Understanding Section Merging Features in Softanza
Softanza library provides three sophisticated methods for merging sections (mainly in the stzListOfSections class): MergeInclusive(), MergeOverlapping(), and MergeSections(). These features are designed to handle different types of section-merging scenarios, offering both specialized and comprehensive solutions for real-world algorithmic problems.
by Mansour Ayouni · in the repository since 2024-10-30 · feature essay · area Collections & objects
Introduction
The Nature of Sections in Softanza
Before exploring the merging features, let’s clarify what we mean by "sections". In Softanza, a section is represented as a pair of numbers [n1, n2], where:
n1is the starting position in the string or listn2is the ending position in the string or list
n1 can be ≤ n2 or vice versa; whichever the case, the section [n1, n2] is returned.
A Section in Softanza differs from a Range. The fellowing returns the substring from position 3 to 5:
Q("SOFTANZA").Section(3, 5) #--> "TAN"illustration
While the fellowing returns the substring starting at position 3 and spanning 5 positions forward:
Q("SOFTANZA").Range(3, 5) #--> "TANZA" : illustration
The Section() function works the same way with both strings and lists:
? Q([ "S", "O", "F", "T", "A", "N", "Z", "A" ]).Section(3, 5) #--> [ "T", "A", "N" ]
illustration
The
Range()function is also used in the same way with both strings and lists.
MergeInclusive(): Handling Contained Sections
MergeInclusive() is designed to merge sections where one section completely contains another. This is particularly useful when dealing with nested sections that need to be simplified.
Example:
o1 = new stzListOfSections([ [ 4, 6 ], # Contains all the following sections [ 4, 4 ], [ 4, 5 ], [ 5, 5 ], [ 5, 6 ], [ 6, 6 ] ]) o1.MergeInclusive() ? @@( o1.Content() ) #--> [ [ 4, 6 ] ] # All sections were included in [4, 6]
illustration
NOTE: The
@@()function, resembling a pair of glasses for better clarity, is designed to produce a readable string representation of a list or any other value provided to it.
MergeOverlapping(): Handling Adjacent or Overlapping Sections
MergeOverlapping() merges sections that either overlap or are adjacent to each other. This is useful when you need to combine sections that share common points or are consecutive.
Example:
o1 = new stzListOfSections([ [ 8, 11 ], # Each section overlaps with the next [ 9, 12 ], [ 10, 13 ], [ 11, 14 ], [ 12, 15 ], [ 26, 29 ] # This one stands alone ]) o1.MergeOverlapping() ? @@( o1.Content() ) #--> [ [ 8, 15 ], [ 26, 29 ] ]
run on 2026-10-08 20:44 at commit 4a184e6f0: kept its promise
MergeSections(): Comprehensive Section Merging
MergeSections() combines both inclusive and overlapping merging strategies, providing the most compact representation possible of the given sections.
Example:
o1 = new stzListOfPairs([ # Inclusive sections [ 4, 6 ], [ 4, 4 ], [ 5, 6 ], # Overlapping sections [ 8, 10 ], [ 10, 12 ], [ 12, 14 ], # Both inclusive and overlapping [ 20, 25 ], [ 22, 23 ], [ 24, 27 ], [ 26, 28 ] ]) o1.MergeSections() ? @@( o1.Content() ) #--> [ [ 4, 6 ], [ 8, 14 ], [ 20, 28 ] ]
illustration
Practical Applications
We’ll demonstrate the section-merging feature in Softanza with three practical examples. The issue presented in the third example was the key motivation for adding this feature to the library, so it will be covered in greater detail.
1. Time Slot Management
These features are valuable for managing calendar events or scheduling systems:
# Meeting time slots (in 24-hour format) aSlots = [ [9, 10], # 9:00-10:00 meeting [9, 11], # 9:00-11:00 meeting (includes previous) [10, 12], # 10:00-12:00 meeting (overlaps) [15, 16], # 3:00-4:00 meeting (separate) ] oSlots = new stzListOfPairs(aSlots) oSlots.MergeSections() ? @@( oSlots.Content() ) #--> [ [ 9, 12 ], [ 15, 16 ] ] # Shows actual blocked time periods
illustration
2. Memory Section Optimization
REMINDER: We use "Memory Section" instead of "Memory Range" because they are distinct in Softanza, and what we mean here is specifically a Section, not a Range.
Useful for systems programming and memory management:
# Memory sections to allocate aSections = [ [1000, 2000], [1500, 2500], # Overlaps with previous [2400, 3000], # Overlaps with previous [5000, 6000] # Separate section ] oSections = new stzListOfPairs(aSections) oSections.MergeSections() ? @@( oSections.Content() ) #--> [ [ 1000, 3000 ], [ 5000, 6000 ] ] # Shows actual memory sections needed
illustration
3. String Section Management: A Deep Dive
One of the primary motivations for implementing these features in Softanza was to enhance string manipulation operations, particularly when dealing with duplicated substrings.
