Swift - insert new array at the beginning of another array [duplicate] - swift

Suppose I have an array, for example:
var myArray = ["Steve", "Bill", "Linus", "Bret"]
And later I want to push/append an element to the end of said array, to get:
["Steve", "Bill", "Linus", "Bret", "Tim"]
What method should I use?
And what about the case where I want to add an element to the front of the array? Is there a constant time unshift?

As of Swift 3 / 4 / 5, this is done as follows.
To add a new element to the end of an Array.
anArray.append("This String")
To append a different Array to the end of your Array.
anArray += ["Moar", "Strings"]
anArray.append(contentsOf: ["Moar", "Strings"])
To insert a new element into your Array.
anArray.insert("This String", at: 0)
To insert the contents of a different Array into your Array.
anArray.insert(contentsOf: ["Moar", "Strings"], at: 0)
More information can be found in the "Collection Types" chapter of "The Swift Programming Language", starting on page 110.

You can also pass in a variable and/or object if you wanted to.
var str1:String = "John"
var str2:String = "Bob"
var myArray = ["Steve", "Bill", "Linus", "Bret"]
//add to the end of the array with append
myArray.append(str1)
myArray.append(str2)
To add them to the front:
//use 'insert' instead of append
myArray.insert(str1, atIndex:0)
myArray.insert(str2, atIndex:0)
//Swift 3
myArray.insert(str1, at: 0)
myArray.insert(str2, at: 0)
As others have already stated, you can no longer use '+=' as of xCode 6.1

To add to the end, use the += operator:
myArray += ["Craig"]
myArray += ["Jony", "Eddy"]
That operator is generally equivalent to the append(contentsOf:) method. (And in really old Swift versions, could append single elements, not just other collections of the same element type.)
There's also insert(_:at:) for inserting at any index.
If, say, you'd like a convenience function for inserting at the beginning, you could add it to the Array class with an extension.

Use += and + operators :
extension Array {
}
func += <V> (inout left: [V], right: V) {
left.append(right)
}
func + <V>(left: Array<V>, right: V) -> Array<V>
{
var map = Array<V>()
for (v) in left {
map.append(v)
}
map.append(right)
return map
}
then use :
var list = [AnyObject]()
list += "hello"
list += ["hello", "world!"]
var list2 = list + "anything"

Here is a small extension if you wish to insert at the beginning of the array without loosing the item at the first position
extension Array{
mutating func appendAtBeginning(newItem : Element){
let copy = self
self = []
self.append(newItem)
self.appendContentsOf(copy)
}
}

In Swift 4.1 and Xcode 9.4.1
We can add objects to Array basically in Two ways
let stringOne = "One"
let strigTwo = "Two"
let stringThree = "Three"
var array:[String] = []//If your array is string type
Type 1)
//To append elements at the end
array.append(stringOne)
array.append(stringThree)
Type 2)
//To add elements at specific index
array.insert(strigTwo, at: 1)
If you want to add two arrays
var array1 = [1,2,3,4,5]
let array2 = [6,7,8,9]
let array3 = array1+array2
print(array3)
array1.append(contentsOf: array2)
print(array1)

Use Deque instead of Array
The main benefit of Deque over Array is that it supports efficient insertions and removals at both ends.
https://swift.org/blog/swift-collections/
var names:Deque = ["Steve", "Bill", "Linus", "Bret"]
Add 'Tim' at the end of names
names.append("Tim")
Add 'Tim' at the begining of names
names.prepend("John")
Remove the first element of names
names.popFirst() // "John"
Remove the last element of names
names.popLast() // "Tim"

From page 143 of The Swift Programming Language:
You can add a new item to the end of an array by calling the array’s append method
Alternatively, add a new item to the end of an array with the addition assignment operator (+=)
Excerpt From: Apple Inc. “The Swift Programming Language.” iBooks. https://itun.es/us/jEUH0.l

To add to the solutions suggesting append, it's useful to know that this is an amortised constant time operation in many cases:
Complexity: Amortized O(1) unless self's storage is shared with another live array; O(count) if self does not wrap a bridged NSArray; otherwise the efficiency is unspecified.
I'm looking for a cons like operator for Swift. It should return a new immutable array with the element tacked on the end, in constant time, without changing the original array. I've not yet found a standard function that does this. I'll try to remember to report back if I find one!

You could use
Myarray.insert("Data #\(index)", atIndex: index)

If you want to append unique object, you can expand Array struct
extension Array where Element: Equatable {
mutating func appendUniqueObject(object: Generator.Element) {
if contains(object) == false {
append(object)
}
}
}

If the array is NSArray you can use the adding function to add any object at the end of the array, like this:
Swift 4.2
var myArray: NSArray = []
let firstElement: String = "First element"
let secondElement: String = "Second element"
// Process to add the elements to the array
myArray.adding(firstElement)
myArray.adding(secondElement)
Result:
print(myArray)
// ["First element", "Second element"]
That is a very simple way, regards!

