# Remove the last/first element from an array in Javascript

In JavaScript, there are several ways to remove the last and first elements from an array. I

Here are some commonly used methods:

### **Removing the Last Element:**

**Array.pop() method:** This method removes the last element from an array and returns it.

* ```typescript
    let myArray = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5];
    let lastElement = myArray.pop(); // Removes 5 from the array
    console.log(myArray); // [1, 2, 3, 4]
    console.log(lastElement); // 5
    ```
    
    **Array.slice() method:** You can use the `slice()` method to create a new array without the last element
    
    ```typescript
    let myArray = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5];
    let newArray = myArray.slice(0, -1); // Creates a new array without the last element
    console.log(newArray); // [1, 2, 3, 4]
    ```
    
    I had used Array.splice() method on our recently updated blog post of [Valid Parenthesis](https://blog.makeinfo.co/valid-parentheses-using-javascript-leetcode-challenges) (Check the alternative approach code)
    

### **Removing the First Element:**

**Array.shift() method:** This method removes the first element from an array and returns it.

```typescript
let myArray = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5];
let firstElement = myArray.shift(); // Removes 1 from the array
console.log(myArray); // [2, 3, 4, 5]
console.log(firstElement); // 1
```

**Array.slice() method:** You can use the `slice()` method to create a new array without the first element.  

```typescript
let myArray = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5];
let newArray = myArray.slice(1); // Creates a new array without the first element
console.log(newArray); // [2, 3, 4, 5]
```

Keep in mind that `slice()` creates a shallow copy, so it doesn't clone nested objects within the array.

If you have nested objects or arrays and want a deep copy, you'll need to implement a custom deep cloning function, which may have its time complexity considerations depending on the implementation.