I am asked to write some code in Ruby that iterates over every n-th element of an array and prints it until all elements of the array are printed.
The question reads:
Imagine an iterator that accesses an array in strides and runs some code at each stride. If the strides reach the end of the array then they simply begin anew from the array's beginning.
For example:
x = [0,1,2,3,4]
x.stride(1) do |elem|; puts elem; end # prints 0,1,2,3,4
x.stride(2) do |elem|; puts elem; end # prints 0,2,4,1,3
x.stride(8) do |elem|; puts elem; end # prints 0,3,1,4,2
[].stride(2) do |elem|; puts elem; end # does not print anything, but the code is correct
Assume that the stride is equal or greater than 1, and that both the stride and the array's size are not a integral/whole multiple of each other, meaning that the whole array can be printed using a given stride. Fill in the code that's missing:
class Array
def stride(step)
numelems = ... # size of the array
...
end
end
It is obvious that numelemns = self.length(). However am having trouble with the rest.
I am going to try writing some code in Python that accomplishes this task, but I am afraid that I will not be able to translate it to Ruby.
Any ideas? The answer should not be more than 4-5 lines long as the question is one that our proffessor gave us to solve in a couple of minutes.
A solution to this is provided below (thanks #user3574603):
class Array
def stride(step)
yield self[0]
(self * step).map.with_index do |element, index|
next element if index == 0
yield element if index % step == 0
end
end
end
The following assumes that arr.size and n are not both even numbers and arr.size is not a multiple of n.
def striding(arr, n)
sz = arr.size
result = '_' * sz
idx = 0
sz.times do
result[idx] = arr[idx].to_s
puts "S".rjust(idx+1)
puts result
idx = (idx + n) % sz
end
end
striding [1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,1,2,3,4,5,6], 7
S
1______________
S
1______8_______
S
1______8______6
S
1_____78______6
S
1_____78_____56
S
1____678_____56
S
1____678____456
S
1___5678____456
S
1___5678___3456
S
1__45678___3456
S
1__45678__23456
S
1_345678__23456
S
1_345678_123456
S
12345678_123456
S
123456789123456
Here is an example where arr.size is a multiple of n.
striding [1,2,3,4,5,6], 3
S
1_____
S
1__4__
S
1__4__
S
1__4__
S
1__4__
S
1__4__
Here is an example where arr.size and n are both even numbers.
striding [1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8], 6
S
1_______
S
1_____7_
S
1___5_7_
S
1_3_5_7_
S
1_3_5_7_
S
1_3_5_7_
S
1_3_5_7_
S
1_3_5_7_
Imagine an iterator that accesses an array in strides and runs some code at each stride. If the strides reach the end of the array then they simply begin anew from the array's beginning.
Based on this specification, stride will always iterate forever, unless the array is empty. But that is not a problem, since we can easily take only the amount of elements we need.
In fact, that is a good design: producing an infinite stream of values lets the consumer decide how many they need.
A simple solution could look like this:
module CoreExtensions
module EnumerableExtensions
module EnumerableWithStride
def stride(step = 1)
return enum_for(__callee__, step) unless block_given?
enum = cycle
loop do
yield(enum.next)
(step - 1).times { enum.next }
end
self
end
end
end
end
Enumerable.include(CoreExtensions::EnumerableExtensions::EnumerableWithStride)
A couple of things to note here:
I chose to add the stride method to Enumerable instead of Array. Enumerable is Ruby's work horse for iteration and there is nothing in the stride method that requires self to be an Array. Enumerable is simply the better place for it.
