JavaScript - How to Find the First and Last Character of a String?

Here are the various methods to find the first and last character of a string in JavaScript.

1. Using charAt() Method

The charAt() method retrieves the character at a specified index.

const s = "JavaScript";
const first = s.charAt(0);
const last = s.charAt(s.length - 1);

console.log(first);
console.log(last); 

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2. Using Bracket Notation

Strings in JavaScript can be accessed like arrays using bracket notation.

const s = "JavaScript";
const first = s[0];
const last = s[s.length - 1];

console.log(first);
console.log(last);

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3. Using substring() Method

The substring() method extracts characters based on indices.

const s = "JavaScript";
const first = s.substring(0, 1);
const last = s.substring(s.length - 1);

console.log(first);
console.log(last); 

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4. Using slice() Method

The slice() method works similarly to substring() but supports negative indices for convenience.

const s = "JavaScript";
const first = s.slice(0, 1);
const last = s.slice(-1);

console.log(first);
console.log(last);

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5. Using at() Method

The at() method provides an easy way to access characters that also supports negative indices.

const s = "JavaScript";
const first = s.at(0);
const last = s.at(-1);

console.log(first);
console.log(last);  

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6. Using ES6 Destructuring

Destructuring can extract the first and last characters into variables.

const s = "JavaScript";
const [first] = s;
const last = s[s.length - 1];

console.log(first);
console.log(last); 

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7. Using charCodeAt() Method

You can use charCodeAt() Method to find the Unicode code of a character and then turn that code back into the character using String.fromCharCode().

const s = "JavaScript";
const first = String.fromCharCode(s.charCodeAt(0));
const last = String.fromCharCode(s.charCodeAt(s.length - 1));

console.log(first); 
console.log(last);

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8. Brute Force (Naive Approach)

Manually iterate through the string to get the first and last characters.

const s = "JavaScript";
let first = "";
let last = "";

for (let i = 0; i < s.length; i++) {
    if (i === 0) first = s[i];
    if (i === s.length - 1) last = s[i];
}

console.log(first); 
console.log(last); 

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Which Approach Should You Use?

The charAt(), Bracket Notation, and slice() methods are the most simple and commonly used for finding the first and last characters of a string. Use the method that fits your specific use case and coding style.