How Can I Efficiently Parse URLs in JavaScript to Extract Hostname and Path?

Parsing URLs in JavaScript: Extracting Hostname and Path

When working with URLs in JavaScript, it's often necessary to extract specific components from the string representation. In this case, the goal is to parse a URL into its constituent parts, including the hostname (e.g., "example.com") and the path (e.g., "/aa/bb").

Modern Solution

The modern and standardized approach to URL parsing in JavaScript is through the use of the URL constructor. Consider the following example:

let a = new URL("http://example.com/aa/bb/");

This constructor returns an object with the following properties:

• hostname: "example.com"
• pathname: "/aa/bb"

Note:

• host includes both the hostname and port (if any), while hostname contains only the domain.
• Relative URLs (without a protocol or domain) require a second argument, the base URL, for correct parsing. For example:

let a = new URL("/aa/bb/", location);

Legacy Options

• RegExp: Regular expressions can also be employed to extract hostname and path, but it requires complex pattern matching.
• Anchor Tag: Creating an anchor element in the DOM and assigning the URL to its href attribute provides access to component properties like hostname and pathname.

Considerations

• The modern URL constructor is supported in most major browsers and Node.js versions.
• For older environments, legacy methods or polyfills may be necessary.

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