DEV Community

Tib
Tib

Posted on

De-duplicate arrays in Python, Perl and Ruby

Duplicate

Today some short codes for the essential task that is de-duplication! 😄

Python

Starting with python, we use the properties of data containers. Here using an intermediate dictionary:

array = [1, 2, 1, 2, 1, 2]
array = list(dict.fromkeys(array))
Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode

Or similar approach using a set:

array = [1, 2, 1, 2, 1, 2]
array = list(set(array))
Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode

Perl

The elegant uniq method:

my @dups = (1, 2, 1, 2, 1, 2);
@nodup = uniq @dups;
Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode

You have to install and use List::MoreUtils which is a VERY famous Perl CPAN module.

But if you want to do not use a module, here is my "go-to" (no-module) trick:

my @dups = (1, 2, 1, 2, 1, 2);
my @nodup = do { my %seen; grep { !$seen{$_}++ } @dups };
Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode

The idea behind is like the first Python (intermediate hash).

Ruby

Ruby takes adventage of the "almost everything in ruby is an object" so it's simple with the uniq method:

array = [1, 2, 1, 2, 1, 2]
nodup = array.uniq
Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode

It's your turn

Please comment yours 😄 in Python, Perl, Ruby or any other language!

Top comments (5)

Collapse
 
jgpuckering profile image
Gary Puckering • Edited

As of perl 5.20 you can use a hash slice:

my @dups=(1,2,1,2,1,2);
my @nodups = do { my %h; @h{ @dups } = (1) x @dups; keys %h };

Add a sort before keys if you need them ordered.

Collapse
 
yukikimoto profile image
Yuki Kimoto

I use hash way in Perl because this is O(1) instead of O(n)

Collapse
 
matthewpersico profile image
Matthew O. Persico

How is this O(1)? You are going to go through every element in @dups at least once.

Collapse
 
yukikimoto profile image
Yuki Kimoto

Sorry. I misunderstood.

Collapse
 
grinnz profile image
Dan

uniq is now available from List::Util 1.45 or newer, which came with Perl 5.26 or can be updated from CPAN.