from typing import List

from collections import deque

class Solution:

def compress(self, chars: List[str]) -> int:

compressed_strings = deque()

current_char, count,length = chars[0], 0, 0

for character in chars:

if character == current_char:

count += 1

else:

compressed_strings.append((current_char, str(count)))

length += 1 + (len(str(count)) if count > 1 else 0)

current_char = character

count = 1

compressed_strings.append((current_char, str(count)))

length += 1 + (len(str(count)) if count > 1 else 0)

i = 0

for compressed_string in compressed_strings:

character, count = compressed_string

chars[i] = character

if int(count) > 1:

chars[i + 1:i + 1 + len(count)] = count

i += 1 + (len(count) if int(count) > 1 else 0)

return length