Returns the given array with the first or last elements removed. DROP ({ 10, 20, 30 }, 1) DROP ({ 10; 20; 30 }; 1) removes the first element and returns { 20, 30 }{ 20; 30 }.

Removing elements from the end

A negative count removes elements from the end of the array instead of from the beginning. This formula removes the last element and returns { 10, 20 }{ 10; 20 }:

Naming the parameter often makes the intent clearer:

Counts of zero and counts which are too large

A count of zero does not remove anything and returns the array unchanged.

A count larger than the number of elements in the array is not an error. Every element is removed and an empty array is returned. This formula returns an empty array:

DROP, TAKE and FILTER

TAKE is the counterpart of this function and returns the elements which DROP removes. Given the same array and the same count, the two functions divide the array between them.

DROP and TAKE both select elements by position . An author who needs to select elements by condition should instead use FILTER, which tests every element and keeps the ones matching the condition.

Returns the given two-dimensional array with the first or last rows and columns removed. DROP ({ { 10, 20 }, { 30, 40 } }, 1, 0) DROP ({ { 10; 20 }; { 30; 40 } }; 1; 0) removes the first row and returns { { 30, 40 } }{ { 30; 40 } }.

The two counts are independent of one another. Either may be negative, removing rows or columns from the end instead of from the beginning, and either may be zero, leaving that axis untouched. This formula removes the first row and the last column:

As both counts must be given, zero is how an author says that one axis should be left alone. Naming the parameters makes this easier to read:

If every row or every column is removed, an empty array is returned.