2D array strategies

Ruby
1

I’m a relative Ruby N., and am running into some difficulty
determining how to handle 2D arrays. An extremely common task I am
using Ruby for is to post-process the output files of large engineering
codes, and extract scattered information into structured output for
visualization codes. Frequently this amounts to pulling the same
information from multiple cases, and producing x vs. y1, y2, …, yn
data.

It is easy to do this for a single array case, but the capacity for Ruby
to handle 2D array data is quite strange (and even awkward) to me.
Coming from a Fortran 90 type of background, multiple-dimension array
structures are very simple.

So getting to my question, what is a typical approach for a Ruby user to
solve a problem of this sort:

Set up a data structure to store at least one set of x versus y data.

Parse a file, looking to identify x versus y data for the first case out of an
indeterminant overall number of cases.

If I find a subsequent case, add on an x versus y1 set of data to the original
data structure

Repeat until EOF.

Since Ruby only does 1D arrays, is there a trick for an array of arrays?
Or is this hash territory? How do I do the 2D equivalent of using the
.push array command to add on more data to the original array? Are
there are any particular Ruby resources that I need to go read up on and
go practice in IRB?

Respectfully, TPL

2

array2d = [
[‘a’, ‘b’, ‘c’],
[‘x’, ‘y’, ‘z’]
]

puts array2d[1][0]

–output:–
x

array2d[0] << ‘d’
p array2d

–output:–
[[“a”, “b”, “c”, “d”], [“x”, “y”, “z”]]

Set up a data structure to store at least one set of x versus y data.

xy_data = [
[1, 2],
[3, 4]
]

Parse a file, looking to identify x versus y data for the
first case out of an indeterminant overall number of cases.

That is just pure gibberish. Getting ready to debate Obama?

If I find a subsequent case, add on an x versus y1 set of
data to the original data structure

More gibberish. How about a concrete example?

3

Thomas L. wrote in post #1078414:

I parse the file and identify the data associated with the first case,
and load it up into an array. I then parse through gibberish until I
identify the data associated with the second case. Now what?

Hi,

It really depends on the actual data. If you really want the most
efficient, you can try the NArray. (Or, if you are using Windows, you
can try to use RTensor (http://tensor.heliohost.org) which I wrote a
while ago.) At least the arrays will be 2D. If all the cases have the
same amount of data, then you can make a single 3D array.

If on the other hand the amount of data is not much, then you can use a
combination of Ruby arrays and/or hashes.

Regards,

Bill

4

7stud – wrote in post #1078413:

array2d = [
[‘a’, ‘b’, ‘c’],
[‘x’, ‘y’, ‘z’]
]

puts array2d[1][0]

–output:–
x

array2d[0] << ‘d’
p array2d

–output:–
[[“a”, “b”, “c”, “d”], [“x”, “y”, “z”]]

Set up a data structure to store at least one set of x versus y data.

xy_data = [
[1, 2],
[3, 4]
]

Parse a file, looking to identify x versus y data for the
first case out of an indeterminant overall number of cases.

That is just pure gibberish. Getting ready to debate Obama?

If I find a subsequent case, add on an x versus y1 set of
data to the original data structure

More gibberish. How about a concrete example?

OK. Try this as a file content:

============================================================= (BOF)
Gibberish

Gibberish

Gibberish

Case #1 Output
1 2
2 4
3 6
4 8
5 10
6 12
7 14

Gibberish

Gibberish

Gibberish

Case #2 Output
1 1
2 3
3 5
4 7
5 9
6 11
7 13

Gibberish

Gibberish

Gibberish
========================================================== (EOF)

I parse the file and identify the data associated with the first case,
and load it up into an array. I then parse through gibberish until I
identify the data associated with the second case. Now what?

5

On Oct 2, 2012, at 11:49 , Thomas L. [email protected] wrote:

Since Ruby only does 1D arrays, is there a trick for an array of arrays?
Or is this hash territory? How do I do the 2D equivalent of using the
.push array command to add on more data to the original array? Are
there are any particular Ruby resources that I need to go read up on and
go practice in IRB?

Unless your dimensions are quite huge, you might want to try out Matrix:

% ri Matrix
= MMaattrriixx << OObbjjeecctt

(from ruby core)

The Matrix class represents a mathematical matrix, and provides methods
for
creating special-case matrices (zero, identity, diagonal, singular,
vector),
operating on them arithmetically and algebraically, and determining
their
mathematical properties (trace, rank, inverse, determinant).

Note that although matrices should theoretically be rectangular, this is
not
enforced by the class.

Also note that the determinant of integer matrices may be incorrectly
calculated unless you also require ‘mathn’. This may be fixed in the
future.

== MMeetthhoodd CCaattaalloogguuee

To create a matrix:

  • Matrix[*rows]
  • Matrix.
  • Matrix.rows(rows, copy = true)
  • Matrix.columns(columns)
  • Matrix.diagonal(*values)
  • Matrix.scalar(n, value)
  • Matrix.scalar(n, value)
  • Matrix.identity(n)
  • Matrix.unit(n)
  • Matrix.I(n)
  • Matrix.zero(n)
  • Matrix.row_vector(row)
  • Matrix.column_vector(column)

To access Matrix elements/columns/rows/submatrices/properties:

  • [](i, j)
  • #row_size
  • #column_size
  • #row(i)
  • #column(j)
  • #collect
  • #map
  • #minor(*param)

Properties of a matrix:

  • #regular?
  • #singular?
  • #square?

Matrix arithmetic:

  • *(m)
  • +(m)
  • -(m)
  • #/(m)
  • #inverse
  • #inv

Matrix functions:

  • #determinant
  • #det
  • #rank
  • #trace
  • #tr
  • #transpose
  • #t

Conversion to other data types:

  • #coerce(other)
  • #row_vectors
  • #column_vectors
  • #to_a

String representations:

  • #to_s
  • #inspect

= CCllaassss mmeetthhooddss::

I
[]
column_vector
columns
diagonal
identity
new
row_vector
rows
scalar
unit
zero

= IInnssttaannccee mmeetthhooddss::

**
+

/

[]
clone
coerce
collect
column
column_size
column_vectors
compare_by_row_vectors
det
determinant
eql?
hash
init_rows
inspect
inv
inverse
inverse_from
map
minor
rank
regular?
row
row_size
row_vectors
singular?
square?
t
to_a
to_s
tr
trace
transpose