Adding the word "and" before the final item of an array in Swift

Question

I have a list of items in an array. The default output of the items is a simple list separated by commas. However, a proper sentence would include the word "and" between the second last and last item in the list.

Swift code:

    let myItem1: String = "Apple"
    let myItem2: String = "Bee"
    let myItem3: String = "Carrot"
    let myItem4: String = "Dog"

    let myArray = Set(arrayLiteral: myItem1, myItem2, myItem3, myItem4)

    //print("Item count:", myArray.count)
    print("Item list:", myArray.joinWithSeparator(", "))

Output:

The current output above is: "Apple, Dog, Carrot, Bee"

However, the proper output should be: "Apple, Dog, Carrot and Bee"

Question:

How can I modify the code so that the output includes the word "and" between the second last and last item in the list?

Remove the last item, join with , as you do now. Add and & last item. — Desdenova
– Desdenova, Commented Sep 23, 2016 at 11:57
Related: Join an array of strings with a different final delimiter — Hamish
– Hamish, Commented Sep 23, 2016 at 12:58
Unrelated: Why is your set of strings named myArray? Also you should never have to use the init(xyzLiteral:) initialisers directly, they're meant for the compiler to use. In this case you can just do let mySet : Set = [myItem1, myItem2, myItem3, myItem4] — Hamish
– Hamish, Commented Sep 23, 2016 at 13:02
Thanks for the advice @Hamish. I guess myArray is better explained as mySet. arrayLiteral was used because Xcode suggested it and was retuning an error prior to that. — user4806509
– user4806509, Commented Sep 23, 2016 at 13:44

Bista · Accepted Answer · 2016-09-23 12:22:17Z

5

Pop the last element and then add it onto the string later:

let last = myArray.popLast()

let str =  myArray.joinWithSeparator(", ") + " and " + last!

Editing:

    let myItem1: String = "Apple"
    let myItem2: String = "Bee"
    let myItem3: String = "Carrot"
    let myItem4: String = "Dog"

    let mySetArray = Set(arrayLiteral: myItem1, myItem2, myItem3, myItem4)

    var myArray = Array(mySetArray)

    let last = myArray.popLast()

    let str =  myArray.joinWithSeparator(", ") + " and " + last!
    print(str)

edited Sep 23, 2016 at 12:22

Bista

7,8933 gold badges30 silver badges57 bronze badges

answered Sep 23, 2016 at 11:50

Luka Jacobowitz

23.7k5 gold badges41 silver badges58 bronze badges

Sign up to request clarification or add additional context in comments.

8 Comments

Bista Over a year ago

Wow, same thought!

Luka Jacobowitz Over a year ago

We might be both wrong though, because this way we get ,s around the and.

Bista Over a year ago

we're well caught.

Luka Jacobowitz Over a year ago

Provided a fix! :)

Bista Over a year ago

Excellant solution!

|

buildsucceeded · Accepted Answer · 2022-07-07 09:44:54Z

3

You can now just do

ListFormatter.localizedString(byJoining: names)

This gives

Apple, Bee, Carrot and Dog

answered Jul 7, 2022 at 9:44

buildsucceeded

4,2214 gold badges36 silver badges73 bronze badges

Comments

nishith Singh · Accepted Answer · 2016-09-23 12:02:07Z

2

Try this code

    let myItem1: String = "Apple"
    let myItem2: String = "Bee"
    let myItem3: String = "Carrot"
    let myItem4: String = "Dog"

    let myArray = Set(arrayLiteral: myItem1, myItem2, myItem3, myItem4)

    //print("Item count:", myArray.count)
    print("Item list:", myArray.joinWithSeparator(", "))

    var joinedString : NSString =  myArray.joinWithSeparator(", ")

    let lastRangeOfComma = joinedString.rangeOfString(",", options: .BackwardsSearch)
    joinedString = joinedString.stringByReplacingCharactersInRange(lastRangeOfComma, withString: " and")
    print("\(joinedString)")

Hope this helps.

answered Sep 23, 2016 at 12:02

nishith Singh

3,0081 gold badge17 silver badges26 bronze badges

Comments

Luca Angeletti · Accepted Answer · 2016-09-23 12:47:26Z

2

Given an array of String(s)

let words = ["Apple", "Bee", "Carrot", "Dog"]

you can simply write

let sentence = words.dropLast().joinWithSeparator(", ") + " and " + words.last!

// Apple, Bee, Carrot and Dog

This code needs the words array to contain at least 2 elements to work properly.

answered Sep 23, 2016 at 12:47

Luca Angeletti

59.6k13 gold badges127 silver badges153 bronze badges

1 Comment

Oleg Gordiichuk Over a year ago

Quite sophisticated aprrocuh!

user4806509 · Accepted Answer · 2016-09-23 12:28:57Z

1

var arrNames:[String] = ["Apple","Bee","Carrot","Dog"];
var allNames:String!


override func viewDidLoad() {
    super.viewDidLoad()

    allNames = arrNames[0]

    for i in 1...arrNames.count-1{
        if i == arrNames.count - 1 {
            allNames = allNames + " and " + arrNames[i]
        }else{
            allNames = allNames + ", " + arrNames[i]
        }
    }

    print(allNames)
}

edited Sep 23, 2016 at 12:28

user4806509

3,0115 gold badges44 silver badges80 bronze badges

answered Sep 23, 2016 at 11:51

Bista

7,8933 gold badges30 silver badges57 bronze badges

Comments

Oleg Gordiichuk · Accepted Answer · 2016-09-23 12:51:46Z

1

One of the possible ways is to use functional programming:

let myArray = ["Apple", "Bee", "Carrot", "Dog"]


let mapedArray = myArray.dropLast().map{
    myArray.indexOf($0) == myArray.count - 2 ? $0 + " and " + myArray[myArray.count - 1] : $0 + ","
}

answered Sep 23, 2016 at 12:51

Oleg Gordiichuk

15.6k7 gold badges65 silver badges101 bronze badges

Collectives™ on Stack Overflow

Adding the word "and" before the final item of an array in Swift

6 Answers 6

8 Comments

Comments

Comments

1 Comment

Comments

Comments

Your Answer

Linked

Hot Network Questions

Collectives™ on Stack Overflow

6 Answers 6

8 Comments

Comments

Comments

1 Comment

Comments

Comments

Your Answer

Sign up or log in

Post as a guest

Linked

Related