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How to Deep Clone an Array in JavaScript

Samantha Ming on March 04, 2019

There are 2 types of array cloning: shallow & deep. Shallow copies only cover the 1st level of the array and the rest are referenced. If you ...

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Maria Zaitseva • Mar 4 '19

One has to be really careful with JSON solution! It doesn't work with values not compatible with JSON. Examples:

function nestedCopy(array) {
    return JSON.parse(JSON.stringify(array));
}

// undefineds are converted to nulls

nestedCopy([1, undefined, 2]) // -> [1, null, 2]

// DOM nodes are converted to empty objects

nestedCopy([document.body, document.querySelector('p')]) // -> [{}, {}]

// JS dates are converted to strings

nestedCopy([new Date()]) // -> ["2019-03-04T10:09:00.419Z"]

Consider using a library function if you have to work with such data.

Samantha Ming • Mar 8 '19

Yes! Very good point, let me add that to the code notes! Thanks for noting that 👏

Vipin Saini • May 28 '20

Wow.
This is really cool!
You have added a gem to the post!
Thanks!

V • Mar 4 '19 • Edited

Nice summary!

I'd like to add a tiny bit to the nested array example, that when you rest-spread an array, if that array has another nested array as its element, what gets shallow-copied is the reference to the original nested array:

let nestedArray = [1, [2], 3];
let arrayCopy = [...nestedArray]; // arrayCopy == [1, ref, 3];

thus creating the mutation effects.

Samantha Ming • Mar 8 '19

Yup! In those cases, if you want a true copy, you will need to do a deep clone. Thanks for sharing!

guico33 • Mar 4 '19

As pointed out in other comments, relying on JSON.parse and JSON.stringify to perform a deep cloning is suboptimal (edge cases, performances). Better use the method provided by some library (e.g lodash's cloneDeep).

worc • Mar 4 '19

pulling in an entire library for a single method can also be a kind of suboptimal (versioning, security auditing, vendoring vs. managed dependencies). it's a lot of overhead when there might be a better solution in just not doing deeply nested arrays.

guico33 • Mar 5 '19 • Edited

My point is to use an optimised method. Deep cloning arrays or objects may not be very common but if the need arises, I'd recommend using an exisiting solution.

Samantha Ming • Mar 8 '19

Totally! JSON is the quick&dirty way 😂Lodash is definitely the preferred optimal solution. Thanks for pointing that out 👍

alokz diptim! • May 7 '22 • Edited

This right here deep copies nested array too

    let cloneMatrix  = [];

    for(let m = 0; m < matrix.length; m++){
        cloneMatrix.push([...matrix[m]]);
    }

It pushes into a new array with [...matrix[m]]

Rishi Setpal • Jun 20 '23 • Edited

There is no point in compairing: new Object with new Object
lodashClonedeep(arrOfFunction)[0] === lodashClonedeep(arrOfFunction)[0]

Instead Compare: old Object with new Object
arrOfFunction[0] === lodashClonedeep(arrOfFunction)[0]


// Just a code snippet
// Change Direactory: cd "current_working_directory"
// npm install lodash or npm install lodash.clonedeep
const lodashClonedeep = require("lodash.clonedeep");
const arrOfFunction = [
    () => 2, 
    { test: () => 3,}, 
    Symbol('4')
];
// deepClone copy by refence function and Symbol
console.log(lodashClonedeep(arrOfFunction));
// JSON replace function with null and function in object with undefined
console.log(JSON.parse(JSON.stringify(arrOfFunction)));
// function and symbol are copied by reference in deepClone
console.log(arrOfFunction[0] === lodashClonedeep(arrOfFunction)[0]);
console.log(arrOfFunction[2] === lodashClonedeep(arrOfFunction)[2]);

Alfredo Salzillo • Mar 4 '19 • Edited

Hi,
nice post, but i'd like you to note that there are some difference between deepClone and JSON.stringify/parse.

JSON.stringify/parse only work with Number and String and Object litteral without function or Symbol properties.
deepClone work with all types, function and Symbol are copied by reference.

