J

Reputation: 1687

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'

Upvotes: 21

Kamil Kiełczewski
Kamil Kiełczewski

Reputation: 92447

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"));

Upvotes: 11

K. Yu
K. Yu

Reputation: 21

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!)

Upvotes: 2

paulo62
paulo62

Reputation: 2657

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.

Upvotes: 10

Ravindra Sane
Ravindra Sane

Reputation: 472

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)

Upvotes: 2

Clyde Lobo
Clyde Lobo

Reputation: 9174

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);

Upvotes: 1

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