freecodecamp--freecodecamp/curriculum/challenges/english/blocks/daily-coding-challenges-python/69f35a5bb823ed620fcb7cbc.md

id, title, challengeType, dashedName

id	title	challengeType	dashedName
69f35a5bb823ed620fcb7cbc	Challenge 283: String Zipper	29	challenge-283

--description--

Given two strings, return a new string that interleaves their characters one at a time. If one string is longer, append the remaining characters at the end.

Begin with the first character of the first string.

--hints--

zip_strings("abc", "123") should return "a1b2c3".

({test: () => { runPython(`
from unittest import TestCase
TestCase().assertEqual(zip_strings("abc", "123"), "a1b2c3")`)
}})

zip_strings("acegikmoqsuwy", "bdfhjlnprtvxz") should return "abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz".

({test: () => { runPython(`
from unittest import TestCase
TestCase().assertEqual(zip_strings("acegikmoqsuwy", "bdfhjlnprtvxz"), "abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz")`)
}})

zip_strings("day", "night") should return "dnaiyght".

({test: () => { runPython(`
from unittest import TestCase
TestCase().assertEqual(zip_strings("day", "night"), "dnaiyght")`)
}})

zip_strings("python", "javascript") should return "pjyatvhaosncript".

({test: () => { runPython(`
from unittest import TestCase
TestCase().assertEqual(zip_strings("python", "javascript"), "pjyatvhaosncript")`)
}})

zip_strings("feCdCm", "reoeap") should return "freeCodeCamp".

({test: () => { runPython(`
from unittest import TestCase
TestCase().assertEqual(zip_strings("feCdCm", "reoeap"), "freeCodeCamp")`)
}})

--seed--

--seed-contents--

def zip_strings(a, b):

    return a

--solutions--

def zip_strings(a, b):
    result = ""
    for i in range(max(len(a), len(b))):
        if i < len(a):
            result += a[i]
        if i < len(b):
            result += b[i]
    return result