Code Golf
string sorting add tag
petStorm
Given a string as an input (which can be any acceptable/convenient format in your language), implement pendulum encoding. The test cases are split into individual items (which aren't quoted) for a visually appealing explanation.
## How do I do that?
The current **iteration index** starts at `0`.

* If the iteration index is even, append the current item onto the output string.
* If the iteration index is odd, prepend the current item onto the output string.

## An example
```
The input is [a b c d e f g].
Note that the letters a-g are individual one-character strings, to prevent confusion from the iteration index.
N: the iteration index

N:0 Out:      [a]
N:1 Out:    [b a]
N:2 Out:    [b a c]
N:3 Out:  [d b a c]
N:4 Out:  [d b a c e]
N:5 Out:[f d b a c e]
N:6 Out:[f d b a c e g]
```
The output should be `[f d b a c e g]`.
# Another example
```
The input is [u d l n u e m p].

N:0 Out:        [u]
N:1 Out:      [d u]
N:2 Out:      [d u l]
N:3 Out:    [n d u l]
N:4 Out:    [n d u l u]
N:5 Out:  [e n d u l u]
N:6 Out:  [e n d u l u m]
N:7 Out:[p e n d u l u m]
```
## Test cases
[Here](https://tio.run/##lVLNaoQwEL77FHNZMBhl22OXLeToZdmjyxJK6o5LQKONkV767naibbQUSp1LyMz3MzMJ2lqZe4p9aXXnxjHq0NyGemjiq@QgOLwwSJ9BHKJV5fJRzMXcFyOg2IFun96tdhgLxpeUqeOvq66mw0cOFht4hOMR9l59B6Lz6llA@Ah@BXlBksD1Qq45JPDADgHp7ICzxtni3yLE9zLiW2QCToxltiJMtGLSKvaMUI3ShvYSIGHkZTWKv/KS3zjyit8lY/znDn4T5Lpb@AdBya2EuSW5hSA3OyjyIB@5JmT0KqfWpIPRb/RKDnuXlqpHqGzb0B@gZO@ycfwE)'s a sample program doing this encoding.

Take note that the characters in the string aren't always unique.
```
Your output *has* to be flattened.

[a,b,c,d,e,f,g]   -> [f,d,b,a,c,e,g]
[]                -> []
[a]               -> [a]
[a,b,c,d]         -> [d,b,a,c]
[a,b]             -> [b,a]
[a,b,d]           -> [b,a,d]
[a,b,a,c,b,c]     -> [c,c,b,a,a,b]
[a,a,b,b,c,c]     -> [c,b,a,a,b,c]
[u,d,l,n,u,e,m,p] -> [p,e,n,d,u,l,u,m]
Top Answer APL (Dyalog Extended)
Adám
# [APL (Dyalog Extended)], 11 [bytes](https://codegolf.meta.stackexchange.com/a/9429/43319 "When can APL characters be counted as 1 byte each?") ([SBCS](https://github.com/abrudz/SBCS ".dyalog files using a single byte character set"))

