ArrayViz

Meta
Testing

This package allows users to pass a function and visualize it as blocks and elements using Manim, a powerful mathematical animation engine. It provides an easy way to animate algorithms step-by-step, helping with educational purposes and debugging.

Note

This project is a work in progress. Package has not been released yet but is planned to be. Only limited functionality is implemented as of now.

Installation

First, install Manim according to the instructions on Manim's official website.

Install the package via PyPI:

python -m pip install --upgrade arrayviz

Usage

ArrayBlockVisualizer Class

The ArrayBlockVisualizer class is designed to animate the execution of a user-provided function. Users can control when the pointers should update in relation to the array frame updates (before, at the same time, or after).

Parameters

• func: The user-provided function to animate.
• func_args: Arguments to pass to the user-provided function.
• delay (float): The delay time between frames in seconds. Default is 1.
• **kwargs: Additional keyword arguments for the Scene superclass.

Example

The following example demonstrates how to use the ArrayBlockVisualizer class to animate an example merge function for sorted arrays.

examples/merge_sorted_arrays.py

from arrayviz import ArrayBlockVisualizer


def merge(nums1, m, nums2, n, record_frame):
    """
    Merges two sorted arrays nums1 and nums2 into a single sorted array in place.

    Args:
        nums1 (list): The first sorted array with extra space at the end to hold nums2 elements.
        m (int): The number of valid elements in nums1.
        nums2 (list): The second sorted array.
        n (int): The number of elements in nums2.
        record_frame (callable): A callback function to record the state of arrays and pointers.
    """
    merged_index = m + n

    # Record initial array
    record_frame(arrays=[nums1[:], nums2[:]])

    while m > 0 and n > 0:
        # Record pointers
        record_frame(pointers=[{"i": m - 1}, {"j": n - 1}])
        if nums1[m - 1] > nums2[n - 1]:
            nums1[merged_index - 1] = nums1[m - 1]
            m -= 1
        else:
            nums1[merged_index - 1] = nums2[n - 1]
            n -= 1
        merged_index -= 1

        # Record new array
        record_frame(arrays=[nums1[:], nums2[:]])

    # Record final pointers
    record_frame(pointers=[{"i": n - 1}, {"j": n - 1}])

    nums1[:n] = nums2[:n]

    # Record final array
    record_frame(arrays=[nums1[:], nums2[:]])


# Initial arrays for the merge function
nums1 = [4, 5, 7, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0]
nums2 = [1, 2, 2, 3, 5, 6]
m = 3  # Number of initial valid elements in nums1
n = 6  # Number of elements in nums2


class MergeScene(ArrayBlockVisualizer):
    """
    A Manim scene to visualize the merge function using the FunctionAnimation class.
    """

    def __init__(self, **kwargs):
        """
        Initializes the MergeScene with the merge function and its arguments.

        Args:
            **kwargs: Additional keyword arguments for the ArrayBlockVisualizer superclass.
        """
        super().__init__(merge, (nums1, m, nums2, n), **kwargs)


# To render this scene, use the following command in your terminal:
# manim -pql examples/merge_sorted_arrays.py MergeScene

Running the Example

To render the MergeScene, run the following command in your terminal:

manim -pql example.py MergeScene

• -pql stands for play in low quality. You can adjust this based on the desired rendering quality.

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please open an issue or submit a pull request for any improvements or bug fixes.

Acknowledgements

Manim Community for developing the Manim library.