rawle.js

matrix = []
arr = ['a', 'b', 'c', 'd']
rows = arr.length/size // can't have this in loop declaration because it changes size every time we pop

for (row = 0; row < 2; row++) {
  matrix[row] = []
  for (col = 0; col < size; col++) {
  	console.log(row, col, matrix)
    matrix[row][col] = arr.shift() // pop gives us the last element and makes a transposed array, we need shift
  }
}

// Sometime I hate JS. We could have done this in python with much less pain.

rawle.py

my_list = ['a', 'b', 'c', 'd']
size = 2

def chunk(arr, size):
    ''' This is a closest equivalent of the JS we worked out. '''
    matrix = []
    index = 0
    
    for row in range(size):
        new_list = []
        for col in range(size):
            new_list.append(my_list[index])
            index += 1
        matrix.append(new_list)
    return matrix


def chunk2(arr, size):
    '''This one is more pythonic. It uses a python feature called
    slicing. e.g.

    >>> arr = ['a', 'b', 'c', 'd']
    >>> arr[2:4]
    ['c', 'd']
    >>> this_string = "this string"
    >>> this_string[2:4]
    "hi"

    '''
    matrix = []
    for i in range(0, len(arr), size):
        matrix.append(arr[i:i+size])    
    return matrix


# Though, the real beauty of python is all this stuff is already
# done. They like to call it 'batteries included.'
import numpy
numpy.reshape(my_list, 2)