scrabble.py

import string
import sys

class count_dict(dict):
	"""
	stub object used to simplify tracking
	the number of letters encountered.

	this expects to be initialized with an uppercase letter yo.
	"""
	def __init__(self, s=''):
		super(dict, self).__init__()
		self.wildcards = 0
		for c in s:
			if c == '?':
				self.wildcards += 1
			else:
				self.incr(c)
 
	def incr(self, c):
		if c not in self:
			self[c] = 0
		self[c] += 1
	
def get_dictionary(fn):
	"""
	Return list of all words in CAPS.
	"""
	with open(fn) as fh:
		for line in fh:
			yield "".join(c for c in line.strip().upper() if c in string.ascii_uppercase)
 
def word_in_set(w, s):
	cd = count_dict()
	wildcards = s.wildcards
	for c in w:
		cd.incr(c)
		if c not in s or cd[c] > s[c]:
			wildcards -= 1
			if wildcards < 0:
				return False
	return True
 
def find_words(fn, letters):
	"""
	For a given dictinary file, find the longest words that can be created from
	the given set of letters.
	"""
	results = []
	longest = 0	
	
	mycd = count_dict(letters.strip().upper())
	for word in get_dictionary(fn):
		if len(word) < longest:
			continue
		if word_in_set(word, mycd):
			if len(word) > longest:
				longest = len(word)
				results = [word]
			else:
				results.append(word)				
	return results

if __name__ == '__main__':
	if len(sys.argv) < 3:
		print 'Usage: scrabble.py dictionary [letter... ]'
		sys.exit()
	
	for r in find_words(sys.argv[1], "".join(sys.argv[2:])):
		print r