I have this list:
list = {V1, A1, B1, A2, B2, B1 A1, V2}
I want to replace sequences like A1, B1 with {A1, B1} if they exist, and A2, B2 with {A2, B2}, B1, A1 with {B1, A1}, etc. The desired result should be:
{V1, {A1, B1}, {A2, B2}, {B1 A1}, V2}
Does anyone know of a neat way to accomplish this?
SequenceReplace[list, (x : {A1, B1} | {B1, A1} | {A2, B2} | {B2, A2}) -> x]
(* {V1, {A1, B1}, {A2, B2}, {B1 A1}, V2} *)
If you also want to handle A3,B3 etc, then it's really not convenient to have your variable be one single symbol. It would be more idiomatic to have them look like A[1], A[2], etc.
SequenceReplace[list, (x : {OrderlessPatternSequence[A1, B1] | OrderlessPatternSequence[A2, B2]}) -> x]
$\endgroup$
It is not clear from the question, but I understand that only A? and B? are combined, but somehow A? and V? are not. Then, the following code will work for a data containing A3 and B3 as well. (I assume that the input data "list" consists of Symbols, rather than Strings.)
list = {V1, A1, B1, A2, B2, B1, A1, V2}
(* {V1, A1, B1, A2, B2, B1, A1, V2} *)
slist = StringPartition[ToString[#], 1] & /@ list;
back = Thread[slist -> list];
SplitBy[slist, {MatchQ[#[[1]], "A" | "B"], #[[2;;]]} &] /. back
(* {{V1}, {A1, B1}, {A2, B2}, {B1, A1}, {V2}} *)
i = Internal`CopyListStructure[#1, #2] &;
list = {V1, A1, B1, A2, B2, B1 , A1, V2};
r = {A1 -> 1, B1 -> 1, A2 -> 2, B2 -> 2};
i[Split[list /. r] /. {a_} :> a, list]
->{V1, {A1, B1}, {A2, B2}, {B1, A1}, V2}
Note:
Internal functions