Select "n" elements from an array
 

This would not be difficult to code, but I suspect there's a good
module out there. However, my CPAN search skills have proven inadequate
to locate it.

I want to iterate over an array, selecting "n" elements at a time
(where "n" is an arbitrary number), something like:

foreach my @three_elements ( ?something?(1..10, 3) ) {
# @three_elements has three numbers in it
}

As the loop iterates, @three_elements would be:
(1,2,3)
(4,5,6)
(7,8,9)
(10,undef,undef)

It would not be difficult to code, but I have grasped the concept of
code reuse. Can someone kindly direct me to a module which does
something like this? I really think that such a module must exist - it
seems a common enough task.

--
http://DavidFilmer.com

Re: Select "n" elements from an array
 

use...@DavidFilmer.com wrote:
> This would not be difficult to code, but I suspect there's a good
> module out there. However, my CPAN search skills have proven inadequate
> to locate it.
>
> I want to iterate over an array, selecting "n" elements at a time
> (where "n" is an arbitrary number), something like:
>
> foreach my @three_elements ( ?something?(1..10, 3) ) {
> # @three_elements has three numbers in it
> }
>
> As the loop iterates, @three_elements would be:
> (1,2,3)
> (4,5,6)
> (7,8,9)
> (10,undef,undef)

Well, a module can't change the behaviour of for() or .. so it would be
more like

foreach my @$three_elements ( something(3 ,1..10) ) {
# @$three_elements has three numbers in it
}

> It would not be difficult to code, but I have grasped the concept of
> code reuse. Can someone kindly direct me to a module which does
> something like this? I really think that such a module must exist - it
> seems a common enough task.

It is a common task but usually it's OK to do it destructively. And if
it's not you can always make a copy.

my @stuff = (1..10);
while ( my @three_elements = splice @stuff, 0, 3 ) {

Note on the last interation @three_elements will have fewer elements
but this probably doesn't matter as $three_elements[1] will still be
undef.

Re: Select "n" elements from an array
 

usenet@DavidFilmer.com wrote:
> This would not be difficult to code, but I suspect there's a good
> module out there. However, my CPAN search skills have proven inadequate
> to locate it.
>
> I want to iterate over an array, selecting "n" elements at a time

Either List::Util or List::MoreUtils has just such a function, named
(not surprisingly) "natatime"

Paul Lalli

Re: Select "n" elements from an array
 

Brian McCauley wrote:
> Well, a module can't change the behaviour of for() or ..

Really? I was under the impression that a module that implements
Source Filtering can pretty much change any language construct...

Paul Lalli

Re: Select "n" elements from an array
 

Paul Lalli wrote:

> Either List::Util or List::MoreUtils has just such a function, named
> (not surprisingly) "natatime"

It is List::MoreUtils - Thanks, Paul - that's EXACTLY what I was
looking for (and I should have guessed that Tassilo would have included
it in this Swiss Army Knife of list processing).

--
http://DavidFilmer.com

Re: Select "n" elements from an array
 

Brian McCauley <nobull67@gmail.com> wrote in comp.lang.perl.misc:
>
> use...@DavidFilmer.com wrote:
> > This would not be difficult to code, but I suspect there's a good
> > module out there. However, my CPAN search skills have proven inadequate
> > to locate it.
> >
> > I want to iterate over an array, selecting "n" elements at a time
> > (where "n" is an arbitrary number), something like:
> >
> > foreach my @three_elements ( ?something?(1..10, 3) ) {
> > # @three_elements has three numbers in it
> > }
> >
> > As the loop iterates, @three_elements would be:
> > (1,2,3)
> > (4,5,6)
> > (7,8,9)
> > (10,undef,undef)

[...]

> It is a common task but usually it's OK to do it destructively. And if
> it's not you can always make a copy.
>
> my @stuff = (1..10);
> while ( my @three_elements = splice @stuff, 0, 3 ) {
>
> Note on the last interation @three_elements will have fewer elements
> but this probably doesn't matter as $three_elements[1] will still be
> undef.

List::MoreUtils::natatime has been pointed out, so let's have some fun.

Non-destructive, and to specification with the final undef's:

for ( grep $_ % 3 == 0, 0 .. $#stuff ) {
my @three_elements = @stuff[ $_ .. $_ + 2];
# ...
}

Disadvantage: The parameter (3) appears twice, though it looks like 2
in one case.

Anno
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Re: Select "n" elements from an array
 

usenet@DavidFilmer.com wrote:
> Paul Lalli wrote:
>
> > Either List::Util or List::MoreUtils has just such a function, named
> > (not surprisingly) "natatime"
>
> It is List::MoreUtils - Thanks, Paul - that's EXACTLY what I was
> looking for (and I should have guessed that Tassilo would have included
> it in this Swiss Army Knife of list processing).
>

I'd be remiss if I didn't mention, ahem, *my* module: Array::Each.

use strict;
use warnings;

use Array::Each;

my @arr = ( 1 .. 10 );
my $are = Array::Each->new( \@arr );
$are->set_group( 3 );
$are->set_undef( 'undef' );

while( my ( $x, $y, $z ) = $are->each() ) {
print "( $x, $y, $z )\n";
}
__END__
( 1, 2, 3 )
( 4, 5, 6 )
( 7, 8, 9 )
( 10, undef, undef )

I have not benchmarked this against List::MoreUtils, but
I suspect natatime will blow it out of the water. :-) When
I looked at the source for List::MoreUtils::each_array, I
said, "Dang, I wish I'd done it that way."

Perl6 will have each and zip, which will make some of
this moot anyway.

Cheers,

--
Brad