Finding matching string from javascript array

Question

I have one array of strings. I need to find all strings starting with a key. for eg: if there is an array [\'apple\',\'ape\',\'open\',\'soap\'] when searched with

Answer 1

With 2 improvements, can find if contains, not only as first char, and it has a third parameter to define the returned value : true means return just the number of element inside the array (index/key), false or anything not accepted or no value means return the complete string array[element], and if set to 'position=3', return the values of array which contains the string exactly in the ' after = number' position, here 3!

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function find(key, array, returnindex)
{
var results = [];
if {returnindex.indexOf('position=') == 0}
{
    var a = parseInt(returnindex.replace('position=',''));
    returnindex = false;
}
else if (returnindex != true)
{
    returnindex = false;
}
for (var i = 0; i < array.length; i++)
{
    var j = '-'+array[i].indexOf(key);
    if (typeof a == 'undefined')
    {
        if (i > 0)
        {
            j = 'ok';
        }
    }
    else
    {
        if (i == a+1)
        {
            j = 'ok';
        }
    }
    if (j == 'ok' && returnindex)
    {
        results.push(i);
    }
    else
    {
        results.push(array[i]);
    }
}
return results;
}