[erlang-questions] list:join() for erlang?

[Peter K Chan]

Yes, the list of lists was what I meant. :)

I wanted Python/Ruby style join, where the function can take any
arbitrary separator.

I already have the code, so I am looking for either information on where
to find such functionality in OTP (if it is hidden in some obscure
module), or to suggest that such a function be added to lists or strings
by OTP.

Peter

-----Original Message-----
From: erlang-questions-bounces@REDACTED
[mailto:erlang-questions-bounces@REDACTED] On Behalf Of ok
Sent: Wednesday, September 12, 2007 6:01 PM
To: erlang-questions Questions
Subject: Re: [erlang-questions] list:join() for erlang?

On 13 Sep 2007, at 4:26 am, Peter K Chan wrote:

> Sorry that I made an omission.
>
> I was referring to the variant of join which takes a separator. For  
> example: lists:join("abc", "/"), which evaluates to "a/b/c".

Should that have been join(["a","b","c"], "/")?

There are filename:join/2 and filename:join/1 functions which come
close to what you want, but they are specialised to file names and
do stuff you may not want.  On the other hand, if, as the slash
suggests, you are pasting file names together, then filename:join/1
is EXACTLY what you want.

Otherwise, if what you are after is the Python join(words, sep)
function, you want the code below.  As you note, it isn't that hard
to write, but then, neither are most of the functions in the lists
and string modules.  This doesn't depend on the element type, so it
could go in the lists module, but considering its likely uses, it
probably belongs in the string module.

%   join([X1,...,Xn], Sep) -> X1 ++ Sep ++ ... ++ Sep ++ Xn;
%   join([],          _)   -> [].
%   The intended type is join([[x]], [x]) -> [x].

join([X|Xs], [])  -> join0(X, Xs);
join([X|Xs], [C]) -> join1(X, C, Xs);
join([X|Xs], Sep) -> join2(X, Sep, Xs);
join([],     _)   -> [].

join0(X, [Y|Ys]) -> X ++ join0(Y, Ys);
join0(X, [])     -> X.

join1(X, C, [Y|Ys]) -> X ++ [C|join1(Y, C, Ys)];
join1(X, _, [])     -> X.

join2(X, Sep, [Y|Ys]) -> X ++ (Sep ++ join2(Y, Sep, Ys));
join2(X, _,   [])     -> X.


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