From: Xavier Noria <fxn@...>
Date: 2007-08-03T11:46:01+09:00
Subject: Re: Determining the common prefix for several strings

El Aug 3, 2007, a las 4:41 AM, Xavier Noria escribi�:

> Hmmm, too convoluted. I realized you don't need the transpose and  
> thus the min length and cuts if you go by columns in the loop. This  
> is the same idea only more simple:
>
> splits = items.map {|i| i.split(//)}
> (0...splits.length).each do |i|
>   if splits.map {|s| s[i]}.uniq.length != 1
>     puts splits.first[0, i].join('')
>     break
>   end
> end

Ah, and the prefix can be extracted from the original string instead  
of the split:

   splits = items.map {|i| i.split(//)}
   (0...splits.length).each do |i|
     if splits.map {|s| s[i]}.uniq.length != 1
       puts items.first[0, i]
       break
     end
   end

-- fxn