# Itterate over an Array Extracting Data **URL:** \ **Category:** Ruby\ **Created:** [September 17, 2009, 11:34am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/itterate-over-an-array-extracting-data/175667 "2009-09-17T11:34:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![danielr](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/d/f17d59/32.png) [@danielr](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/danielr)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2009, 11:34am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/itterate-over-an-array-extracting-data/175667/1 "2009-09-17T11:34:26Z")
So I have the following array people = [“Employee 1”, “Secretary”, “Male”, “54”] [“Employee 2”, “Manager”, “Female”, “44”] [“Employee 3”, “Chef”, “Female”, “22”] I would like to iterate over this array pulling out just the ages. How can I do this? I tried the following: x = 0 while x \< people.length puts people[x][3] x += 1 end How could I put the results into an array? IRB doesn’t like my code. ---
**Author:** ![danielr](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/d/f17d59/32.png) [@danielr](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/danielr)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2009, 11:47am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/itterate-over-an-array-extracting-data/175667/2 "2009-09-17T11:47:11Z")
On Thu, Sep 17, 2009 at 4:34 AM, Daniel R. [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid)wrote: > people = [“Employee 1”, “Secretary”, “Male”, “54”] > [“Employee 2”, “Manager”, “Female”, “44”] > [“Employee 3”, “Chef”, “Female”, “22”] people # =\> [“Employee 1”, “Secretary”, “Male”, “54”] #you (presumably) wanted an array of arrays, it would need to look like the one below people = [[“Employee 1” , “Secretary” , “Male” , “54”], [“Employee 2” , “Manager” , “Female” , “44”], [“Employee 3” , “Chef” , “Female” , “22”]] ages = people.map{|p| p[3] } ages # =\> [“54”, “44”, “22”] people # =\> [[“Employee 1”, “Secretary”, “Male”, “54”], [“Employee 2”, “Manager”, “Female”, “44”], [“Employee 3”, “Chef”, “Female”, “22”]] ---
**Author:** ![danielr](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/d/f17d59/32.png) [@danielr](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/danielr)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2009, 11:47am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/itterate-over-an-array-extracting-data/175667/3 "2009-09-17T11:47:47Z")
> x = 0 > while x \< people.length > puts people[x][3] > x += 1 > end > > How could I put the results into an array? IRB doesn’t like my code. > > people = [[“Employee 1”, “Secretary”, “Male”, “54”],[“Employee 2”, “Manager”, “Female”, “44”],[“Employee 3”, “Chef”, “Female”, “22”]] > > =\> [[“Employee 1”, “Secretary”, “Male”, “54”], [“Employee 2”, > > “Manager”, “Female”, “44”], [“Employee 3”, “Chef”, “Female”, “22”]] > > > ages = people.collect{|person| person[3]} > > =\> [“54”, “44”, “22”] Regards, Rimantas ---
**Author:** ![danielr](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/d/f17d59/32.png) [@danielr](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/danielr)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2009, 11:50am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/itterate-over-an-array-extracting-data/175667/4 "2009-09-17T11:50:07Z")
On Thu, Sep 17, 2009 at 4:34 AM, Daniel R. [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid)wrote: > Sorry for the improper spacing, I’m on my Windows computer, forgot that > SciTe doesn’t use monospaced font by default. ---
**Author:** ![danielr](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/d/f17d59/32.png) [@danielr](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/danielr)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2009, 11:48am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/itterate-over-an-array-extracting-data/175667/5 "2009-09-17T11:48:57Z")
people.each {|person| puts person[3]} PS I had to enter your array differently - what you typed here didn’t work. > people = [[“Employee 1”, “Secretary”, “Male”, “54”], > [“Employee 2”, “Manager”, “Female”, “44”], > [“Employee 3”, “Chef”, “Female”, “22”]] On Thu, Sep 17, 2009 at 10:34 AM, Daniel R. [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote: > – Paul S. [http://www.nomadicfun.co.uk](http://www.nomadicfun.co.uk) removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid ---
**Author:** ![danielr](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/d/f17d59/32.png) [@danielr](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/danielr)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2009, 11:51am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/itterate-over-an-array-extracting-data/175667/6 "2009-09-17T11:51:05Z")
Josh C. wrote: > On Thu, Sep 17, 2009 at 4:34 AM, Daniel R. > [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid)wrote: > > > Sorry for the improper spacing, I’m on my Windows computer, forgot that > > SciTe doesn’t use monospaced font by default. Thanks for everyone’s help. ---
**Author:** ![danielr](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/d/f17d59/32.png) [@danielr](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/danielr)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2009, 3:01pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/itterate-over-an-array-extracting-data/175667/7 "2009-09-17T15:01:32Z")
On 17 sep 2009, at 11.34, Daniel R. wrote: > So I have the following array > > people = [“Employee 1”, “Secretary”, “Male”, “54”] > [“Employee 2”, “Manager”, “Female”, “44”] > [“Employee 3”, “Chef”, “Female”, “22”] Here you have THREE arrays, of which to are not assigned ANYWHERE. You forgot the outer brackets and the commans between elements of the outer array. > ## How could I put the results into an array? IRB doesn’t like my code. > > Posted via [http://www.ruby-forum.com/](http://www.ruby-forum.com/). * * * The three things an undertaker should never say to a client: -Nice doing business with you. -Welcome back. -Have a nice day. (The King of ID) ---
**Author:** ![danielr](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/d/f17d59/32.png) [@danielr](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/danielr)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2009, 11:55am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/itterate-over-an-array-extracting-data/175667/8 "2009-09-17T11:55:59Z")
On Thu, Sep 17, 2009 at 6:34 PM, Daniel R. [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote: > x = 0 > while x \< people.length > puts people[x][3] > x += 1 > end > > ## How could I put the results into an array? IRB doesn’t like my code. people = [[“Employee 1”, “Secretary”, “Male”, “54”], [“Employee 2”, “Manager”, “Female”, “44”], [“Employee 3”, “Chef”, “Female”, “22”]] p people.transpose[3] Harry