CODEWITHSUNDEEP
arraysactionscript-3comparison
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Reputation: 1150

Compare Two Arrays, Get Uncommon Values

I have a simple problem that I'm having trouble thinking around:

var oldValues : Array = [ 4, 5, 6 ];
var newValues : Array = [ 3, 4, 6, 7 ];
  1. I want to get the values from newValues that aren't in oldValues - 3, 7
  2. I want to get the values from oldValues that aren't in newValues - 5
  3. A way of getting both sets of values together would be nice as well - 3, 5, 7

I can only think of convoluted methods for each by using nested loops that do a lot of redundant checking. Can someone suggest something more clean? Thanks.

Upvotes: 4

Views: 7833

Answers (3)

jaredy
jaredy

Reputation: 55

var difference : Array = new Array();
var i : int;
for (i = 0; i < newValues.length; i++)
    if (oldValues.indexOf(newValues[i]) == -1)
        difference.push(newValues[i])
trace(difference);

Upvotes: 3

Unreality
Unreality

Reputation: 4212

use casa lib

main page:http://casalib.org/

doc: http://as3.casalib.org/docs/

list class: http://as3.casalib.org/docs/org_casalib_collection_List.html

removeItems http://as3.casalib.org/docs/org_casalib_collection_List.html#removeItems

  1. clone the list, and use newValues.removeItems(oldValues) to get the values from newValues that aren't in oldValue

  2. and then use the same way to get the values from oldValues that aren't in newValue

  3. concat the previous two results

There will be no looping in your code... Although there will be looping inside the code of list class :D

Upvotes: 0

Samuel Neff
Samuel Neff

Reputation: 74909

You need a bunch of loops, but you can optimize them and totally avoid nested loops by using a lookup object.

var oldValues : Array = [ 4, 5, 6 ];
var newValues : Array = [ 3, 4, 6, 7 ];

var oldNotInNew:Array = new Array();
var newNotInOld:Array = new Array();

var oldLookup:Object = new Object();

var i:int;

for each(i in oldValues) {
    oldLookup[i] = true;
}       

for each(i in newValues) {
    if (oldLookup[i]) {
        delete oldLookup[i];
    }
    else {
        newNotInOld.push(i);
    }
}

for(var k:String in oldLookup) {
    oldNotInNew.push(parseInt(k));
}

trace("Old not in new: " + oldNotInNew);
trace("new not in old: " + newNotInOld);

Results:

Old not in new: 5

new not in old: 3,7

Upvotes: 3

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