Shift units in an array easily GUI

[haxel96]

So I was thinking about some ideas for heroes I had and began wondering about if there is a way to easily shift all units inside an array by 1, say I make an array containing 6 units. I remove the first unit with index 0, then move the rest of the 5 from 1-5 to 0-4.
It's easily doable by assigning the units to a temporary array and then back with 1 less index, but is there an easier way?

 

[IcemanBo]

Loop x from 0 to 4:
set unit[x] = unit[x+1]

After loop -> set unit[5] = null

 

[deathismyfriend]

The loop is preferred as Iceman suggested but this is normally very slow and there are normally more efficient ways to do this.

If you explain what you are trying to accomplish there may be a better way that we can help you to implement.

 

[Vinz]

But I thought arrays are fast. D:

At least compared to hashtables.

 

[chobibo]

He was talking about the looping routine, not the array read/write ops.

 

[Chaosy]

But I thought arrays are fast. D:

At least compared to hashtables.

twice as fast actually, since a hashtable is a 2d array and a array is well, just an array. (and the fact that you tend to call functions to get the keys)

OT:
Sadly there is no way to get the array size directly. So you need to store that into a variable.

Loop from 0/1 to X and set your array to:
something[integer A/B - 1] = something[integer A/B]

Spoiler

@death Before you comment on it, I KNOW that integer a/b is slower.

 

[deathismyfriend]

twice as fast actually, since a hashtable is a 2d array and a array is well, just an array. (and the fact that you tend to call functions to get the keys)

A hashtable read / write is actually about 4-8 times slower than an array read / write. That means when looping through about 2-6 array indexes that the hashtable is a faster more efficient method. (Don't forget the ITE checks when looping through an array.)

 

[IcemanBo]

Anyway, the hashing speed shoud not be a constant, as it depends on the amount of entries.

More entries -> should be slower, no?

 

[Nichilus]

Is there even a need for shifting items in array?
Won't queue structure be enought?
Queue uses head and tail indexes.