How do I empty an array in JavaScript?

Answer 1

I'm surprised no one has suggested this yet:

let xs = [1,2,3,4];
for (let i in xs)
    delete xs[i];

This yields an array in quite a different state from the other solutions. In a sense, the array has been 'emptied':

xs
=> Array [ <4 empty slots> ]

[...xs]
=> Array [ undefined, undefined, undefined, undefined ]

xs.length
=> 4

xs[0]
=> ReferenceError: reference to undefined property xs[0]

You can produce an equivalent array with [,,,,] or Array(4)