Instead of directly monkey-patching Enumerable, I put the method in a separate module. That makes it easier to debug code for others. If they see a stride method they don't recognize, and inspect the inheritance chain of the object, they will immediately see a module named EnumerableWithStride in the inheritance chain and can make the reasonable assumption that the method is probably coming from here:
[].stride
# Huh, what is this `stride` method? I have never seen it before.
# And it is not documented on https://ruby-doc.org/
# Let's investigate:
[].class.ancestors
#=> [
# Array,
# Enumerable,
# CoreExtensions::EnumerableExtensions::EnumerableWithStride,
# Object,
# Kernel,
# BasicObject
# ]
# So, we're confused about a method named `stride` and we
# found a module whose name includes `Stride`.
# We can reasonably guess that somewhere in the system,
# there must be a file named
# `core_extensions/enumerable_extensions/enumerable_with_stride.rb`.
# Or, we could ask the method directly:
meth = [].method(:stride)
meth.owner
#=> CoreExtensions::EnumerableExtensions::EnumerableWithStride
meth.source_location
#=> [
# 'core_extensions/enumerable_extensions/enumerable_with_stride.rb',
# 6
# ]
For an empty array, nothing happens:
[].stride(2, &method(:p))
#=> []
stride just returns self (just like each does) and the block is never executed.
For a non-empty array, we get an infinite stream of values:
x.stride(&method(:p))
# 0
# 1
# 2
# 3
# 4
# 0
# 1
# …
x.stride(2, &method(:p))
# 0
# 2
# 4
# 1
# 3
# 0
# 2
# …
x.stride(8, &method(:p))
# 0
# 3
# 1
# 4
# 2
# 0
# 3
# …
The nice thing about this infinite stream of values is that we, as the consumer can freely choose how many elements we want. For example, if I want 10 elements, I simply take 10 elements:
x.stride(3).take(10)
#=> [0, 3, 1, 4, 2, 0, 3, 1, 4, 2]
This works because, like all well-behaved iterators, our stride method returns an Enumerator in case no block is supplied:
enum = x.stride(2)
#=> #<Enumerator: ...>
enum.next
#=> 0
enum.next
#=> 2
enum.next
#=> 4
enum.next
#=> 1
enum.next
#=> 3
enum.next
#=> 0
enum.next
#=> 2
So, if we want to implement the requirement "until all the elements of the array are printed":
I am asked to write some code in Ruby that iterates over every n-th element of an array and prints it until all elements of the array are printed.
We could implement that something like this:
x.stride.take(x.length).each(&method(:p))
x.stride(2).take(x.length).each(&method(:p))
x.stride(8).take(x.length).each(&method(:p))
This is a pretty simplistic implementation, though. Here, we simply print as many elements as there are elements in the original array.
We could implement a more sophisticated logic using Enumerable#take_while that keeps track of which elements have been printed and which haven't, and only stops if all elements are printed. But we can easily prove that after x.length iterations either all elements have been printed or there will never be all elements printed (if the stride size is an integral multiple of the array length or vice versa). So, this should be fine.
This almost does what I think you want but breaks if the step is array.length + 1 array.length (but you mention that we should assume the stride is not a multiply of the array length).
class Array
def exhaustive_stride(step)
(self * step).map.with_index do |element, index|
next element if index == 0
element if index % step == 0
end.compact
end
end
x.exhaustive_stride 1
#=> [0, 1, 2, 3, 4]
x.exhaustive_stride 2
#=> [0, 2, 4, 1, 3]
x.exhaustive_stride 8
#=> [0, 3, 1, 4, 2]
[].exhaustive_stride 2
#=> []
Using the example array, it breaks when the stride is 5.
[0,1,2,3,4].exhaustive_stride 5
#=> [0, 0, 0, 0, 0]
Note
This works but the intermediate array makes it highly inefficient. Consider other answers.
