def positions_to_contigs(positions):
    """Flattens and converts a positions array to a contigs array, if applicable.
    """

    if isinstance(positions, np.ndarray):
        flattened_positions = positions.flatten()
    else:
        try:
            flattened_positions = np.array(
                [pos for contig in positions for pos in contig])
        except TypeError:
            flattened_positions = np.array(positions)

    if (np.diff(positions) == 0).any() and not (0 in set(positions)):
        warnings.warn("I detected identical consecutive nonzero values.")
        return positions

    n = len(flattened_positions)
    contigs = np.ones(n)
    counter = 0
    for i in range(1, n):
        if positions[i] == 0:
            counter += 1
            contigs[i] += counter
        else:
            contigs[i] = contigs[i - 1]
    return contigs