In Swift 4.2:
You can use
myArray.append("Tim") //To add "Tim" into array
or
myArray.insert("Tim", at: 0) //Change 0 with specific location

Example: students = ["Ben" , "Ivy" , "Jordell"]
1) To add single elements to the end of an array, use the append(_:)
students.append(\ "Maxime" )
2) Add multiple elements at the same time by passing another array or a sequence of any kind to the append(contentsOf:) method
students.append(contentsOf: ["Shakia" , "William"])
3) To add new elements in the middle of an array by using the insert(_:at:) method for single elements
students.insert("Liam" , at:2 )
4) Using insert(contentsOf:at:) to insert multiple elements from another collection or array literal
students.insert(['Tim','TIM' at: 2 )

Swift 5.3, I believe.
The normal array wasvar myArray = ["Steve", "Bill", "Linus", "Bret"]
and you want to add "Tim" to the array, then you can use myArray.insert("Tim", at=*index*)so if you want to add it at the back of the array, then you can use myArray.append("Tim", at: 3)

Related

Is it possible to make array reference immutable, but array content mutable?

In Java, we can make an array reference immutable, and array content mutable, by using final keyword
Java
final int[] array = {1, 2, 3};
// Ok. Array content mutable.
array[0] = 9;
// Compiler error. Array reference immutable.
array = new int[]{4, 5, 6};
In Swift, they take one step further. Using let keyword, will make both array reference, and array content immutable.
Swift
let array = [1, 2, 3]
// Compiler error. Array content immutable.
array[0] = 9
// Compiler error. Array reference immutable.
array = [4, 5, 6]
In Swift, is it possible to make array reference immutable, but array content mutable?
The answer for your question is "yes" and "no", depends on what you have.
If you decide to declare a simple "let" constant, you can't modify it.
Why ? Because it prevents you to side effects (and you have some optimization).
For example if you just want to browse a list and print values, you don't modify the list.
myArray = [1,2,3]
for element in myArray {
print(element)
}
Why it can be cool ? Now if you know that you don't want to modify your list, it prevents you to use functions that can modify your list. It will save your time and avoid some behavior that you don't expect.
If you declare a var and you don't modify the value, Swift will tell you too.
Moreover, the concept of immutable in Swift is interesting if you use a struct or a class.
Imagine you have this structure and this class:
struct TestStruct {
var myInt: Int
init(myInt: Int) {
self.myInt = myInt
}
}
struct TestClass {
var myInt: Int
init(myInt: Int) {
self.myInt = myInt
}
}
In this structure you have myIntwhich is a var. What happens if you try to declare a TestStructure and a TestClass object with a let constant ?
let testStruct = Test(myInt: 3)
// Cannot assign to property: 'test' is a 'let' constant
test.myInt = 5
let testClass = Test(myInt: 3)
// It works
test.myInt = 5
In a struct, the let is propagated for every field, which is not the case for a class.
Using let keyword, will make both array reference, and array content immutable.
This isn't correct. There is no "array reference" here. An array is a value, just like an integer is a value. There is no "array reference." Variables can be let or var, but that doesn't change the nature of their value. You wouldn't say that var n = 4 made "4" mutable. Similarly, var ns = [1,2,3] doesn't make [1,2,3] mutable. It just means you can change what ns refers to. Calling ns.append(5) is just like n += 1. In each case they assign a new value. They don't mutate the old value.
As an implementation and optimization detail, it is possible that the underlying array storage that was used for ns will be mutated and used for the new ns value. But this is invisible to the caller. For example:
var array = [1,2] {
didSet { print("\(oldValue) -> \(array)") }
}
array.append(1)
array = [1,2,1]
// [1, 2] -> [1, 2, 1]
// [1, 2, 1] -> [1, 2, 1]
There's no deep difference between the append and the assignment. They are both assignments. And notice that setting the value to the same value is still just an assignment.
I'm harping on this because you can't just translate over a Java approach and have it work if your Java code relies on shared mutable state (where one part of the program modifies an array and others are supposed to have their reference update). But if your Java works that way, I recommend improving your Java to reduce its reliance on that. As long as you generally just pass values and return values, then it'll work exactly the same in Swift as in Java.
If you still need this kind of mutable array, then you can build one fairly easily by wrapping an Array in a class:
final class ArrayRef<Element>: MutableCollection, ExpressibleByArrayLiteral {
private var elements: [Element] = []
init(arrayLiteral elements: Element...) {
self.elements = elements
}
var startIndex: Int { elements.startIndex }
var endIndex: Int { elements.endIndex }
func index(after i: Int) -> Int { elements.index(after: i) }
subscript(position: Int) -> Element {
get { elements[position] }
set { elements[position] = newValue }
}
}
let array: ArrayRef = [1, 2, 3]
// Ok. "Array" content mutable.
array[0] = 9
// Compiler error. "Array" is immutable.
array = [4, 5, 6]
(This is a very simple and unoptimized implementation. With more work you can make it more efficient and improve the interface.)
But I don't particularly recommend this unless you really need it. There's a reason it doesn't exist in stdlib.