Here an example:

const lodashClonedeep = require("lodash.clonedeep");

const arrOfFunction = [() => 2, {
    test: () => 3,
}, Symbol('4')];

// deepClone copy by refence function and Symbol
console.log(lodashClonedeep(arrOfFunction));
// JSON replace function with null and function in object with undefined
console.log(JSON.parse(JSON.stringify(arrOfFunction)));

// function and symbol are copied by reference in deepClone
console.log(lodashClonedeep(arrOfFunction)[0] === lodashClonedeep(arrOfFunction)[0]);
console.log(lodashClonedeep(arrOfFunction)[2] === lodashClonedeep(arrOfFunction)[2]);

Samantha Ming • Mar 8 '19

Exactly! Thanks for sharing this! Let me add it to my code notes 👍

Alina Lapina • Oct 8 '19

In the last clone (recursive code) the function have to return a copy of item, {...item}, in order to create deep cloning, not the item reference.
The whole piece of code is:

const clone = (items) => items.map(item => Array.isArray(item) ? clone(item) : {...item});

Alex Walker • Mar 4 '19

Nicely explained. Another quirk of JavaScript I'l know to look out for, but your JSON solution is simple to remember.

Shayne Darren • Mar 5 '19 • Edited

I don't think this is javascript specific? And no, it's not a quirk.
Even Java(and most other languages) copies non-primitive data types by reference.
Maybe I misunderstood your comment though.

Alex Walker • Mar 6 '19

I'm a primarily a PHP developer so everything about JavaScript is quirky to me. :-)

Shayne Darren • Mar 7 '19

Let's just pretend I left the obligatory, "But php has a,b,c,d....x,y,z quirks and javascript is so much better" ;)

Samantha Ming • Mar 8 '19

JSON is your quick and dirty solution. For a more robust solution, I’d go with Lodash 🙂

Samath24 • May 27

Just found your ( interesting ) post looking up on how to deep copy an array the right way. While you probably know it by now, the structuredClone() global function now exists since 2022 and is very well supported. It is a good solution to our common headaches !

May this help someone in need, like it did.

vidhyakrish • Feb 22 '20

Array.form() will do the same operations and same behaviour as [...] spread.

for eg.

let nestedArray = [1, [2], 3];
let arrayCopy = Array.from(nestedArray);

// Make some changes
arrayCopy[0] = '👻'; // change shallow element
console.log(nestedArray); //[1,[2],3]

console.log(arrayCopy); // [ '👻',[2],3]
arrayCopy[1][0] = '💩'; // change nested element
console.log(nestedArray); // [ 1, [ '💩' ], 3 ]

PradyumnaGupta • Jun 20 '22 • Edited

structuredClone API is the more cleaner way to do this now and it is accepted by almost all the browsers now :

array2 = structuredClone(array1);

CuterThanBacon • Jul 1 '19

how would you code the recursion example without using map?

Chad Windham • Sep 10 '19 • Edited

If you want/need to not use ES6 stuff you would simply use a standard for loop.


// Old javascript

function cloneDeeply(arrayToClone) {

  var newArray = [];

  for (var i = 0; i < arrayToClone.length; i++) {

    if (arrayToClone[i].isArray) {
      cloneDeeply(arrayToClone[i])
    }
    else {
      newArray.push(arrayToClone[i])
    }
  }

  return newArray;
}

// Then to use it

var clone = cloneDeeply(yourArrayToCloneGoesHere);

I didn't test this or anything btw just writing an example off of the top of my head, so no promises lol

Boss A • Mar 5 '19

I love it! In my current project, I encountered this kind of problem especially in passing by reference of nested arrays. Now, I got it by very friendly explanation. Good job!

Samantha Ming • Mar 8 '19

It took me a long time to get this reference type. So hopefully I was able to explain it a way that makes sense to you 😄

Suraj Sharma • Mar 5 '19

very helpful, thank you!

Samantha Ming • Mar 8 '19

You’re welcome! Thanks for reading it 😃

Vipin Saini • May 28 '20

Hi Samantha,

Good Post!
Thanks!

Casey Cole • Mar 5 '19

this is the best way to deep copy and you should be cloning html element refs as other people said in the comments that is and easy way to get memory leaks

GeorgeNeilyo • Dec 14 '23

Amazing post. Simple explanation,simple examples.

Thank you!