```apl
-\`∘⍳∘≢⍋⍛⊇⊢
```

[Try it online!][TIO-k88l7mbf] (Empty case works offline, but TIO hasn't been updated.)

`-\` alternating sum

`` `∘`` of

`⍳` **ɩ**ndices

`∘` of

`≢` the length

`⍋` graded (indices that would sort)

`⍛` before

`⊇` being used to select from

`⊢` the argument

[APL (Dyalog Extended)]: https://github.com/abrudz/dyalog-apl-extended
[TIO-k88l7mbf]: https://tio.run/##SyzI0U2pTMzJT9dNrShJzUtJTfn/Xzcm4VHHjEe9m0Fk56JHvd2Pemc/6mp/1LXof9qjtgmPevsedTU/6l3zqHfLofXGj9omPuqbGhzkDCRDPDyD/6cpqCcmJaekpqWrc6Up6KgngiiwEJQBpWDcxOSkZAgzMSkpGcIsTcnJK03NLVAHAA "APL (Dyalog Extended) – Try It Online"
Answer #2 Python 3
wizzwizz4
# [Python 3] REPL, 25 bytes

    _[~(len(_)%2)::-2]+_[::2]

[Try it online!][TIO-khqsf6k8]

## Explanation
    _[~(len(_)%2)::-2]+_[::2]
    
    _[           ::  ]          substring
                   -2            of every other item, backwards, from
        len(_)                    the length
              %2                  mapped even => 0
                                          odd => 1
      ~(        )                 mapped 0 => -1 (last element)
                                         1 => -2 (second-last)
                      +        joined with
                       _[:: ]    substring
                           2      of every other item

[Python 3]: https://docs.python.org/3/
[TIO-khqsf6k8]: https://tio.run/##fVE9b8IwEN3zK66WKmxBo0K3SLDRsV26URSF5EIuOLblOCos/eupHSLSMvQttnz3Pu5sLq7S6qUvsIQyO2Fq0UjeViilSCLwKK1uINcFAjVGW@fvjSGJqT@bTBVDkySFLaxhIMatkeT47FPNxFAlX3m@imkLNZACm6kj8uUCJCo@sAXMYTl6BuSedGc1SMa1ppGyo6TeC3GjUOlZ1ILSDt60wkkswFhSPtVms5ktwCvFcQz/qQXgGXOe/30L09TR6EfwsP41w@Q4upEKM0h0OOzQLyT6qvxI8GG7MZ@zl4kWxEmZzvGrKZ5zNA62769ba7WdGg8Ws9N1p7dvI3GLNTVOZcsY69PdNw95U/G4EknytNrP012SrPa9r4qeZXDwSywAoYQjG7/Sp45YV0jVYWPYDw "Python 3 – Try It Online"
Answer #3
xigoi
# [Jelly], 7 bytes

    ŒœṚ;¥@/

[Try it online!][TIO-khpc4b88]

[Jelly]: https://github.com/DennisMitchell/jelly
[TIO-khpc4b88]: https://tio.run/##y0rNyan8///opKOTH@6cZX1oqYP@////S1Ny8kpTcwsA "Jelly – Try It Online"

## Explanation

    ŒœṚ;¥@/   Main monadic link
    Œœ        Split into odd and even indices
          /   Fold over
         @      Reverse arguments
        ¥         Dyad (
      Ṛ             Reverse [left argument]
       ;            Join [with right argument]
        ¥         )
Answer #4
Draco18s
# [Runic Enchantments], 30 bytes

    /!?={-1lirl<
    \l2%?r
    R$l0)?;',$

[Try it online!][TIO-knop1sh7]

[Runic Enchantments]: https://github.com/Draco18s/RunicEnchantments/tree/Console
[TIO-knop1sh7]: https://tio.run/##KyrNy0z@/19f0d62WtcwJ7Mox4YrJsdI1b6IK0glx0DT3lpdR@X//1KFFIUchTyFUoVUhVyFAgA "Runic Enchantments – Try It Online"

Or if just squashing the inputs together with no joiner is allowed:

# [Runic Enchantments], 17 bytes

    lril1-{)6*?l2%?r@

[Try it online!][TIO-knop5nd4]

[Runic Enchantments]: https://github.com/Draco18s/RunicEnchantments/tree/Console
[TIO-knop5nd4]: https://tio.run/##KyrNy0z@/z@nKDPHULda00zLPsdI1b7I4f//UoUUhRyFPIVShVSFXIUCAA "Runic Enchantments – Try It Online"

In order for Runic to "read all input" the natively results in a pendulum encoding of said inputs.[^1] The only fiddly bit is whether the stack is in *forward* order or *reverse* order, depending on if there were an even or odd number of values in the input.

In general, nothing special going on here. Read-input loop followed by a length-is-even check to reverse (or not) the stack, then a print-with-joiner loop or print-all-and-terminate.

[^1]: Because `i`nput results in `NOP` if the input buffer is empty, the only safe place to store the current length of the stack prior to `i` is the bottom of the stack (A `S`wap command would corrupt the stack if there was no input to read!). Both `}` and `r` could be used, but `r` results in the desired behavior.
Answer #5
Skillmon
# TeX, 91 bytes

This has restricted input, only `[A-Za-z]` work, everything else is considered the end of the string. Input must be of the form `\iftrue,<string>\relax\fi.`.

```tex
\def~#1{\catcode`#1"D\def}~..{}~||{\fi\ifcat}~;;{a\edef.}~,,#1{|#1;{.#1}~}~~~#1{|#1;{#1.},}
```

Complete script running all test cases (I've added `><` around the output to make it easier to see that it works as intended):

```tex
\def~#1{\catcode`#1"D\def}~..{}~||{\fi\ifcat}~;;{a\edef.}~,,#1{|#1;{.#1}~}~~~#1{|#1;{#1.},}

{\tt>}\iftrue,abcdefg\relax\fi.{\tt<}

\def.{} % reset state
{\tt>}\iftrue,\relax\fi.{\tt<}

\def.{} % reset state
{\tt>}\iftrue,a\relax\fi.{\tt<}

\def.{} % reset state
{\tt>}\iftrue,abcd\relax\fi.{\tt<}

\def.{} % reset state
{\tt>}\iftrue,ab\relax\fi.{\tt<}

\def.{} % reset state
{\tt>}\iftrue,abd\relax\fi.{\tt<}

\def.{} % reset state
{\tt>}\iftrue,abacbc\relax\fi.{\tt<}

\def.{} % reset state
{\tt>}\iftrue,aabbcc\relax\fi.{\tt<}

\def.{} % reset state
{\tt>}\iftrue,udlnuemp\relax\fi.{\tt<}

\bye
```

Output:

![tex_golf_pendulum.png](/image?hash=45bf2b4a9772f408fa5b4ae7667653e0c978dca108448b4d770aa5f88f95b325)

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