What happens if N is larger than the list's length?

N is capped at the list's length, so the whole list is kept unchanged rather than the tool reporting an error.

What's the difference between the start and end direction?

"Start" keeps the first N items and drops the rest; "end" keeps the last N items and drops the rest.

How is this different from List Item Popper?

List Truncator only outputs the kept portion; List Item Popper (when removing from the end) also gives you the removed items as a separate output. Use Truncator when you don't need to see what was cut.

How is this different from List Length Changer?

List Truncator only shrinks a list, it never pads. List Length Changer can both pad and truncate to reach an exact target length.

List Truncator - Keep First or Last N Items Online

Overview

Introduction

Trimming a list down to just the first or last handful of items is a common quick operation, whether for a preview, a sample, or removing overflow entries.

List Truncator keeps only the first N or last N items of a list, dropping everything else, with a simple direction toggle.

What Is List Truncator?

This is a list-editing tool that reduces a list to a target count from one end or the other, discarding the rest.

It's the simpler, single-output sibling of List Item Popper, which returns the removed items too; Truncator only returns what's kept.

How List Truncator Works

The input is split into items using the chosen separator, and the requested count is capped at the list's actual length.

`Array.prototype.slice()` extracts either the first N items (direction: start) or the last N items (direction: end), which are then rejoined into the output text.

When To Use List Truncator

Use this to quickly preview or sample the beginning or end of a large list.

It's also handy for trimming an oversized list down to a maximum allowed count before feeding it into a downstream tool or system.

Often used alongside List Length Changer, List Item Popper and List Length Finder.

Features

Advantages

Simple single-output result, no need to think about a second "removed items" output.
Gracefully caps the count instead of erroring when it exceeds the list's length.
Works with any separator style.

Limitations

Only shrinks a list; use List Length Changer if you also need padding when the list is too short.
Doesn't return the dropped items, use List Item Popper if you need to see what was removed.

Examples

Keeping the first 2 items

Input

a, b, c, d (count: 2, direction: start)

Output

a, b

Only the first two items are kept; the rest are dropped.

Keeping the last 2 items

Input

a, b, c, d (count: 2, direction: end)

Output

c, d

Only the final two items are kept.

Best Practices & Notes

Best Practices

Use direction "start" for previewing the head of a list and "end" for previewing the tail.
If you also need the discarded items, use List Item Popper instead, it returns both halves.

Developer Notes

Uses `Array.prototype.slice(0, keepCount)` for the start direction and `Array.prototype.slice(length - keepCount)` for the end direction, with `keepCount = Math.min(count, items.length)`.

List Truncator Use Cases

Previewing just the first few rows of a large pasted dataset
Trimming a list down to a maximum allowed item count before import
Sampling the most recent entries from the end of a chronological list

Common Mistakes

Expecting an error when the count exceeds the list's length; instead the whole list is kept unchanged.
Using this when the removed items are actually needed afterward; List Item Popper is the right tool for that.

Tips

Combine with List Statistics Generator afterward to confirm the new item count matches what you expect.
Use List Length Changer instead if the same operation also needs to pad short lists up to a fixed size.

List Truncator