Add string slicing support to yq

Agent-Logs-Url: https://github.com/mikefarah/yq/sessions/a8525fbb-77a7-4bb0-a3a7-b24f99ae8710

Co-authored-by: mikefarah <1151925+mikefarah@users.noreply.github.com>
This commit is contained in:
copilot-swe-agent[bot]
2026-03-27 10:12:55 +00:00
committed by GitHub
co-authored by mikefarah
parent 2692987998
commit 6d345ac795
7 changed files with 203 additions and 14 deletions
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
# Slice/Splice Array
# Slice/Splice Array or String
The slice array operator takes an array as input and returns a subarray. Like the `jq` equivalent, `.[10:15]` will return an array of length 5, starting from index 10 inclusive, up to index 15 exclusive. Negative numbers count backwards from the end of the array.
The slice operator works on both arrays and strings. Like the `jq` equivalent, `.[10:15]` will return a subarray (or substring) of length 5, starting from index 10 inclusive, up to index 15 exclusive. Negative numbers count backwards from the end of the array or string.
You may leave out the first or second number, which will refer to the start or end of the array respectively.
You may leave out the first or second number, which will refer to the start or end of the array or string respectively.
+65 -3
View File
@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
# Slice/Splice Array
# Slice/Splice Array or String
The slice array operator takes an array as input and returns a subarray. Like the `jq` equivalent, `.[10:15]` will return an array of length 5, starting from index 10 inclusive, up to index 15 exclusive. Negative numbers count backwards from the end of the array.
The slice operator works on both arrays and strings. Like the `jq` equivalent, `.[10:15]` will return a subarray (or substring) of length 5, starting from index 10 inclusive, up to index 15 exclusive. Negative numbers count backwards from the end of the array or string.
You may leave out the first or second number, which will refer to the start or end of the array respectively.
You may leave out the first or second number, which will refer to the start or end of the array or string respectively.
## Slicing arrays
Given a sample.yml file of:
@@ -103,3 +103,65 @@ will output
- cow
```
## Slicing strings
Given a sample.yml file of:
```yaml
country: Australia
```
then
```bash
yq '.country[4:]' sample.yml
```
will output
```yaml
ralia
```
## Slicing strings - without the second number
Finishes at the end of the string
Given a sample.yml file of:
```yaml
country: Australia
```
then
```bash
yq '.country[0:5]' sample.yml
```
will output
```yaml
Austr
```
## Slicing strings - without the first number
Starts from the start of the string
Given a sample.yml file of:
```yaml
country: Australia
```
then
```bash
yq '.country[:5]' sample.yml
```
will output
```yaml
Austr
```
## Slicing strings - use negative numbers to count backwards from the end
Negative indices count from the end of the string
Given a sample.yml file of:
```yaml
country: Australia
```
then
```bash
yq '.country[-5:]' sample.yml
```
will output
```yaml
ralia
```