Splitting a list in which figures vary from negative to positive

Question

Consider the following list:

data={4078, 256, -1266, -388, 1290, 1368, 1446, 1524, 2};

I would like to split any kind of such list always, when figures turn form negative to positive. In the case of data the result would be:

{{4078, 256, -1266, -388},{ 1290, 1368, 1446, 1524, 2}}

I tried it with

Split[%, #2>0 && #1<0 &]

but I got:

{{4078}, {256}, {-1266}, {-388, 1290}, {1368}, {1446}, {1524}, {2}}

Answer 1

Try

Split[data, Not[#2>0 && #1<0] &]

Note that Split[list, test] splits list between two elements when test fails. In this case you want to to split the list iff #2>0 && #1<0 &[e1, e2] == True which is equivalent to Not[#2>0 && #1<0]&[e1, e2] == False.

Answer 2

Probably the tersest way to write it

Split[data, ! #1 < 0 < #2 &]

Answer 3

Alternately:

In[277]:= Split[data, Sign[{##}] != {-1, 1} &]

Out[277]= {{4078, 256, -1266, -388}, {1290, 1368, 1446, 1524, 2}}

In[276]:= Split[data, GreaterEqual @@ Sign[{##}] &]

Out[276]= {{4078, 256, -1266, -388}, {1290, 1368, 1446, 1524, 2}}