ruby array shift

The shift method in Ruby is used to remove the first element from an array and return it. Here is an explanation of each step involved in using the shift method:

1. The shift method is called on an array.
2. The first element of the array is removed and returned as the result of the shift method.
3. The remaining elements in the array are shifted down, meaning that the element previously at index 1 will now be at index 0, the element previously at index 2 will now be at index 1, and so on.
4. The length of the array is reduced by 1, as the first element has been removed.
5. If the array is empty after the shift operation, nil is returned.

That's it! The shift method is a convenient way to remove and retrieve the first element from an array in Ruby.