Extract hostname name from string
Here's the speed run: extract the hostname from a URL string using JavaScript's URL
object:
The hostname
property directly pulls out the domain from your URL, simple and effective. Noteworthy: you might need a polyfill for the URL
API in older browsers.
Diving deeper: Tackling complexities
The DOM route for hostname
While working with DOM, you might prefer to extract hostnames differently:
This alternative approach works well with your jQuery or JavaScript logic dealing with document manipulations.
Handling special unicorns (URLs)
Some URLs are special unicorns with unicode characters and complex TLDs! Here's how you can tame these beasts using the psl
npm package:
This method shines like a lighthouse guiding ships in an ocean of URLs, effectively handling a variety of URL structures.
Race for performance
When handling large data, the need for performance amplifies. You might want to compare RegExp and URL parsing methods on jsPerf to choose the most efficient one. May the fastest one win!
Regex: A good old friend?
Beyond the URL
API, a well-crafted regular expression might help you out:
This regex will gracefully handle protocols (http://
, https://
) and common subdomains like www
. But remember, with great Regex power comes great responsibility: use it wisely!
Browser compatibility considerations
The URL
API is not always available, especially in those age-old legacy browsers. You can resort to native string
methods like .split
and .slice
when modern approaches fail.
Custom function: Getting to the root of it
If you are dealing with nuanced requirements such as removing subdomains and only keeping the root domain, create a custom function:
Was this article helpful?