Method: Array#zip

Defined in:

array.c

#zip(*other_arrays) ⇒ Object #zip(*other_arrays) {|sub_array| ... } ⇒ nil

With no block given, combines self with the collection of other_arrays; returns a new array of sub-arrays:

[0, 1].zip(['zero', 'one'], [:zero, :one])
# => [[0, "zero", :zero], [1, "one", :one]]

Returned:

• The outer array is of size self.size.

• Each sub-array is of size other_arrays.size + 1.

• The nth sub-array contains (in order):

  • The nth element of self.

  • The nth element of each of the other arrays, as available.

Example:

a = [0, 1]
zipped = a.zip(['zero', 'one'], [:zero, :one])
# => [[0, "zero", :zero], [1, "one", :one]]
zipped.size       # => 2 # Same size as a.
zipped.first.size # => 3 # Size of other arrays plus 1.

When the other arrays are all the same size as self, the returned sub-arrays are a rearrangement containing exactly elements of all the arrays (including self), with no omissions or additions:

a = [:a0, :a1, :a2, :a3]
b = [:b0, :b1, :b2, :b3]
c = [:c0, :c1, :c2, :c3]
d = a.zip(b, c)
pp d
# =>
[[:a0, :b0, :c0],
 [:a1, :b1, :c1],
 [:a2, :b2, :c2],
 [:a3, :b3, :c3]]

When one of the other arrays is smaller than self, pads the corresponding sub-array with nil elements:

a = [:a0, :a1, :a2, :a3]
b = [:b0, :b1, :b2]
c = [:c0, :c1]
d = a.zip(b, c)
pp d
# =>
[[:a0, :b0, :c0],
 [:a1, :b1, :c1],
 [:a2, :b2, nil],
 [:a3, nil, nil]]

When one of the other arrays is larger than self, ignores its trailing elements:

a = [:a0, :a1, :a2, :a3]
b = [:b0, :b1, :b2, :b3, :b4]
c = [:c0, :c1, :c2, :c3, :c4, :c5]
d = a.zip(b, c)
pp d
# =>
[[:a0, :b0, :c0],
 [:a1, :b1, :c1],
 [:a2, :b2, :c2],
 [:a3, :b3, :c3]]

With a block given, calls the block with each of the other arrays; returns nil:

d = []
a = [:a0, :a1, :a2, :a3]
b = [:b0, :b1, :b2, :b3]
c = [:c0, :c1, :c2, :c3]
a.zip(b, c) {|sub_array| d.push(sub_array.reverse) } # => nil
pp d
# =>
[[:c0, :b0, :a0],
 [:c1, :b1, :a1],
 [:c2, :b2, :a2],
 [:c3, :b3, :a3]]

For an object in other_arrays that is not actually an array, forms the the “other array” as object.to_ary, if defined, or as object.each.to_a otherwise.

Related: see Methods for Converting.

Overloads:

• #zip(*other_arrays) {|sub_array| ... } ⇒ nil

  Yields:

  • (sub_array)

  Returns:

  • (nil)

# File 'array.c', line 4557

static VALUE
rb_ary_zip(int argc, VALUE *argv, VALUE ary)
{
    int i, j;
    long len = RARRAY_LEN(ary);
    VALUE result = Qnil;

    for (i=0; i<argc; i++) {
        argv[i] = take_items(argv[i], len);
    }

    if (rb_block_given_p()) {
        int arity = rb_block_arity();

        if (arity > 1) {
            VALUE work, *tmp;

            tmp = ALLOCV_N(VALUE, work, argc+1);

            for (i=0; i<RARRAY_LEN(ary); i++) {
                tmp[0] = RARRAY_AREF(ary, i);
                for (j=0; j<argc; j++) {
                    tmp[j+1] = rb_ary_elt(argv[j], i);
                }
                rb_yield_values2(argc+1, tmp);
            }

            if (work) ALLOCV_END(work);
        }
        else {
            for (i=0; i<RARRAY_LEN(ary); i++) {
                VALUE tmp = rb_ary_new2(argc+1);

                rb_ary_push(tmp, RARRAY_AREF(ary, i));
                for (j=0; j<argc; j++) {
                    rb_ary_push(tmp, rb_ary_elt(argv[j], i));
                }
                rb_yield(tmp);
            }
        }
    }
    else {
        result = rb_ary_new_capa(len);

        for (i=0; i<len; i++) {
            VALUE tmp = rb_ary_new_capa(argc+1);

            rb_ary_push(tmp, RARRAY_AREF(ary, i));
            for (j=0; j<argc; j++) {
                rb_ary_push(tmp, rb_ary_elt(argv[j], i));
            }
            rb_ary_push(result, tmp);
        }
    }

    return result;
}