Method: Array#flatten

Defined in:

array.c

#flatten(depth = nil) ⇒ Object

Returns a new array that is a recursive flattening of self to depth levels of recursion; depth must be an integer-convertible object or nil. At each level of recursion:

• Each element that is an array is “flattened” (that is, replaced by its individual array elements).

• Each element that is not an array is unchanged (even if the element is an object that has instance method flatten).

With non-negative integer argument depth, flattens recursively through depth levels:

a = [ 0, [ 1, [2, 3], 4 ], 5, {foo: 0}, Set.new([6, 7]) ]
a              # => [0, [1, [2, 3], 4], 5, {:foo=>0}, #<Set: {6, 7}>]
a.flatten(0)   # => [0, [1, [2, 3], 4], 5, {:foo=>0}, #<Set: {6, 7}>]
a.flatten(1  ) # => [0, 1, [2, 3], 4, 5, {:foo=>0}, #<Set: {6, 7}>]
a.flatten(1.1) # => [0, 1, [2, 3], 4, 5, {:foo=>0}, #<Set: {6, 7}>]
a.flatten(2)   # => [0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, {:foo=>0}, #<Set: {6, 7}>]
a.flatten(3)   # => [0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, {:foo=>0}, #<Set: {6, 7}>]

With nil or negative depth, flattens all levels.

a.flatten     # => [0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, {:foo=>0}, #<Set: {6, 7}>]
a.flatten(-1) # => [0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, {:foo=>0}, #<Set: {6, 7}>]

Related: Array#flatten!; see also Methods for Converting.

# File 'array.c', line 6675

static VALUE
rb_ary_flatten(int argc, VALUE *argv, VALUE ary)
{
    int level = -1;
    VALUE result;

    if (rb_check_arity(argc, 0, 1) && !NIL_P(argv[0])) {
        level = NUM2INT(argv[0]);
        if (level == 0) return ary_make_shared_copy(ary);
    }

    result = flatten(ary, level);
    if (result == ary) {
        result = ary_make_shared_copy(ary);
    }

    return result;
}