Here's another solution that uses recursion. Not the most efficient but one way of doing it.
class Array
def exhaustive_stride(x, r = [])
return [] if self.empty?
r << self[0] if r.empty?
while x > self.length
x -= self.length
end
r << self[x]
x += x
return r if r.count == self.count
stride(x, r)
end
end
[0,1,2,3,4].exhaustive_stride 1
#=> [0, 1, 2, 4, 3]
[0,1,2,3,4].exhaustive_stride 2
#=> [0, 2, 4, 3, 1]
[0,1,2,3,4].exhaustive_stride 8
#=> [0, 3, 1, 2, 4]
[].exhaustive_stride 2
#=> []
[0,1,2,3,4].exhaustive_stride 100_000_001
#=> [0, 1, 2, 4, 3]
This would work:
def stride(ary, step)
raise ArgumentError unless step.gcd(ary.size) == 1
Array.new(ary.size) { |i| ary[(i * step) % ary.size] }
end
Example:
x = [0, 1, 2, 3, 4]
stride(x, 1) #=> [0, 1, 2, 3, 4]
stride(x, 2) #=> [0, 2, 4, 1, 3]
stride(x, 8) #=> [0, 3, 1, 4, 2]
stride(x, -1) #=> [0, 4, 3, 2, 1]
First of all, the guard clause checks whether step and ary.size are coprime to ensure that all elements can be visited via step.
Array.new(ary.size) creates a new array of the same size as the original array. The elements are then retrieved from the original array by multiplying the element's index by step and then performing a modulo operation using the array's size.
Having % arr.size is equivalent to fetching the elements from a cyclic array, e.g. for a step value of 2:
0 1 2 3 4
| | | | |
[0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, ...
To turn this into an instance method for Array you merely replace ary with self (which can be omitted most of the time):
class Array
def stride(step)
raise ArgumentError unless step.gcd(size) == 1
Array.new(size) { |i| self[(i * step) % size] }
end
end
Doing a ruby problem and thinking to myself, there must be an easier way.
I want to split an array at a specified index into two sub arrays. The first sub array containing the numbers up to the specified index, and the second sub array containing the numbers after and including the specified index.
Example
([2, 1, 2, 2, 2],2) => [2,1] [2,2,2]
#here, the specified index is two, so the first array is index 0 and 1,
the second is index 2, 3, and 4.
def array_split(arr,i)
arr1 = []
arr2 = []
x = 0
while x < arr.count
x < i ? arr1 << arr[x] : arr2 << arr[x]
x += 1
end
return arr1, arr2
end
This was no issue with a while loop. I want to know if there is a simpler solution.
There is :)
arr1 = [2, 1, 2, 2, 2].take 2
arr2 = [2, 1, 2, 2, 2].drop 2
def split a, i
[a[0...i], a[i..-1]]
end
p split [2,1,2,2,2], 2
# here is another way
class Array
def split i
[self[0...i], self[i..-1]]
end
end
p [2,1,2,2,2].split 2
I was wondering if there is a more idiomatic way to get the functionality represented by the code below. Basically I just want to check if the array contains the elements in pattern in the order specified by pattern. It's okay for there to be gaps between these elements.
class Array
def has_pattern?(pattern)
offset = 0
pattern.each do |p|
offset = self[offset..-1].index(p)
return false if offset.nil?
end
return true
end
end
puts [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 1].has_pattern?([1, 4, 5]) # true
puts [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 1].has_pattern?([2, 3, 1]) # true
puts [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 1].has_pattern?([1, 3, 2]) # false
The code above seems to work, but doesn't feel like idiomatic Ruby to me. Is there a nicer way to write this?
Here's my take on it:
class Array
def has_pattern?(ptn)
i = 0
self.each do |elem|
i += 1 if elem == ptn[i]
end
i >= ptn.size
end
end
It passes through the array only once, so it may make a difference when the array's big.
Here's a different way to approach it:
class Array
def has_pattern?(pattern)
(self - (self - pattern))
.each_cons(pattern.length)
.any? { |p| p === pattern }
end
end
But, as I said in the comments above, I think your solution is superior.
The object of my coding exercise is to get rid of duplicates in an array without using the uniq method. Here is my code:
numbers = [1, 4, 2, 4, 3, 1, 5]
def my_uniq(array)
sorted = array.sort
count = 1
while count <= sorted.length
while true
sorted.delete_if {|i| i = i + count}
count += 1
end
end
return sorted
end
When I run this, I get an infinite loop. What is wrong?
