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Anonymous
Not applicable

Combine two arrays, alternating their elements

I'm thinking how one would go about doing this in PQ. 

 

Input : arr1[] = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6}
        arr2[] = {11, 22, 33, 44}
Output: {1, 11, 2, 22, 3, 33, 4, 44, 5, 6}

Input : arr1[] = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8}
        arr2[] = {11, 22, 33, 44}
Output: {1, 11, 2, 22, 3, 33, 4, 44, 5, 6, 7, 8}

I was thinking about using indexes with a different starting point

 

Table1: starting at 1 with a 2 increment step.

Table2: starting at 2 with a 2 increment step.

 

Append tables, order by index column and it should be ordered correctly.

 

Perhaps you have a more efficient suggestion?

 

KR,

João

1 ACCEPTED SOLUTION
ImkeF
Community Champion
Community Champion

Assuming the arrays are list objects in the Query editor, you can use this function:

 

List.Select(List.Combine(List.Zip({Array1, Array2})), each _ <> null)

 

Imke Feldmann (The BIccountant)

If you liked my solution, please give it a thumbs up. And if I did answer your question, please mark this post as a solution. Thanks!

How to integrate M-code into your solution -- How to get your questions answered quickly -- How to provide sample data -- Check out more PBI- learning resources here -- Performance Tipps for M-queries

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4 REPLIES 4
ImkeF
Community Champion
Community Champion

Assuming the arrays are list objects in the Query editor, you can use this function:

 

List.Select(List.Combine(List.Zip({Array1, Array2})), each _ <> null)

 

Imke Feldmann (The BIccountant)

If you liked my solution, please give it a thumbs up. And if I did answer your question, please mark this post as a solution. Thanks!

How to integrate M-code into your solution -- How to get your questions answered quickly -- How to provide sample data -- Check out more PBI- learning resources here -- Performance Tipps for M-queries

Output: {1, 11, 2, 22, 3, 33, 4, 44, 5, 6}

@ImkeF How to get each combination into separate row ? 

 

IDvalue
11,11
22,22
33,33
Anonymous
Not applicable

you could use the tool Merge Columns, after having selected the involved columns:

image.png

 

then choice the separator you like:

 

image.png

 

 

PS

I intruded into the discussion to show a different approach, but only for fun.
I just wanted to experiment with recursion and I wrote this @Anonymous.

 

 

 

let
   interleave=(a1,a2,pos) =>
   let
   la1=List.Count(a1),
   la2=List.Count(a2),
   gl=if la1 >= la2 then a1 else a2,
   ll=if la1 < la2 then a1 else a2,
   ins_a1=List.InsertRange(gl,2*pos+1,{ll{pos}}),
   p=pos+1
   in
   if p < List.Min({la1,la2}) then @interleave(ins_a1,ll,p) else ins_a1
in interleave

 

 

 

 

 

Anonymous
Not applicable

if a generalized List.InsertRange function, such as the following InsertRanges (which is only a function toy), were available,

 

 

let
   InsertRanges=(lst,positions,ranges, optional p) =>
   
   let
     cur=if p=null then 0 else p,
     pos=positions{cur},range=if Value.Type(ranges{cur})= type list then ranges{cur} else {ranges{cur}}, 
     inserted=List.InsertRange(lst,pos,range),
     next=cur+1
   in
     if next < List.Count(positions) then @InsertRanges(inserted,positions,ranges,next) else inserted
in InsertRanges

 

 

the interleave problem could be solved with a simple call.

 

 

= InsertRanges({1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8}, {1,3,5,7}, {11,22,33,44})

 

 

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