Combine and interleave two arrays into one

Other Questions JavaScript
1

I need to merge two separate arrays into a single array where the elements from each original array alternate. For example, given the arrays [1, 3, 5] and [2, 4, 6], the output should be [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]. What approach can I take to achieve this, maintaining the alternating pattern? A solution in JavaScript or Python would be beneficial.

2

To combine two arrays by alternating their elements in JavaScript, follow this straightforward approach:

function mergeAlternating(arr1, arr2) {
  const result = [];
  const maxLength = Math.max(arr1.length, arr2.length);

  for (let i = 0; i < maxLength; i++) {
    if (i < arr1.length) {
      result.push(arr1[i]);
    }
    if (i < arr2.length) {
      result.push(arr2[i]);
    }
  }

  return result;
}

const array1 = [1, 3, 5];
const array2 = [2, 4, 6];
console.log(mergeAlternating(array1, array2)); // Output: [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]

Steps to Achieve Alternating Merge:

  1. Initialize an empty array to store the result.
  2. Calculate the maximum length of both arrays, to ensure you include all elements.
  3. Iterate through both arrays simultaneously, adding elements alternately to the result.
  4. Return the merged array with elements in alternating order.

This method is efficient and simple, allowing you to achieve the alternating merging with minimal code.

3

Hi there! Looking to mix two arrays in an alternating fashion? :thinking: Here’s a fresh way to do it! Let’s say we’ve got two arrays, [7, 9, 11] and [8, 10, 12], and we want them to combine into [7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12].

function alternateMerge(firstArray, secondArray) {
    let mergedArray = [];
    let length = Math.max(firstArray.length, secondArray.length);

    for (let i = 0; i < length; i++) {
        if(firstArray[i] !== undefined) {
            mergedArray.push(firstArray[i]);
        }
        if(secondArray[i] !== undefined) {
            mergedArray.push(secondArray[i]);
        }
    }
    return mergedArray;
}

const arr1 = [7, 9, 11];
const arr2 = [8, 10, 12];
console.log(alternateMerge(arr1, arr2)); // Output: [7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12]
  1. Iterate as long as the longest array.
  2. Add items alternately from each array to a new list by checking if the element exists.
  3. Get your merged array and enjoy the organized output!

It’s a neat way to ensure none of the elements get left out. Let me know if this helps or if you have any other questions!

4

Hello! Try this concise solution for alternating arrays with JavaScript:

const mergeAlt = (a, b) => a.reduce((acc, val, i) => acc.concat(val, b[i]), []).filter(Boolean);

const arr1 = [1, 3, 5];
const arr2 = [2, 4, 6];
console.log(mergeAlt(arr1, arr2)); // [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]