JavaScript - How to Get Character Array from String?

Here are the various methods to get character array from a string in JavaScript.

1. Using String split() Method

The split() Method is used to split the given string into an array of strings by separating it into substrings using a specified separator provided in the argument. 

let s = "GeeksforGeeks";
let a = s.split("");
console.log(a);

[
  'G', 'e', 'e', 'k',
  's', 'f', 'o', 'r',
  'G', 'e', 'e', 'k',
  's'
]

2. Using JavaScript Spread Operator

The Spread operator allows an iterable to expand in place. In the case of a string, it breaks string to character and we capture all the characters of a string in an array.

let s = "GeeksforGeeks";
console.log([...s]);

[
  'G', 'e', 'e', 'k',
  's', 'f', 'o', 'r',
  'G', 'e', 'e', 'k',
  's'
]

3. Using Array.from() Method

The Array.from() method creates a new array instance from a given array. In case of string, every alphabet of the string is converted to an element of the new array instance, and in the case of integer values, a new array instance simply takes the elements of the given array. 

let s = "GeeksforGeeks";
let a = Array.from(s);
console.log(a);

[
  'G', 'e', 'e', 'k',
  's', 'f', 'o', 'r',
  'G', 'e', 'e', 'k',
  's'
]

4. Using for ... of Loop

The for...of loop provides manual control over iteration to create a character array.

const s = 'GeeksforGeeks';
const a = [];
for (const s1 of s) {
    a.push(s1);
}
console.log(a);

[
  'G', 'e', 'e', 'k',
  's', 'f', 'o', 'r',
  'G', 'e', 'e', 'k',
  's'
]

Which Approach Should You Use?

The String.split() and Spread Operator methods are the most commonly used for their simplicity and readability. Use Array.from() or for...of when additional customization or transformations are required.