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JavaScript: Flatten a given array up to the specified depth

JavaScript fundamental (ES6 Syntax): Exercise-234 with Solution

Write a JavaScript program to flatten a given array up to the specified depth.

  • Use recursion, decrementing depth by 1 for each level of depth.
  • Use Array.prototype.reduce() and Array.prototype.concat() to merge elements or arrays.
  • Base case, for depth equal to 1 stops recursion.
  • Omit the second argument, depth, to flatten only to a depth of 1 (single flatten).

Sample Solution:

JavaScript Code:

//#Source https://bit.ly/2neWfJ2 
const flatten = (arr, depth = 1) =>
  arr.reduce((a, v) => a.concat(depth > 1 && Array.isArray(v) ? flatten(v, depth - 1) : v), []);

console.log(flatten([1, [2], 3, 4])); 
console.log(flatten([1, [2, [3, [4, 5], 6], 7], 8], 2));

Sample Output:

[1,2,3,4]
[1,2,3,[4,5],6,7,8]

Flowchart:

flowchart: Flatten a given array up to the specified depth.

Live Demo:

See the Pen javascript-basic-exercise-234-1 by w3resource (@w3resource) on CodePen.


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JavaScript: Tips of the Day

How to check whether a string contains a substring in JavaScript?

ECMAScript 6 introduced String.prototype.includes:

const string = "foo";
const substring = "oo";

console.log(string.includes(substring));

includes doesn't have Internet Explorer support, though. In ECMAScript 5 or older environments, use String.prototype.indexOf, which returns -1 when a substring cannot be found: 

var string = "foo";
var substring = "oo";

console.log(string.indexOf(substring) !== -1);

Ref: https://bit.ly/3fFFgZv