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@benjholla
Last active September 19, 2018 03:36
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An iterable string generator that deterministically generates all unique strings of length n for given an alphabet
import java.util.ArrayList;
import java.util.Iterator;
public class StringAlphabet implements Iterable<String> {
public static void main(String[] args) {
ArrayList<Character> chars = new ArrayList<Character>();
chars.add('a');
chars.add('b');
chars.add('c');
for(String str : new StringAlphabet(chars, 3)) {
System.out.println(str);
}
}
private ArrayList<Character> alphabet;
private int length;
public StringAlphabet(ArrayList<Character> alphabet, int length) {
if (alphabet.isEmpty()) {
throw new IllegalArgumentException("Alphabet is empty");
} else {
this.alphabet = alphabet;
this.length = length;
}
}
private static class StringAlphabetIterator implements Iterator<String> {
private ArrayList<Character> alphabet;
private int length;
private char firstChar;
private char lastChar;
private long keyspace;
private long i;
private char[] next;
public StringAlphabetIterator(ArrayList<Character> alphabet, int length) {
this.alphabet = alphabet;
this.length = length;
// get some basic information used for iterating
firstChar = alphabet.get(0);
lastChar = alphabet.get(alphabet.size() - 1);
keyspace = (long) Math.pow(alphabet.size(), length);
// make an array and initialize it
next = new char[length];
for (int c = 0; c < length; c++) {
next[c] = firstChar;
}
i = 0;
}
@Override
public boolean hasNext() {
return i < keyspace;
}
@Override
public String next() {
String result = null;
if((i++) < keyspace) {
result = new String(next);
// update next
for (int k = 0; k < length; k++) {
if (next[k] == lastChar) {
continue;
}
next[k] = alphabet.get(alphabet.indexOf(next[k]) + 1);
if (k > 0) {
for (int z = 0; z < k; z++) {
next[z] = firstChar;
}
}
break;
}
}
return result;
}
}
@Override
public Iterator<String> iterator() {
return new StringAlphabetIterator(alphabet, length);
}
}
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