[go] Delete element in a slice

func main() {
    a := []string{"Hello1", "Hello2", "Hello3"}
    fmt.Println(a)
    // [Hello1 Hello2 Hello3]
    a = append(a[:0], a[1:]...)
    fmt.Println(a)
    // [Hello2 Hello3]
}

How does this delete trick with the append function work?

It would seem that it's grabbing everything before the first element (empty array)

Then appending everything after the first element (position zero)

What does the ... (dot dot dot) do?

... is syntax for variadic arguments.

I think it is implemented by the complier using slice ([]Type), just like the function append :

func append(slice []Type, elems ...Type) []Type

when you use "elems" in "append", actually it is a slice([]type). So "a = append(a[:0], a[1:]...)" means "a = append(a[0:0], a[1:])"

a[0:0] is a slice which has nothing

a[1:] is "Hello2 Hello3"

This is how it works

In golang's wiki it show some tricks for slice, including delete an element from slice.

Link: enter link description here

For example a is the slice which you want to delete the number i element.

a = append(a[:i], a[i+1:]...)

OR

a = a[:i+copy(a[i:], a[i+1:])]

There are two options:

A: You care about retaining array order:

a = append(a[:i], a[i+1:]...)
// or
a = a[:i+copy(a[i:], a[i+1:])]

B: You don't care about retaining order (this is probably faster):

a[i] = a[len(a)-1] // Replace it with the last one. CAREFUL only works if you have enough elements.
a = a[:len(a)-1]   // Chop off the last one.

See the link to see implications re memory leaks if your array is of pointers.

https://github.com/golang/go/wiki/SliceTricks

I'm getting an index out of range error with the accepted answer solution. Reason: When range start, it is not iterate value one by one, it is iterate by index. If you modified a slice while it is in range, it will induce some problem.

Old Answer:

chars := []string{"a", "a", "b"}

for i, v := range chars {
    fmt.Printf("%+v, %d, %s\n", chars, i, v)
    if v == "a" {
        chars = append(chars[:i], chars[i+1:]...)
    }
}
fmt.Printf("%+v", chars)

Expected :

[a a b], 0, a
[a b], 0, a
[b], 0, b
Result: [b]

Actual:

// Autual
[a a b], 0, a
[a b], 1, b
[a b], 2, b
Result: [a b]

Correct Way (Solution):

chars := []string{"a", "a", "b"}

for i := 0; i < len(chars); i++ {
    if chars[i] == "a" {
        chars = append(chars[:i], chars[i+1:]...)
        i-- // form the remove item index to start iterate next item
    }
}

fmt.Printf("%+v", chars)

Source: https://dinolai.com/notes/golang/golang-delete-slice-item-in-range-problem.html

Rather than thinking of the indices in the [a:]-, [:b]- and [a:b]-notations as element indices, think of them as the indices of the gaps around and between the elements, starting with gap indexed 0 before the element indexed as 0.

Looking at just the blue numbers, it's much easier to see what is going on: [0:3] encloses everything, [3:3] is empty and [1:2] would yield {"B"}. Then [a:] is just the short version of [a:len(arrayOrSlice)], [:b] the short version of [0:b] and [:] the short version of [0:len(arrayOrSlice)]. The latter is commonly used to turn an array into a slice when needed.