Remove last character from string. Swift language
StringCharacterSwiftString Problem Overview
How can I remove last character from String variable using Swift? Can't find it in documentation.
Here is full example:
var expression = "45+22"
expression = expression.substringToIndex(countElements(expression) - 1)
String Solutions
Solution 1 - String
Swift 4.0 (also Swift 5.0)
var str = "Hello, World" // "Hello, World"
str.dropLast() // "Hello, Worl" (non-modifying)
str // "Hello, World"
String(str.dropLast()) // "Hello, Worl"
str.remove(at: str.index(before: str.endIndex)) // "d"
str // "Hello, Worl" (modifying)
Swift 3.0
The APIs have gotten a bit more swifty, and as a result the Foundation extension has changed a bit:
var name: String = "Dolphin"
var truncated = name.substring(to: name.index(before: name.endIndex))
print(name) // "Dolphin"
print(truncated) // "Dolphi"
Or the in-place version:
var name: String = "Dolphin"
name.remove(at: name.index(before: name.endIndex))
print(name) // "Dolphi"
Thanks Zmey, Rob Allen!
Swift 2.0+ Way
There are a few ways to accomplish this:
Via the Foundation extension, despite not being part of the Swift library:
var name: String = "Dolphin"
var truncated = name.substringToIndex(name.endIndex.predecessor())
print(name) // "Dolphin"
print(truncated) // "Dolphi"
Using the removeRange()
method (which alters the name
):
var name: String = "Dolphin"
name.removeAtIndex(name.endIndex.predecessor())
print(name) // "Dolphi"
Using the dropLast()
function:
var name: String = "Dolphin"
var truncated = String(name.characters.dropLast())
print(name) // "Dolphin"
print(truncated) // "Dolphi"
Old String.Index (Xcode 6 Beta 4 +) Way
Since String
types in Swift aim to provide excellent UTF-8 support, you can no longer access character indexes/ranges/substrings using Int
types. Instead, you use String.Index
:
let name: String = "Dolphin"
let stringLength = count(name) // Since swift1.2 `countElements` became `count`
let substringIndex = stringLength - 1
name.substringToIndex(advance(name.startIndex, substringIndex)) // "Dolphi"
Alternatively (for a more practical, but less educational example) you can use endIndex
:
let name: String = "Dolphin"
name.substringToIndex(name.endIndex.predecessor()) // "Dolphi"
Note: I found this to be a great starting point for understanding String.Index
Old (pre-Beta 4) Way
You can simply use the substringToIndex()
function, providing it one less than the length of the String
:
let name: String = "Dolphin"
name.substringToIndex(countElements(name) - 1) // "Dolphi"
Solution 2 - String
The global dropLast()
function works on sequences and therefore on Strings:
var expression = "45+22"
expression = dropLast(expression) // "45+2"
// in Swift 2.0 (according to cromanelli's comment below)
expression = String(expression.characters.dropLast())
Solution 3 - String
Swift 4:
let choppedString = String(theString.dropLast())
In Swift 2, do this:
let choppedString = String(theString.characters.dropLast())
I recommend this link to get an understanding of Swift strings.
Solution 4 - String
Swift 4/5
var str = "bla"
str.removeLast() // returns "a"; str is now "bl"
Solution 5 - String
This is a String Extension Form:
extension String {
func removeCharsFromEnd(count_:Int) -> String {
let stringLength = count(self)
let substringIndex = (stringLength < count_) ? 0 : stringLength - count_
return self.substringToIndex(advance(self.startIndex, substringIndex))
}
}
for versions of Swift earlier than 1.2:
...
let stringLength = countElements(self)
...
Usage:
var str_1 = "Maxim"
println("output: \(str_1.removeCharsFromEnd(1))") // "Maxi"
println("output: \(str_1.removeCharsFromEnd(3))") // "Ma"
println("output: \(str_1.removeCharsFromEnd(8))") // ""
Reference:
>Extensions add new functionality to an existing class, structure, or enumeration type. This includes the ability to extend types for which you do not have access to the original source code (known as retroactive modeling). Extensions are similar to categories in Objective-C. (Unlike Objective-C categories, Swift extensions do not have names.)