Can I use delete the way that I am doing with count?
How will it execute? Will count continue until the end of the array before the method iterates to the next index?
I did this with each or map, and got the same results. What is the best way to do this using each, delete_if, map, or a while loop (with a second loop that compares against the first one)?
Here is a clearly written example.
numbers = [1, 4, 2, 4, 3, 1, 5]
def remove_duplicates(array)
response = Array.new
array.each do |number|
response << number unless response.include?(number)
end
return response
end
remove_duplicates(numbers)
As others pointed out, your inner loop is infinite. Here's a concise solution with no loops:
numbers.group_by{|n| n}.keys
You can sort it if you want, but this solution doesn't require it.
the problem is that the inner loop is an infinite loop:
while true
sorted.delete_if {|i| i = i + count}
count += 1
end #while
you can probably do what you are doing but it's not eliminating duplicates.
one way to do this would be:
numbers = [1, 4, 2, 4, 3, 1, 5]
target = []
numbers.each {|x| target << x unless target.include?(x) }
puts target.inspect
to add it to the array class:
class ::Array
def my_uniq
target = []
self.each {|x| target << x unless target.include?(x) }
target
end
end
now you can do:
numbers = [1, 4, 2, 4, 3, 1, 5]
numbers.my_uniq
You count use Set that acts like an array with does not allow duplicates:
require 'set'
numbers = [1, 4, 2, 4, 3, 1, 5]
Set.new(numbers).to_a
#=> [1, 4, 2, 3, 5]
Try using Array#& passing the array itself as parameter:
x = [1,2,3,3,3]
x & x #=> [1,2,3]
This is one of the answer. However, I do not know how much of performance issue it takes to return unique
def my_uniq(ints)
i = 0
uniq = []
while i < ints.length
ints.each do |integers|
if integers == i
uniq.push(integers)
end
i += 1
end
end
return uniq
end
I have the following code that adds zero to values of a specific row in a multidimensional array:
def self.zero_row(matrix, row_index)
matrix[row_index].each_with_index do |item, index|
matrix[row_index][index] = 0
end
return matrix
end
I am wondering how I would go in order to make zeros all the values given a specific column_index.
def self.zero_column(matrix, col_index)
#..
end
To follow the same pattern as your other method you could do something like this:
def self.zero_column(matrix, col_index)
matrix.each_with_index do |item, row_index|
matrix[row_index][col_index] = 0
end
end
Would this fit the bill?
def self.zero_column(matrix, col_index)
matrix = matrix.transpose
matrix[col_index].map!{0}
matrix.transpose
end
Similarly, you could simplify your zero_row method
def self.zero_row(matrix, row_index)
matrix[row_index].map!{0}
matrix
end
If you need to deal with columns frequently, then I would say it is a design flaw to use a nested array. Nesting array has almost no benefit, and just makes things complicated. You should better have a flat array. It is much easier to manipulate columns equally as rows with flat arrays.
If you want a 3 by 2 matrix, then you can initialize it simply as an array with the length 3 * 2 like:
a = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]
Then, you can refer to the second column (index 1) or row as respectively:
a.select.with_index{|_, i| i % 2 == 1} # => [2, 4, 6]
a.select.with_index{|_, i| i / 2 == 1} # => [3, 4]
Rewriting all values of that column or row to 0 would be respectively:
a.each_index{|i| a[i] = 0 if i % 2 == 1} # => a: [1, 0, 3, 0, 5, 0]
or
a.each_index{|i| a[i] = 0 if i / 2 == 1} # => a: [1, 2, 0, 0, 5, 6]
Switching between an operation on a column and another on a row would be a matter of switching between % and /; you can see symmetry/consistency. If you need to keep the information regarding column length 2 within the array, then just assign it as an instance variable of that array.