Happy Word Search

word_search.py

# the word seach board, as a list of rows
# NOTE:
#      rows must all be of the same length
BOARD = [
    "wcbqlqhtwgayj",
    "bfhtgaycxqqtx",
    "vrhczdtgayxfq",
    "cvgaykcxwpfhd",
    "tbqlqgayltvtg",
    "sdwhfxcqjbqla",
    "gflqtbgayrdhy",
    "abfjvqhlvqfcb",
    "ytqhzcwzshdtx",
    "zvgayxljtlgmh",
    "ljcqvjhtfqapq",
    "pgaytpcqxvyjb",
]
HEIGHT = len(BOARD)
WIDTH  = len(BOARD[0])

# the set of strings that we can find on the BOARD
# NOTE:
#      sets enforce uniqueness
strings = set()

# all unique words from the file words.txt
english = set(open("words.txt").read().split())

def col(i, start=0, end=None):
    """
    Return a section of a column from the board.
    """
    return "".join(s[i] for s in BOARD[start:end])

def row(i, start=0, end=None):
    """
    Return a section of a row from the board.
    """
    return BOARD[i][start:end]
	
def add(s):
    """
    Add a string and its reverse to the set of found strings.
    """
    strings.add(s)
    strings.add(s[::-1])

# find and add all horizontal strings
for r in range(HEIGHT):
    for i in range(WIDTH):
        for j in range(i, WIDTH):
            add(row(r, i, j))

# find and add all vertical strings
for c in range(WIDTH):
    for i in range(HEIGHT):
        for j in range(i, HEIGHT):
            add(col(c, i, j))

# get only the strings that are actual English words
words = strings.intersection(english)

# print out the words in sorted order
for word in sorted(words):
    print word