See DOCS
Solution 6 - String
Use the function removeAtIndex(i: String.Index) -> Character
:
var s = "abc"
s.removeAtIndex(s.endIndex.predecessor()) // "ab"
Solution 7 - String
Swift 4
var welcome = "Hello World!"
welcome = String(welcome[..<welcome.index(before:welcome.endIndex)])
or
welcome.remove(at: welcome.index(before: welcome.endIndex))
or
welcome = String(welcome.dropLast())
Solution 8 - String
The easiest way to trim the last character of the string is:
title = title[title.startIndex ..< title.endIndex.advancedBy(-1)]
Solution 9 - String
let str = "abc"
let substr = str.substringToIndex(str.endIndex.predecessor()) // "ab"
Solution 10 - String
var str = "Hello, playground"
extension String {
var stringByDeletingLastCharacter: String {
return dropLast(self)
}
}
println(str.stringByDeletingLastCharacter) // "Hello, playgroun"
Solution 11 - String
Short answer (valid as of 2015-04-16): removeAtIndex(myString.endIndex.predecessor())
Example:
var howToBeHappy = "Practice compassion, attention and gratitude. And smile!!"
howToBeHappy.removeAtIndex(howToBeHappy.endIndex.predecessor())
println(howToBeHappy)
// "Practice compassion, attention and gratitude. And smile!"
Meta:
The language continues its rapid evolution, making the half-life for many formerly-good S.O. answers dangerously brief. It's always best to learn the language and refer to real documentation.
Solution 12 - String
A swift category that's mutating:
extension String {
mutating func removeCharsFromEnd(removeCount:Int)
{
let stringLength = count(self)
let substringIndex = max(0, stringLength - removeCount)
self = self.substringToIndex(advance(self.startIndex, substringIndex))
}
}
Use:
var myString = "abcd"
myString.removeCharsFromEnd(2)
println(myString) // "ab"
Solution 13 - String
With the new Substring type usage:
Swift 4:
var before: String = "Hello world!"
var lastCharIndex: Int = before.endIndex
var after:String = String(before[..<lastCharIndex])
print(after) // Hello world
Shorter way:
var before: String = "Hello world!"
after = String(before[..<before.endIndex])
print(after) // Hello world
Solution 14 - String
Use the function advance(startIndex, endIndex)
:
var str = "45+22"
str = str.substringToIndex(advance(str.startIndex, countElements(str) - 1))
Solution 15 - String
Another way If you want to remove one or more than one character from the end.
var myStr = "Hello World!"
myStr = (myStr as NSString).substringToIndex((myStr as NSString).length-XX)
Where XX is the number of characters you want to remove.
Solution 16 - String
Swift 3 (according to the docs) 20th Nov 2016
let range = expression.index(expression.endIndex, offsetBy: -numberOfCharactersToRemove)..<expression.endIndex
expression.removeSubrange(range)
Solution 17 - String
The dropLast()
function removes the last element of the string.
var expression = "45+22"
expression = expression.dropLast()
Solution 18 - String
Swift 4.2
I also delete my last character from String (i.e. UILabel text) in IOS app
@IBOutlet weak var labelText: UILabel! // Do Connection with UILabel
@IBAction func whenXButtonPress(_ sender: UIButton) { // Do Connection With X Button
labelText.text = String((labelText.text?.dropLast())!) // Delete the last caracter and assign it
}
Solution 19 - String
import UIKit
var str1 = "Hello, playground"
str1.removeLast()
print(str1)
var str2 = "Hello, playground"
str2.removeLast(3)
print(str2)
var str3 = "Hello, playground"
str3.removeFirst(2)
print(str3)
Output:-
Hello, playgroun
Hello, playgro
llo, playground
Solution 20 - String
I'd recommend using NSString for strings that you want to manipulate. Actually come to think of it as a developer I've never run into a problem with NSString that Swift String would solve... I understand the subtleties. But I've yet to have an actual need for them.
var foo = someSwiftString as NSString
or
var foo = "Foo" as NSString
or
var foo: NSString = "blah"
And then the whole world of simple NSString string operations is open to you.
As answer to the question
// check bounds before you do this, e.g. foo.length > 0
// Note shortFoo is of type NSString
var shortFoo = foo.substringToIndex(foo.length-1)
Solution 21 - String
complimentary to the above code I wanted to remove the beginning of the string and could not find a reference anywhere. Here is how I did it:
var mac = peripheral.identifier.description
let range = mac.startIndex..<mac.endIndex.advancedBy(-50)
mac.removeRange(range) // trim 17 characters from the beginning
let txPower = peripheral.advertisements.txPower?.description
This trims 17 characters from the beginning of the string (he total string length is 67 we advance -50 from the end and there you have it.
Solution 22 - String
Swift 3: When you want to remove trailing string:
func replaceSuffix(_ suffix: String, replacement: String) -> String {
if hasSuffix(suffix) {
let sufsize = suffix.count < count ? -suffix.count : 0
let toIndex = index(endIndex, offsetBy: sufsize)
return substring(to: toIndex) + replacement
}
else
{
return self
}
}