With a list in Python I can return a part of it using the following code:
foo = [1,2,3,4,5,6]
bar = [10,20,30,40,50,60]
half = len(foo) / 2
foobar = foo[:half] + bar[half:]
Since Ruby does everything in arrays I wonder if there is something similar to that.
Yes, Ruby has very similar array-slicing syntax to Python. Here is the ri documentation for the array index method:
--------------------------------------------------------------- Array#[]
array[index] -> obj or nil
array[start, length] -> an_array or nil
array[range] -> an_array or nil
array.slice(index) -> obj or nil
array.slice(start, length) -> an_array or nil
array.slice(range) -> an_array or nil
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Element Reference---Returns the element at index, or returns a
subarray starting at start and continuing for length elements, or
returns a subarray specified by range. Negative indices count
backward from the end of the array (-1 is the last element).
Returns nil if the index (or starting index) are out of range.
a = [ "a", "b", "c", "d", "e" ]
a[2] + a[0] + a[1] #=> "cab"
a[6] #=> nil
a[1, 2] #=> [ "b", "c" ]
a[1..3] #=> [ "b", "c", "d" ]
a[4..7] #=> [ "e" ]
a[6..10] #=> nil
a[-3, 3] #=> [ "c", "d", "e" ]
# special cases
a[5] #=> nil
a[6, 1] #=> nil
a[5, 1] #=> []
a[5..10] #=> []
a[2..-1] to get from the 3rd element to the last one. a[2...-1] to get from the 3rd element up to the second last element.
range(10)[:5:-1]If you want to split/cut the array on an index i,
arr = arr.drop(i)
> arr = [1,2,3,4,5]
=> [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
> arr.drop(2)
=> [3, 4, 5]
Ruby 2.6 Beginless/Endless Ranges
(..1)
# or
(...1)
(1..)
# or
(1...)
[1,2,3,4,5,6][..3]
=> [1, 2, 3, 4]
[1,2,3,4,5,6][...3]
=> [1, 2, 3]
ROLES = %w[superadmin manager admin contact user]
ROLES[ROLES.index('admin')..]
=> ["admin", "contact", "user"]
[..3] returns a non-intuitive result.You can use slice() for this:
>> foo = [1,2,3,4,5,6]
=> [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]
>> bar = [10,20,30,40,50,60]
=> [10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60]
>> half = foo.length / 2
=> 3
>> foobar = foo.slice(0, half) + bar.slice(half, foo.length)
=> [1, 2, 3, 40, 50, 60]
By the way, to the best of my knowledge, Python "lists" are just efficiently implemented dynamically growing arrays. Insertion at the beginning is in O(n), insertion at the end is amortized O(1), random access is O(1).
slice!() doesn't modify the array in place, rather, it "Deletes the element(s) given by an index (optionally up to length elements) or by a range." per ruby-doc.org/core-2.2.3/Array.html#method-i-slice-21another way is to use the range method
foo = [1,2,3,4,5,6]
bar = [10,20,30,40,50,60]
a = foo[0...3]
b = bar[3...6]
print a + b
=> [1, 2, 3, 40, 50 , 60]
I like ranges for this:
def first_half(list)
list[0...(list.length / 2)]
end
def last_half(list)
list[(list.length / 2)..list.length]
end
However, be very careful about whether the endpoint is included in your range. This becomes critical on an odd-length list where you need to choose where you're going to break the middle. Otherwise you'll end up double-counting the middle element.
The above example will consistently put the middle element in the last half.
(list.length / 2.0).ceil to consistently put the middle element in the first half if you need that.