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Project: Array Utilities Unit
Unit: DelphiDabbler.Lib.ArrayUtils
Record: TArrayUtils
Applies to: ~>0.1
class procedure DeleteRange<T>(var A: TArray<T>;
AStartIndex, AEndIndex: Integer);
overload; static;
class procedure DeleteRange<T>(var A: TArray<T>; AStartIndex: Integer);
overload; static;
Deletes a range of one or more elements from an array.
The length of the array is reduced by the number of elements deleted.
Parameters:
A - Array from which the elements are to be deleted. The array is updated in place after the deletion. Empty arrays are ignored.
AStartIndex - Index of the first element in the range to be deleted.
If AStartIndex < 0 then it is adjusted to be equal to 0.
AEndIndex - Optional parameter containing the index of the last element in the range to be deleted.
If AEndIndex is not supplied then the end of the range is assumed to be the last element of the array, so that the whole array from AStartIndex to the end is deleted.
If AEndIndex is ≥ Length(A) then it is adjusted to be equal to Length(A) - 1.
If AEndIndex < AStartIndex, after both have been adjusted, then nothing is deleted and A is not changed.
If you want to delete all the elements of an array with indices ≥ AStartIndex then there is no need to provide AEndIndex.
To delete a single element set both AStartIndex and AEndIndex to the same index. Alternatively use Delete<T>.
This first example deletes a range of values from the start, the middle and the end of an array.
procedure DeleteRange_Eg1;
var
A, B, Expected: TArray<Integer>;
begin
// We have to copy B to get round an obscure Delphi bug that seems to optimise
// multiple TArray<Integer>.Create calls for the same elements.
B := TArray<Integer>.Create(1, 2, 3, 4, 5);
// delete 1st three elements
A := Copy(B);
TArrayUtils.DeleteRange<Integer>(A, 0, 2);
Expected := TArray<Integer>.Create(4, 5);
Assert(TArrayUtils.Equal<Integer>(Expected, A));
// delete 3 elements from index 1
A := Copy(B);
TArrayUtils.DeleteRange<Integer>(A, 1, 3);
Expected := TArray<Integer>.Create(1, 5);
Assert(TArrayUtils.Equal<Integer>(Expected, A));
// delete last 3 elements
A := Copy(B);
TArrayUtils.DeleteRange<Integer>(A, 2);
// last index not required: if provided provided Pred(Length(A))
Expected := TArray<Integer>.Create(1, 2);
Assert(TArrayUtils.Equal<Integer>(Expected, A));
end;
In the second example we a try DeleteRange<T> with start and end indexes outside the bounds of the array.
procedure DeleteRange_Eg2;
var
A, B, Expected: TArray<Integer>;
begin
// We have to copy B to get round an obscure Delphi bug that seems to optimise
// repeated TArray<Integer>.Create calls for the same elements.
B := TArray<Integer>.Create(1, 2, 3, 4, 5);
// delete from start to index 2, providing negative start index
A := Copy(B);
TArrayUtils.DeleteRange<Integer>(A, -3, 2);
Expected := TArray<Integer>.Create(4, 5);
Assert(TArrayUtils.Equal<Integer>(Expected, A));
// delete from index 2 to end of array, providing a very large end index
A := Copy(B);
TArrayUtils.DeleteRange<Integer>(A, 2, 42);
Expected := TArray<Integer>.Create(1, 2);
Assert(TArrayUtils.Equal<Integer>(Expected, A));
// delete nothing because start index > end index
A := Copy(B);
TArrayUtils.DeleteRange<Integer>(A, 3, 2);
Expected := TArray<Integer>.Create(1, 2, 3, 4, 5);
Assert(TArrayUtils.Equal<Integer>(Expected, A));
end;