shortest_snippest

__author__ = 'rakesh'

def answer(document, searchTerms):

    loopSearchTerms = []

    for j in searchTerms:
        loopSearchTerms.append(j)

    stringList = document.split(" ")

    start, end = 0, 0

    shortSnippet = []

    count = 1

    for k in range(len(stringList)):

        start = k

        for i in range(k, len(stringList)):

            if stringList[i] in loopSearchTerms:

                loopSearchTerms.remove(stringList[i])

                end = i

                if len(loopSearchTerms) == 0:

                    if count == 1:

                        shortSnippet.append(stringList[start:end+1])
                        count += 1

                    if len(stringList[start:end+1]) < len(shortSnippet[0]):
                        shortSnippet = []
                        shortSnippet.append(stringList[start:end+1])

                    for j in searchTerms:
                        loopSearchTerms.append(j)

                    break

    try:

        return " ".join(shortSnippet[0])

    except IndexError:
        pass

print answer("a b d a c a c c d a", ["a", "c", "d"])