What are some good ways to avoid repeating array index accessing operation on same Array of struct element?

Consider the following code:
struct Card {
var name0: String
var name1: String
}
var cards = [Card]()
cards.append(Card(name0: "hello", name1: "world"))
// Need to perform array index access,
// every time I want to mutate a struct property :(
cards[0].name0 = "good"
cards[0].name1 = "bye"
// ...
// ...
// "good bye"
print(cards[0].name0 + " " + cards[0].name1)
Instead of having to perform multiple array index accessing every time I want to mutate a property in struct, is there a technique to avoid such repeating array index accessing operation?
// Ok. This is an invalid Swift statement.
var referenceToCardStruct = &(cards[0])
referenceToCardStruct.name0 = "good"
referenceToCardStruct.name1 = "bye"
// ...
// ...
There are a lot of good answers here, and you should not think of value types as "a limitation." The behavior of value types is very intentional and is an important feature. Generally, I'd recommend inout for this problem, like matt suggests.
But it is also certainly possible to get the syntax you're describing. You just need a computed variable (which can be a local variable).
let index = 0 // Just to show it can be externally configurable
var referenceToCardStruct: Card {
get { cards[index] }
set { cards[index] = newValue }
}
referenceToCardStruct.name0 = "good"
referenceToCardStruct.name1 = "bye"
print(cards[0].name0 + " " + cards[0].name1)
struct Card {
var name0: String
var name1: String
}
var cards = [Card]()
// every time I want to mutate a struct property :(
cards[0].name0 = "good"
cards[0].name1 = "bye"
Instead of having to perform multiple array index accessing every time I want to mutate a property in struct, is there a technique to avoid such repeating array index accessing operation?
No. When you have an array of struct, then in order to make a change to a struct within the array, you must refer to that struct by index.
If you don't want to see the repeated use of the index, you can hide it in a function using inout:
func mutate(card: inout Card) {
card.name0 = "good"
card.name1 = "bye"
}
for index in cards.indices {
mutate(card:&cards[index])
}
Some day, Swift may include for inout which will allow you to cycle through an array of struct and mutate each struct instance directly. But that day is not yet here.
In answer to the implied question whether it is worth switching to a class just to avoid this repeated use of the index, my answer would be No. There is a good reason for using structs — they are much easier to reason about than classes, and are one of Swift's best features — and I would keep using them if that reason matters to you.
struct is a value type you can't get a reference to it's object with assignment , you should go that way , use a mutating method like https://stackoverflow.com/a/52497495/5820010 or use a class instead
If you don't want to repeat the index, then create a variable from the value you want.
var cards = [Card]()
cards.append(Card(name0: "hello", name1: "world"))
var card = cards[0]
card.name0 = "good"
card.name1 = "bye"
// ...
// ...
cards[0] = card // update the array with the updated card
// "good bye"
print(card.name0 + " " + card.name1)
I think the mutating method is the way to go, as Sh_Khan points out.
In your case, I would do something like:
1> struct Card {
2. var name0: String
3. var name1: String
4. }
5.
6. var cards = [Card]()
7. cards.append(Card(name0: "hello", name1: "world"))
cards: [Card] = 1 value {
[0] = {
name0 = "hello"
name1 = "world"
}
}
8> extension Card {
9. mutating func setNames(name0: String, name1: String) {
10. self.name0 = name0
11. self.name1 = name1
12. }
13. }
14> cards[0].setNames(name0: "x", name1: "y")
15> cards
$R0: [Card] = 1 value {
[0] = {
name0 = "x"
name1 = "y"
}
}
Another approach is a wholesale update of cards[0].
Kind of makes you wish for record updating syntax (a la Haskell or Elm) or dictionary merging-type functionality. But look on the bright side. Maybe Swift's lack of making this easy is testament to the fact that it has static-typing-and-value-semantics-while-allowing-mutation and that combination of features, I think, makes the mutating func or full array element update all but required. I'm not sure Swift has a syntactic feature for updating multiple properties in one shot (without writing your own function or method).

