How do you add an array to another array in Ruby and not end up with a multi-dimensional result?

Question

somearray = ["some", "thing"]

anotherarray = ["another", "thing"]

somearray.push(anotherarray.flatten!)

I expected

["some","thing","another","thing"]

Answer 1

You can just use the + operator!

irb(main):001:0> a = [1,2]
=> [1, 2]
irb(main):002:0> b = [3,4]
=> [3, 4]
irb(main):003:0> a + b
=> [1, 2, 3, 4]

You can read all about the array class here: http://ruby-doc.org/core/classes/Array.html

Answer 2

["some", "thing"] + ["another" + "thing"]

Answer 3

Try this, it will combine your arrays removing duplicates

array1 = ["foo", "bar"]
array2 = ["foo1", "bar1"]

array3 = array1|array2

http://www.ruby-doc.org/core/classes/Array.html

Further documentation look at "Set Union"

Answer 4

Here are two ways, notice in this case that the first way returns a new array ( translates to somearray = somearray + anotherarray )

somearray = ["some", "thing"]

anotherarray = ["another", "thing"]

somearray += anotherarray # => ["some", "thing", "another", "thing"]

somearray = ["some", "thing"]
somearray.concat anotherarray # => ["some", "thing", "another", "thing"]

Answer 5

You've got a workable idea, but the #flatten! is in the wrong place -- it flattens its receiver, so you could use it to turn [1, 2, ['foo', 'bar']] into [1,2,'foo','bar'].

I'm doubtless forgetting some approaches, but you can concatenate:

a1.concat a2
a1 + a2
a1.push(*a2)  # note the asterisk

or splice:

a1[a1.length, 0] = a2
a1[a1.length..0] = a2
a1.insert(a1.length, *a2)

or append and flatten:

(a1 << a2).flatten

Answer 6

I find it easier to push or append arrays and then flatten them in place, like so:

somearray = ["some", "thing"]
anotherarray = ["another", "thing"]
somearray.push anotherarray # => ["some", "thing", ["another", "thing"]]
#or
somearray << anotherarray # => ["some", "thing", ["another", "thing"]]
somearray.flatten!  # => ["some", "thing", "another", "thing"]
somearray # => ["some", "thing", "another", "thing"]