Remove an Element at specific index from an Array in Java

Given an array of fixed length. The task is to remove an element at a specific index from the array.

Examples:

Input: arr[] = { 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 }, index = 2
Output: arr[] = { 1, 2, 4, 5 }

Input: arr[] = { 4, 5, 9, 8, 1 }, index = 3
Output: arr[] = { 4, 5, 9, 1 }

1. Naive or Basic approach (Using another array): The basic approach includes finding the element at the specified index and then removing that element. The rest of the elements are copied into a new array. This would lead to an array of size one less than the original array.

   Below is the implementation of the above approach:

   filter_none

   edit
   close

   play_arrow

   link
   brightness_4
   code

   // Java program to remove an element // from a specific index from an array    import java.util.Arrays;    class GFG {        // Function to remove the element     public static int[] removeTheElement(int[] arr,                                           int index)     {            // If the array is empty         // or the index is not in array range         // return the original array         if (arr == null             || index < 0             || index >= arr.length) {                return arr;         }            // Create another array of size one less         int[] anotherArray = new int[arr.length - 1];            // Copy the elements except the index         // from original array to the other array         for (int i = 0, k = 0; i < arr.length; i++) {                // if the index is             // the removal element index             if (i == index) {                 continue;             }                // if the index is not             // the removal element index             anotherArray[k++] = arr[i];         }            // return the resultant array         return anotherArray;     }        // Driver Code     public static void main(String[] args)     {            // Get the array         int[] arr = { 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 };            // Print the resultant array         System.out.println("Original Array: "                            + Arrays.toString(arr));            // Get the specific index         int index = 2;            // Print the index         System.out.println("Index to be removed: "                            + index);            // Remove the element         arr = removeTheElement(arr, index);            // Print the resultant array         System.out.println("Resultant Array: "                            + Arrays.toString(arr));     } }

   chevron_right

   filter_none

   Output:

   Original Array: [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
   Index to be removed: 2
   Resultant Array: [1, 2, 4, 5]
   

2. Using Java 8 Streams:

   Approach:

   
   
   
   1. Get the array and the index.
   2. Convert the array into IntStream using IntStream.range() method.
   3. Remove the specified index element using filter() method.
   4. Map and form a new array of the filtered elements using map() and toArray() methods.
   5. Return the formed array.

   Below is the implementation of the above approach:

   filter_none

   edit
   close

   play_arrow

   link
   brightness_4
   code

   // Java program to remove an element // from a specific index from an array    import java.util.Arrays; import java.util.stream.IntStream;    class GFG {        // Function to remove the element     public static int[] removeTheElement(int[] arr,                                            int index)     {            // If the array is empty         // or the index is not in array range         // return the original array         if (arr == null             || index < 0             || index >= arr.length) {                return arr;         }            // return the resultant array         return IntStream.range(0, arr.length)             .filter(i -> i != index)             .map(i -> arr[i])             .toArray();     }        // Driver Code     public static void main(String[] args)     {            // Get the array         int[] arr = { 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 };            // Print the resultant array         System.out.println("Original Array: "                            + Arrays.toString(arr));            // Get the specific index         int index = 2;            // Print the index         System.out.println("Index to be removed: "                            + index);            // Remove the element         arr = removeTheElement(arr, index);            // Print the resultant array         System.out.println("Resultant Array: "                            + Arrays.toString(arr));     } }

   chevron_right

   filter_none

   Output:

   Original Array: [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
   Index to be removed: 2
   Resultant Array: [1, 2, 4, 5]
   

3. Using ArrayList:

   Approach:

   1. Get the array and the index.
   2. Form an ArrayList with the array elements.
   3. Remove the specified index element using remove() method.
   4. Form a new array of the ArrayList using mapToInt() and toArray() methods.
   5. Return the formed array.

   Below is the implementation of the above approach:

   filter_none

   edit
   close

   play_arrow

   link
   brightness_4
   code

   // Java program to remove an element // from a specific index from an array    import java.util.Arrays; import java.util.List; import java.util.stream.Collectors; import java.util.stream.IntStream;    class GFG {        // Function to remove the element     public static int[] removeTheElement(int[] arr,                                             int index)     {            // If the array is empty         // or the index is not in array range         // return the original array         if (arr == null             || index < 0             || index >= arr.length) {                return arr;         }            // Create ArrayList from the array         List<Integer> arrayList = IntStream.of(arr)                                       .boxed()                                       .collect(Collectors.toList());            // Remove the specified element         arrayList.remove(index);            // return the resultant array         return arrayList.stream()             .mapToInt(Integer::intValue)             .toArray();     }        // Driver Code     public static void main(String[] args)     {         // Get the array         int[] arr = { 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 };            // Print the resultant array         System.out.println("Original Array: "                            + Arrays.toString(arr));            // Get the specific index         int index = 2;            // Print the index         System.out.println("Index to be removed: "                            + index);            // Remove the element         arr = removeTheElement(arr, index);            // Print the resultant array         System.out.println("Resultant Array: "                            + Arrays.toString(arr));     } }

   chevron_right

   filter_none

   Output:

   Original Array: [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
   Index to be removed: 2
   Resultant Array: [1, 2, 4, 5]
   

4. Using System.arraycopy():

   Approach:

   1. Get the array and the index.
   2. Create a new array of size one less than the size of original array.
   3. Copy the elements from starting till index from original array to the other array using System.arraycopy()
   4. Copy the elements from index + 1 till end from original array to the other array using System.arraycopy()
   5. Return the formed array.

   Below is the implementation of the above approach:

   filter_none

   edit
   close

   play_arrow

   link
   brightness_4
   code

   // Java program to remove an element // from a specific index from an array    import java.util.Arrays;    class GFG {        // Function to remove the element     public static int[] removeTheElement(int[] arr,                                             int index)     {            // If the array is empty         // or the index is not in array range         // return the original array         if (arr == null             || index < 0             || index >= arr.length) {                return arr;         }            // Create another array of size one less         int[] anotherArray = new int[arr.length - 1];            // Copy the elements from starting till index         // from original array to the other array         System.arraycopy(arr, 0, anotherArray, 0, index);            // Copy the elements from index + 1 till end         // from original array to the other array         System.arraycopy(arr, index + 1,                          anotherArray, index,                          arr.length - index - 1);            // return the resultant array         return anotherArray;     }        // Driver Code     public static void main(String[] args)     {         // Get the array         int[] arr = { 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 };            // Print the resultant array         System.out.println("Original Array: "                            + Arrays.toString(arr));            // Get the specific index         int index = 2;            // Print the index         System.out.println("Index to be removed: "                            + index);            // Remove the element         arr = removeTheElement(arr, index);            // Print the resultant array         System.out.println("Resultant Array: "                            + Arrays.toString(arr));     } }

   chevron_right

   filter_none

   Output:

   Original Array: [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
   Index to be removed: 2
   Resultant Array: [1, 2, 4, 5]
   

RishabhPrabhu

Technical Content Engineer