Zig-zag scan an N x N array

Question

I have a simple array. The array length always has a square root of an integer. So 16, 25, 36 etc.

$array = array(\'1\', \'2\', \'3\', \'4\' ... \'25\');
         


        

Answer 1

I wrote it in C# so didn't compile/parse it in PHP but this logic should work:

List newList = new List();
double i = 1;

double root = Math.Sqrt(oldList.Count);
bool direction = true;

while (newList.Count < oldList.Count)
{
    newList.Add(oldList[(int)i - 1]);
    if (direction)
    {
        if (i + root > root * root)
        {
            i++;
            direction = false;
        }
        else if (i % root == 1)
        {
            i += 5;
            direction = false;
        }
        else
        {
            i += root - 1;
        }
    }
    else
    {
        if (i - root <= 0)
        {
            direction = true;
            if (i % root == 0)
            {
                i += root;
            }
            else
            {
                i++;
            }
            direction = true;
        }
        else if (i % root == 0)
        {
            direction = true;
            i += root;
        }
        else
        {
            i += 1 - root;
        }
    }
}

the PHP version would look something like this:

$oldList = ...
$newList = [];
$i = 1;

$root = sqrt(Count($oldList);
$direction = true;

while (count($newList) < count($oldList)
{
    $newList[] = $oldList[$i - 1];
    if ($direction)
    {
        if ($i + $root > $root * $root)
        {
            $i++;
            $direction = false;
        }
        else if ($i % $root == 1)
        {
            $i += 5;
            $direction = false;
        }
        else
        {
            $i += $root - 1;
        }
    }
    else
    {
        if ($i - $root <= 0)
        {
            $direction = true;
            if ($i % $root == 0)
            {
                $i += $root;
            }
            else
            {
                i++;
            }
            direction = true;
        }
        else if ($i % $root == 0)
        {
            $direction = true;
            $i += $root;
        }
        else
        {
            $i += 1 - $root;
        }
    }
}