Interval Merge with Source IDs
Merge overlapping/touching half-open intervals with complete source-ID provenance; zero-length intervals contribute no covered points.
Description
Merge overlapping/touching half-open intervals with complete source-ID provenance; zero-length intervals contribute no covered points.
Merging intervals can simplify coverage while preserving which source records contributed. Touching spans can be merged when their boundary contact is intentionally treated as continuous coverage.
When to use this tool
Merge overlapping/touching half-open intervals with complete source-ID provenance; zero-length intervals contribute no covered points.
- Prepare the supplied intervals, sourceIds fields for this operation.
- Compare the complete example with the representation used by your own input before carrying the result into another step.
How to use the tool and how it works
- Enter intervals, sourceIds. Use the exact text syntax, units and index conventions explained below.
- Run the tool. If input validation fails, correct the supplied fields before interpreting any result.
- Read result.merged. Interpret false, null and empty lists using the distinctions below; they can be valid outputs.
Require one unique nonblank source ID per interval. Drop empty intervals, sort by start then end, merge spans that overlap or touch, and append contributing IDs in that processing order.1
| Input field | Meaning and representation | Accepted input |
|---|---|---|
| intervals | intervals. | Numeric rows; at most 128 rows and 128 values per row |
| sourceIds | source ids. | At most 128 strings, each at most 128 UTF-16 code units |
| Output field | Interpretation |
|---|---|
| result | Object containing the named outputs below. |
| result.merged | The merged list in the ordering and representation described above. |
{
"input": {
"intervals": [
[
0,
2
],
[
1,
3
]
],
"sourceIds": [
"a",
"b"
]
},
"output": {
"result": {
"merged": [
{
"start": 0,
"end": 3,
"sourceIds": [
"a",
"b"
]
}
]
}
}
}Limitations and assumptions
- The source-ID list must be nonempty and aligned. Result ID order follows sorted span processing, not necessarily original input order; endpoint inclusion flags are not represented.
- Interval-array rows contain exactly two finite endpoints in start/end order, with at most 128 intervals per collection. Individual operations state when positive length, integer endpoints or explicit inclusion flags are required.
- Every declared top-level field is required and unexpected fields are rejected. Numeric inputs must be finite; ordinary text fields are bounded to 8,192 UTF-16 code units, with tighter operation-specific limits where stated.
- Ordinary string lists have at most 128 entries of at most 128 code units each; numeric lists and matrices have separate bounded size checks. Nonfinite results and excessively large serialized outputs are rejected.
- Indexes are zero-based and spans have an exclusive end unless explicitly stated otherwise. A valid false, null or empty-list result is distinct from malformed input.
Alternative or Complementary methods
Retain the endpoint convention with every result. Continuous length, integer point counts and open/closed membership differ; merge returned cells separately when a canonical minimal interval collection is required.
References
Similar or alternative tools
- Interval Affine Transform
Affine-transform interval endpoints, reorder the image bounds and retain negative-scale orientation reversal.
- Interval Clamp and Empty Audit
Audit raw clipped interval bounds and emptiness; disjoint intersections retain start>end as evidence, not a fabricated nonempty interval.