Python Program to Merge Two Arrays

1. Introduction

The goal is to combine two arrays into a single array, maintaining the order of elements. This operation is crucial in sorting algorithms, database queries, and when aggregating data from multiple sources. This blog post will illustrate a Python program to merge two arrays into one, using a straightforward and efficient approach.

2. Program Steps

1. Define two arrays that you wish to merge.

2. Use a method to combine these arrays into one.

3. Optionally, sort the merged array if needed.

4. Display the merged (and sorted) array.

3. Code Program

# Step 1: Define two arrays
array1 = [1, 3, 5, 7]
array2 = [2, 4, 6, 8]

# Step 2: Merge the arrays
merged_array = array1 + array2

# Step 3: Sort the merged array (optional)
merged_array.sort()

# Step 4: Display the merged and sorted array
print("Merged and sorted array:")
print(merged_array)

Output:

Merged and sorted array:
[1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8]

Explanation:

1. The program starts by initializing two arrays, array1 and array2, with integers in ascending order. These arrays represent the datasets that are to be merged.

2. It merges the two arrays using the + operator, which concatenates them into a single array named merged_array. This operation does not modify the original arrays but creates a new array that includes the elements from both array1 and array2.

3. After merging, the program sorts merged_array using the sort() method. This step is optional and depends on whether the merged data needs to be in a specific order. Sorting is done in place, and merged_array is modified to be in ascending order.

4. Finally, the program prints the merged and sorted array, showcasing the result of combining and sorting the elements from the two original arrays.