Swift array reduction: cannot use mutating member on immutable value

I have the following code that attempts to consolidate redundant elements of an array:
var items : [String] = ["hello", "world", "!", "hello"]
var mutableSet = Set<String>()
items.reduce(mutableSet, combine: { (set: Set<String>, element: String) in
return set.insert(element)
})
set.insert(element) gives me the error Cannot use mutating member on immutable value: 'set' is a 'let' constant. What's wrong and how can I fix it?
The problem with the OP's code is that the accumulator in the reduce is immutable so it won't allow you to use the mutating function insert().
A tidy solution is to define an non-mutating equivalent to insert() called inserting() in an extension to Set as follows.
extension Set {
//returns a new set with the element inserted
func inserting(_ element: Element) -> Set<Element> {
var set = self
set.insert(element)
return set
}
}
Now we can write the reduce as follows
var items : [String] = ["hello", "world", "!", "hello"]
let set = items.reduce(Set<String>()){ accumulator, element in
accumulator.inserting(element)
}
In Swift, collections are value types. Value-typed variables declared with let (as implicitly are function parameters) cannot be modified. Additionally, your closure returns nothing, so reduce will probably not succeed.
I believe that reduce is not the best-suited tool for this task. Consider this for loop instead:
var set = Set<String>()
for element in items { set.insert(element) }
Another even simpler option would be to use the unionInPlace method:
var set = Set<String>()
set.unionInPlace(items)
Even better perhaps, create the set straight from the collection:
var set = Set<String>(items)
The 'set' value returned is a constant. This is important as it is the accumulator, which represents the values that have accumulated, thus far. It should not change in your closure.
Here is an example from a project I'm working on at the moment, where I want to find all of the unique performers, across many theatrical performances. Notice how I am using union, which does not modify the constant value 'performers', but instead consumes it to produce a new value.
let uniquePerformers = performances.reduce(Set<Performer>(), { (performers: Set<Performer>, performance) -> Set<Performer> in
return performers.union(Set(performance.performers))
})

How to get the last dictionary element on Swift?

How to get last element on Swift ?
var test: [Int:String] = [Int:String]()
test[1] = "CCC"
test[3] = "AAA"
test[2] = "BBB"
I am trying to get Int 3. I try to use endIndex like this
let (key,value) = test.endIndex
and
print(test.endIndex)
but it does not work.
You haven't been very clear, but I think you're trying to get the last element of an ordered dictionary. Swift's native Dictionary type is unordered, so you will have to manually sort it:
test.keys.sort().last.map({ ($0, test[$0]!) })
In your specific case, the code above will return Optional((3, "AAA")) (i.e. typed Optional<(Key, Value )>).

How do you use the map function in Swift?

I'm trying to understand how .map works and all of my searches are returning examples that aren't helping me resolve my issue. From my understanding .map is a cleaner way of performing a for-in loop, the only difference is that .map replaces your original creates a new array and for-in just alters your original arrays values.
Attempt
In the code example below, I'm expecting the .map function to replace my wheels array with new Tire objects whose state properties are all set to .Flat.
This is a playground-ready version of what I'm trying to accomplish in my program:
enum State {
case Ok, Flat
}
class Tire {
var state = State.Ok
init(t: State) {
state = t
}
}
var wheels = [Tire(t: .Ok), Tire(t: .Ok), Tire(t: .Ok)]
wheels = wheels.map { $0.state = .Flat }
Result
error: cannot convert value of type '()' to closure result type 'Tire'
wheels = wheels.map { $0.state = .Flat }
~~~~~~~~~^~~~~~~
Question
In the given situation, how can I set all of my Tire objects states to .Flat using .map?
There are 2 similar key functions which perform similar operations, the basic purpose of which is to take an array and build another array from it:
func map(transform:(R)->T) -> [T] --- Map takes an array of elements of one type and converts it to an array of elements of (potentially) another type, by calling a transform function on each element in turn. So you can convert an array of Int's to an array of strings:
[1, 2, 3, 4].map { "\($0)" } // --> ["1", "2", "3", "4"]
func filter(predicate:(T)->Boolean) -> [T] -- Filter takes an array of elements and converts it to an array of elements of the same type, but only includes those elements for which predicate returns true. So you can filter an array of ints to leave only the even numbers:
[1, 2, 3, 4].filter { $0 % 2 == 0 } // --> [ 2, 4]
There are other variants, such as flatMap which takes [[T]] and turns it into [T] by iterating over the input and array and appending the contents of each array to an output array:
[ [1, 2], [3, 4]].flatMap() // --> [1, 2, 3, 4]
It's also worth nothing that the concept behind map is that, in simplistic terms, it can be used to map any input type to an output type, so you can define:
func <R, T> map(in:R?, transform:(R)->T) -> T?
for example, which would translate any optional input type into an optional output type given a function that translates the base type.
The problem is $0.state = .Flat is an assignment. It does not return a value. Try this:
wheels = wheels.map { w in
w.state = .Flat
return w
}
map does not replace anything. It projects each element from your array to a new array by applying the transformation block. You can choose to assign this new array to the old array, but otherwise it will not alter the original array.