How to Reverse a String in JavaScript

To reverse a string in JavaScript, you can use the split(), reverse(), and join() methods of the String object. These methods allow you to split a string into an array of characters, reverse the order of the elements in the array, and then join the array back into a string.

Here is an example of how you can use these methods to reverse a string:

let str = "hello";
let reversed = str.split("").reverse().join("");

In this code, the str variable is assigned the string “hello”. The split("") method is called on this string, which splits it into an array of characters: [“h”, “e”, “l”, “l”, “o”]. The reverse() method is then called on this array, which reverses the order of its elements: [“o”, “l”, “l”, “e”, “h”].

Finally, the join("") method is called on the reversed array, which joins its elements back into a string: “olleh”. This resulting string is then assigned to the reversed variable.

You can also reverse a string in JavaScript by using a for loop to iterate over the characters in the string and concatenate them in reverse order to a new string.

Here is an example of how you can do this:

let str = "hello";
let reversed = "";
for (let i = str.length - 1; i >= 0; i--) {
  reversed += str[i];
}

In this code, the reversed variable is initially assigned an empty string. A for loop is then used to iterate over the characters in the str variable in reverse order, starting at the last character and ending at the first. For each character, the loop concatenates it to the reversed string. This results in the reversed variable containing the reversed string “olleh”.

When is reversing a string useful?

In everyday development, reversing strings may not be a common operation. However, there are some specific scenarios where reversing strings may be useful. For example, when working on a search function for a text editor or word processor might use string reversal to search for words or phrases that are written backward in the text.

This could be useful for finding palindrome words or phrases or searching for words that have been intentionally written backward to avoid detection.

A palindrome is a word that is spelled the same way forwards and backwards. For example, the word “level” is a palindrome because it is spelled the same way forwards and backwards. Similarly, the word “racecar” is a palindrome because it is also spelled the same way forwards and backwards.

Another potential use case for reversing strings is in implementing encryption or obfuscation algorithms. For example, you might reverse a string of characters as part of a process for encrypting or obscuring the contents of the string. This could be useful for hiding sensitive information, such as passwords or confidential data.

Finding palindrome words or phrases

Let’s look at an example of finding palindrome words using the reverse string concept.

function isPalindrome(str) {
  // First, we will convert the string to lowercase and remove any
  // spaces or punctuation marks to make it easier to check if
  // the string is a palindrome.
  str = str.toLowerCase().replace(/[^a-z]/g, "");

  // Next, we will use a loop to check if the string is a palindrome.
  // We will do this by comparing the first and last characters of
  // the string, and then moving inwards towards the middle of the string
  // and comparing the next pair of characters. If any pair of characters
  // do not match, then we know that the string is not a palindrome.
  for (let i = 0; i < str.length / 2; i++) {
    if (str[i] != str[str.length - 1 - i]) {
      return false;
    }
  }

  // If we make it through the loop without returning false, then
  // we know that the string is a palindrome.
  return true;
}

Pass in the word or phrase you want to check as a string argument to use this function.

For example:

isPalindrome("level"); // returns true
isPalindrome("racecar"); // returns true
isPalindrome("hello"); // returns false

You can also rewrite the function to check multiple words at once. E.g. from a JSON file.

function isPalindrome(words) {

  words = words.map(word => word.toLowerCase().replace(/[^a-z]/g, ""));

  for (let i = 0; i < words.length; i++) {
    let word = words[i];
    for (let j = 0; j < word.length / 2; j++) {
      if (word[j] != word[word.length - 1 - j]) {
        return false;
      }
    }
  }

  return true;
}

And then use FileReader to access the words file:

// Create a new FileReader object.
let reader = new FileReader();

// Define a function to be called when the file has been read.
reader.onload = function() {
  // Parse the contents of the file as JSON to access the array of words.
  let words = JSON.parse(reader.result);

  // Use the isPalindrome function from the previous example to check
  // if all of the words in the array are palindromes.
  isPalindrome(words); // returns true if all words are palindromes, false otherwise
};

// Read the file containing the array of words.
reader.readAsText("words.json");