(Sparse Array) Can Mathematica delete some of the 0's from a list?

This question continues form Can Mathematica delete some of the 0's from a list?

This time I want to delete zeros before the first positive integer.

I have a list: {0,0,0,1,2,3,0,0,4,5}.

I want Mathematica to return: {1,2,3,0,0,4,5}.

dropper2 = With[{s = SparseArray[#, Automatic, 0]["NonzeroPositions"]}, If[s === {}, {}, #[[;; s[[-1, 1]]]]]] &;

InternalDeleteTrailingZeros@{1, 2, 3, 0, 0, 4, 5, 0, 0, 0}

res0 = InternalDeleteTrailingZeros@test;


returns the wanted results (which was deleting zeros after the integers).

But how can I modify this code into deleting first zeros?

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• Reverse before & after will do it. Might be better ways, though. – Michael E2 Jan 18 '16 at 4:13
• #[[First@FirstPosition[#, a_?Positive] ;;]] &@{0, 0, 0, 1, 2, 3, 0, 0, 4, 5}. Would this work in general? I think so, unless your list can have negative numbers. – march Jan 18 '16 at 5:02
• Drop[list, FirstPosition[list, _?(# != 0 &)][[1]] - 1] – Hubble07 Jan 18 '16 at 5:09
• Reverse[InternalDeleteTrailingZeros@Reverse[list]] but now I see Michael E2 already suggested it... – bill s Jan 18 '16 at 5:13

list = {0, 0, 0, 1, 2, 3, 0, 0, 4, 5};

list //. {0, a___} :> {a}


{1, 2, 3, 0, 0, 4, 5}

Two ways:

From my comment:

Reverse@InternalDeleteTrailingZeros@
Reverse@{0, 0, 0, 1, 2, 3, 0, 0, 4, 5}
(*  {1, 2, 3, 0, 0, 4, 5}  *)


Using System level functions:

Drop[#, LengthWhile[#, MatchQ[0]]] &[{0, 0, 0, 1, 2, 3, 0, 0, 4, 5}]
(*  {1, 2, 3, 0, 0, 4, 5}  *)

• It can be simplified a bit by using the operator form of MatchQ: Drop[#, LengthWhile[#, MatchQ[0]]] & – Gustavo Delfino Dec 8 '16 at 20:24
• @GustavoDelfino Thanks! – Michael E2 Dec 8 '16 at 21:35
list = {0, 0, 0, 1, 2, 3, 0, 0, 4, 5}

NestWhile[Rest, list, First@# == 0 &]


{1, 2, 3, 0, 0, 4, 5}

Or

While[First@list == 0, list = Rest@list]; list


{1, 2, 3, 0, 0, 4, 5}

If the entries of list are all single-digit integers you can also use

IntegerDigits@FromDigits@{0, 0, 0, 1, 2, 3, 0, 0, 4, 5}
`

{1, 2, 3, 0, 0, 4, 5}