Simplify an array in Javascript

I have a collection of objects structured in the following way:

let list = [
  {
    'items': [
      'item 1',
      'item 2'
    ]
  },
  {
    'items': [
      'item 3'
    ]
  }
]

My goal is to flatten these nested arrays into a single array like this:

['item 1','item 2','item 3']

Is there a specific JavaScript function that can help me achieve this desired output?

I attempted using the map function as follows:

list.map(i => i.items)

However, the result I obtained was:

[["item 1","item 2"],["item 3"]]

IMPORTANT: I am seeking either an existing function or a solution encapsulated within a function, enabling me to simply make a call to the function without needing to manually implement the loop logic.

Answer №1

To streamline the output of the map() function, you can utilize the Array.prototype.flatMap() method:

When using the flatMap() method, each element is first mapped with a specific function before being condensed into a new array.

let list = [
  {
    'items': [
      'item 1',
      'item 2'
    ]
  },
  {
    'items': [
      'item 3'
    ]
  }
]
list = list.flatMap(i => i.items);

console.log(list);

Answer №2

To tackle this problem, you can utilize the `reduce()` method. Remember that even though Array prototype methods like `reduce()` do hide loops internally, looping is unavoidable.

let data = [
  {
    'items': [
      'item A',
      'item B'
    ]
  },
  {
    'items': [
      'item C'
    ]
  }
];

const result = data.reduce((acc, curr) => [...acc, ...curr.items], []);

console.log(result)

Answer №3

Here are a few different approaches you can take to accomplish this task:

const list = [{'items': ['item 1','item 2']},{'items': ['item 3']}]

// Utilizing map and flat method
console.log(list.map(o => o.items).flat())

// Using flatMap function
console.log(list.flatMap(o => o.items))

// Implementing reduce method
console.log(list.reduce((a, o) => a.concat(o.items), []))

// Traditional for loop approach (enclosed in a function)
const getItems = list => {
  let temp = []  
  for (let i = 0; i < list.length; i++) {
    const items = list[i].items
    for (let j = 0; j < items.length; j++) {
      temp.push(items[j])
    }
  }
  return temp
}
console.log(getItems(list))

For optimized performance, using reduce method along with a for loop is recommended:

const list = [{'items': ['item 1','item 2']},{'items': ['item 3']}]

console.log(list.reduce((a, o) => {
  for (var i = 0; i < o.items.length; i++) a.push(o.items[i])
  return a
}, []))

Refer to this jsperf link for test cases.

https://i.stack.imgur.com/b14DN.png

Answer №4

Take advantage of the Array.reduce method by referring to the documentation here

{
    let data = [
      {
        'items': [
          'item 1',
          'item 2'
        ]
      },
      {
        'items': [
          'item 3'
        ]
      }
    ];

    /**
    * @parameter {Array} argument
    */
    function mergeItems (argument) {
        return argument.reduce((accumulator, { items }) => [...accumulator, ...items], []);
    }

    console.log(mergeItems(data));
}

Alternatively, you can experiment with a recursive function to create a more versatile function that can handle arrays of nested objects.

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