Convert a 2D array into a flat, 1D array of unique items
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Convert a messy multidimensional array into a nice single dimension array of unique items.
If you have an array that’s multidimensional, and that contains duplicated data: you can get a flat, unique version, using modern, ES2019 JavaScript capabilities.
- Code language
- js
const allAnimals = [
["Cat", "Dog", "Quokka", "Possum"],
["Quokka"],
["Quokka", "Elephant", "Giraffe"],
"Cat", "Possum"
];
const filteredAnimals = [...new Set(allAnimals.flat())];
The flat()
prototype method grabs each nested array and returns back a single-level, flat array, containing all the data.
What we then do is use a new Set instantiation to discard any duplicates. Lastly, we use the spread syntax to convert that back into an array.