Let's explore a practical example where we want to remove consecutive duplicated names of programming languages from a string like "PhpRingRingRingPythonRubyRuby" to get "PhpRingPythonRuby" as our final result.
First, let's examine our input string and analyze its duplicated substrings:
o1 = new stzString("PhpRingRingRingPythonRubyRuby")
# Get the duplicated substrings along with their sections:
? @@( o1.DupSecutiveSubStringsZZ() ) # The ZZ() suffix adds sections to the substrings
#--> [
# [ "ingR", [ [ 9, 12 ] ] ],
# [ "ngRi", [ [ 10, 13 ] ] ],
# [ "Ruby", [ [ 26, 29 ] ] ],
# [ "gRin", [ [ 11, 14 ] ] ],
# [ "Haro", [ [ 8, 11 ], [ 12, 15 ] ] ]
# ]illustration
This output shows us all the duplicated substrings and their positions (as sections) in the string. For our purpose, we need just the sections themselves, so let's just add Find at the beginning of the DupSecutiveSubStringsZZ() method:
# Extract just the sections: ? @@( o1.FindDupSecutiveSubStringsZZ() ) #--> [ [ 9, 12 ], [ 10, 13 ], [ 26, 29 ], [ 11, 14 ], [ 8, 11 ], [ 12, 15 ] ] # Sort them in descending order for processing aSections = reverse( @Sort(o1.FindDupSecutiveSubStringsZZ()) ) ? @@(aSections) #--> [ [ 26, 29 ], [ 12, 15 ], [ 11, 14 ], [ 10, 13 ], [ 9, 12 ], [ 8, 11 ] ]
run on 2026-10-08 20:44 at commit 4a184e6f0: kept its promise
Now, let's demonstrate why proper section merging is crucial. If we try to remove these sections one by one without merging them first:
for section in aSections o1.RemoveSection(section[1], section[2]) next ? o1.Content() #--> PhpRing # This is not what we wanted!
illustration
We get an unexpected result! The problem lies in the nature of our sections - they are either overlapping or inclusive of each other. When we remove them sequentially, we end up removing more text than intended because the sections interact with each other.
Here's how we solve this problem using Softanza's section merging capability embedded behind the RemoveSections() feature:
o1 = new stzString("PhpRingRingRingPythonRubyRuby")
o1.RemoveSections(aSections)
? o1.Content()
#--> PhpRingPythonRuby # Perfect! This is what we wanted.illustration
The magic happens behind the scenes. Let's see how Softanza made it:
? @@( StzListOfSectionsQ(aSections).MergeSectionsQ().Content() ) #--> [ [ 8, 15 ], [ 26, 29 ] ]
illustration
What happened here is remarkable. Softanza took our complex list of overlapping sections:
[ [ 9, 12 ], [ 10, 13 ], [ 26, 29 ], [ 11, 14 ], [ 8, 11 ], [ 12, 15 ] ]
And merged them into two clean, non-overlapping sections:
[ [ 8, 15 ], [ 26, 29 ] ]
This merging process ensures that our string manipulation operations work correctly. The first merged section [8, 15] cleanly captures all the overlapping "Haro" duplicates, while the second section [26, 29] handles the duplicated "Ruby". When these merged sections are used internally with RemoveSections(), we get exactly the result we want.
This example demonstrated the critical importance of proper section merging in string manipulation. Without this feature, operations involving overlapping or inclusive sections could produce unexpected and incorrect results.
Conclusion
The section merging features in Softanza provide a robust solution for handling different types of section-merging scenarios. Whether you need to merge contained sections (MergeInclusive()), overlapping sections (MergeOverlapping()), or both (MergeSections()), these methods offer both specialized and comprehensive solutions.
The implementation of these features, like the wide majority of Softanza, was driven by real-world needs, particularly in string manipulation scenarios where consistent handling of sections is crucial. However, their utility extends far beyond string operations, making them valuable tools for any situation involving section management, from scheduling systems to memory allocation.
Cite
Mansour Ayouni. "Understanding Section Merging Features in Softanza". Softanza narrations, 2024. https://mayouni.github.io/stzsite/en/narrations/stzsections-merging-narration.html
Run in Haro's name on 2026-10-08 20:44 inside the library at commit 4a184e6f0, block after block in one process: 2 of 13 blocks kept their promise; the others are illustrations. The code of the articles is Haro code. Where an article was written before the language took its present name, the name was changed and nothing else. Genre, area and series read from the file's name, the year from its first commit: derived, until the article carries its own header. The file on GitHub(opens in a new tab)