How to move an array element from one array position to another in JavaScript?

Last Updated : 22 Jun, 2020

In JavaScript we can access an array element as other programming languages like C, C++, Java etc. Also there is a method called splice() in JavaScript, by which an array can be removed or replaced by another element for an index. So to move an array element from one array position to another we can splice() method or we can simply use array indexing ([]).

Example : Simple code for moving an array element from one array position to another, without using any functions.

javascript

<script>
  
var arr = ["C++", "Java", "JS", "Python"];
  
document.write("Original array: "+arr+"<br>");
  
    // Position where from the element is 
    // going to move here 'python' is moved 
    var x = 3; 
      
    // Position at which element is to be 
    // moved here 'python' is moved to  
    // index 1 which is index of 'Java'
    var pos = 1; 
  
    // Store the moved element in a temp 
    // variable
    var temp = arr[x]; 
      
    // shift elements forward 
    var i;
    for (i = x; i >= pos; i--) 
        {
            arr[i] = arr[i - 1]; 
        }
      
    // Insert moved element at position  
    arr[pos] = temp; 
  
document.write("<br>After move: "+arr+"<br>");
  
</script>

Output :

Original array: C++,Java,JS,Python

After move: C++,Python,Java,JS

Example : Now move an array element from one array position to another using functions,

javascript

<script>
    var arr = ["C++ ", "Java ", "JS ",
               "Ruby ", "Python "];
  
    //     Print the array before moving
    document.write("Original array: "+arr+"<br>");
  
    // Position where from the element is 
    // going to move here 'Ruby' is moved 
    var moveEle = 3;
  
    // Position at which element is to be moved 
    // here 'Ruby' is moved to  index 1 which is 
    // index of 'Java'
    var moveToIndx = 1;
  
    // If acctual index of moved element is 
    // less than 0 when 'moveEle += array size'
    while (moveEle < 0)
    {
        moveEle += arr.length;
    }
  
    // Where the element to be moved f that 
    // index is less than 0 when 
    // 'moveToIndx += array size'
    while (moveToIndx < 0) 
    {
        moveToIndx = moveToIndx + arr.length;
    }
  
    // If 'moveToIndx' is greater than the 
    // size of the array then with need to 
    // push 'undefined' in the array.
    if (moveToIndx >= arr.length)
    {
        var un = moveToIndx - arr.length + 1;
        while (un--)
        {
            arr.push(undefined);
  
        }
    }
    // Here element of 'moveEle' is removed and 
    // pushed at 'moveToIndx' index
    arr.splice(moveToIndx, 0, arr.splice(moveEle, 1));
      
      
    // Print the array after moving
    document.write("<br>After move: "+arr+"<br>");
</script>

Output :

Original array: C++ ,Java ,JS ,Ruby ,Python

After move: C++ ,Ruby ,Java ,JS ,Python

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