Sorting sans Loop

In the JavaScript world, Array.prototype.map is one of the most commonly used higher-order functions. Do you also know that map combined with other Array's functions can be leveraged to construct a sequence? In fact, it is entirely possible to implement a sorting algorithm or to perform a search operation with just the higher-order functions of the built-in Array object, without using explicit for/while statements. Learn more about it from this talk!

Transcript

1. https://unsplash.com/photos/tRJtLQ8p1fU
4. • Just because you can do it, doesn’t mean you should do it • Be advised of any performance implication • Don’t optimize prematurely, judge wisely between readability and speed
6. map calls callbackfn once for each element in the array, in ascending order, and constructs a new Array from the results. callbackfn is called with three arguments: • the value of the element • the index of the element, and • the object being traversed. [ ... ].map(callbackfn)
7. [1, 2, 3].map(function (x) { return x * x; }); [1, 4, 9] [7, 7, 7].map(function (x, y) { return y; }); [0, 1, 2] y = index x = element
8. [ ... ].reduce(callbackfn, initial) callbackfn is called with four arguments: • the previousValue (or value from the previous call to callbackfn), • the currentValue (value of the current element) • the currentIndex, and • the object being traversed.
9. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5].reduce(function (sum, i) { return sum + i; }); [1, 2, 3, 4, 5].reduce(function (sum, i) { return sum + i; }, 100); 15 115 [1, 2, 3].reduce(function(result, x) { return result.concat(x + 2); }, []); [3, 4, 5]
11. var result = []; for (var i = 1; i < 4; ++i) result.push(i) console.log(result); // [1, 2, 3]
12. var list = ''; for (var i = 0; i < 26; ++i) list += String.fromCharCode(i + 65); console.log(list); // 'ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ'
13. var x = Array(3); The array is “empty” x.length; 3 console.log(x); []
14. Section 11.8.7 0 in Array(3); // false 1 in Array(3); // false 2 in Array(3); // false 2 in [,,9]; // true toString relies on join (Section 15.4.4.5) join convertes undefined or null to an empty string
15. var x = Array.apply(0, Array(3)); console.log(x); [undefined, undefined, undefined] The array is filled with undefined
16. Math.max(14, 3, 77); Math.max.apply(Math, [14, 3, 77]); Array Parameters http://www.2ality.com/2011/08/spreading.html Section 15.3.4.3
17. Array.apply(0, Array(3)); Array.apply(0, [,,]); Array(undefined, undefined, undefined); “ghost elements” got converted into undefined
18. Array.apply(0, Array(3)).map(function (x, y) { return y + 1; }); [1, 2, 3] Array.apply(0, Array(3)).map(function (x, y) { return (y + 1) * (y + 1); }); [1, 4, 9] Array.apply(0, Array(3)) [undefined, undefined, undefined]
19. Array.apply(0, Array(26)).map(function(x,y) { return String.fromCharCode(y + 65); }).join('');
20. “Sequences using JavaScript Array” http://ariya.ofilabs.com/2013/07/sequences-using-javascript-array.html
21. function factorial(n) { var result = 1; for (var i = 1; i <= n; ++i) result *= i; return result; } factorial(5) 120 1 * 2 * 3 * 4 * 5
22. function factorial(n) { return Array.apply(0, Array(n)) .reduce(function(x, y, z) { return x + x * z; }, 1); } 0..N-1 Accumulate
23. x z 1 1 0 2 1 6 2 24 3 120 4 x + x * z
24. “Prime Numbers, Factorial, and Fibonacci Series with JavaScript Array” http://ariya.ofilabs.com/2013/07/prime-numbers-factorial-and-fibonacci- series-with-javascript-array.html
26. function findLongest(array) { for (var i = 0, longest = ''; i < array.length; ++i) if (array[i].length > longest.length) longest = array[i]; return longest; } findLongest(['ab', 'abc', 'a']) 'abc'
27. function findLongest(array) { return array.reduce(function (longest, entry) { return entry.length > longest.length ? entry : longest; }, '' }); } findLongest(['ab', 'abc', 'a']) 'abc'
28. '' 'ab' 'ab' 'abc' 'abc' 'a' 'abc'
29. function findLongest(array) { return array.reduce(function (longest, entry, index) { return entry.length > longest.value.length ? { index: index, value: entry } : longest; }, { index: -1, value: '' }); } findLongest(['ab', 'abc', 'a']) { index: 1, value: 'abc' }
30. '' 'ab' 'ab' 'abc' 'abc' 'a' 'abc'
31. “Searching using Array.prototype.reduce” http://ariya.ofilabs.com/2013/10/searching-using-array-prototype-reduce.html
34. Array.apply(0, Array(array.length)).map(function () { // Do something }); 0..N-1 Inner loop
35. function findSmallest(array) { return array.reduce(function (min, entry, index) { return min.value < entry ? { index: index, value: entry } : min; }, { value: null }); } findSmallest([14, 3, 19, 77]) { index: 1, value: 3 }
36. function sort(input) { var array = input.slice(0); return Array.apply(0, Array(array.length)).map(function () { return array.splice(findSmallest(array).index, 1).pop(); }); } Before splice After splice [14, 3, 19, 77] [14, 19, 77] { index: 1, value: 3 }
37. function sort(input) { var array = input.slice(0); return Array.apply(0, Array(array.length)).map(function () { return array.splice(array.reduce(function (min, entry, index) { return min.value < entry ? min : index: index, value: entry }; }).index, 1).pop(); }); }
38. “Searching using Array.prototype.reduce” http://ariya.ofilabs.com/2013/10/searching-using-array-prototype-reduce.html
39. [0, 1] [1, 2] [2, 3] [0, 1] [0, 1] [1, 2]
40. function compareswap(array, p, q) { if (array[p] < array[q]) { var temp = array[q]; array[q] = array[p]; array[p] = temp; } } compareswap(entries, 0, 1); compareswap(entries, 1, 2); compareswap(entries, 2, 3); compareswap(entries, 0, 1); compareswap(entries, 1, 2); compareswap(entries, 0, 1); “Comparator” Sorting sequences
41. function compareswap(array, p, q) { if (array[p] < array[q]) { var temp = array[q]; array[q] = array[p]; array[p] = temp; } } compareswap(entries, 0, 1); compareswap(entries, 1, 2); compareswap(entries, 0, 1); “Comparator” Sorting sequences
42. compareswap(entries, 0, 1); compareswap(entries, 1, 2); compareswap(entries, 0, 1);
43. function sort(network, entries) { for (var i = 0; i < network.length; ++i) compareswap(entries, network[i], network[i] + 1) }
44. function createNetwork(N) { return Array.apply(0, Array(N)).reduce(function (network, _, y) { return network.concat(Array.apply(0, Array(N - y - 1)) .map(function(_, x) { return x; })); }, []); } [0, 1, 2, 0, 1, 0]
45. “Sorting Networks using Higher-Order Functions of JavaScript Array” http://ariya.ofilabs.com/2013/10/sorting-networks-using-higher-order- functions-of-javascript-array.html
49. Some artworks are from http://openclipart.org. @ariyahidayat