We Keep Coding

Create a Set of lists from two lists through recursion

I've searched through many questions on this site with somewhat similar underlying concepts, however after many hours of attempting to solve this problem myself and reviewing I am still lost. If there is another question that answers this I will be more than happy to give it a look over.
Ultimately I want to create a recursive method such that it takes two lists and returns a Set of String lists:
//Example of such a function definition
private static Set<List<String>> myRecursiveMethod(List<String> listOne,
List<String> listTwo) {
}
When I say "Set of String lists" I mean specifically the following:
(Note:"AD" == "DA")
// if the two following lists are INPUTTED into myRecursiveMethod();
// listOne = ["A","B"]
// listTwo = ["C","D"]
// the following set is OUTPUTTED: [["AC","BD"],["AD","BC"]]
Such that if there were three elements in both listOne and listTwo, there would be SIX elements in the set. i.e:
// listOne = ["A","B","C"]
// listTwo = ["D","E","F"]
// OUTPUTTED: [["AD","BE","CF"],["AD","BF","CE"],["BD","AE","CF"],
// ["BD","AF","CE"],["CD","AE","BF"],["CD","AF","BE"]]
I tried writing this using a double enhanced FOR loop so I could understand the logic. My FOR loop approach is terrible and only works for the HARD-CODED limit of list.size() == 2.
// Create Lists and append elements
List<String> listOne = new ArrayList<String>();
listOne.add("A");
listOne.add("B");
List<String> listTwo = new ArrayList<String>();
listTwo.add("C");
listTwo.add("D");
// List One = ["A","B"]
// List Two = ["C","D"]
// Create new List
List<List<String>> newList = new ArrayList<List<String>>();
Integer counter = 0;
for (String s : listOne) {
counter++;
for (String p : listTwo) {
// A HARD-CODED bad implementation of this method
if (counter < 3) {
List<String> newListTwo = new ArrayList<String>();
newListTwo.add(s.concat(p));
newList.add(newListTwo);
} else if (!(counter % 2 == 0)) {
newList.get(1).add(s.concat(p));
} else {
newList.get(0).add(s.concat(p));
}
}
}
System.out.println(newList); // = [["AC","BD"],["AD","BC"]]
Also you can note that I defined List<List<String>> Rather than Set<List<String>>. This was due to my badly coded attempted which relies on the list.get() method.
So my current recursive method is as follows:
private static Set<List<String>> myRecursiveMethod(List<String> listOne,
List<String> listTwo)
{
//Base Case:
if (listOne.isEmpty){
return new HashSet<List<String>>;
}
//Recursive Case:
else {
String listOneFirst = listOne.get(0);
String listTwoFirst = listTwo.get(0);
List<String> sampleList = new ArrayList<String>();
sampleList.add(listOneFirst+listTwoFirst);
Set<List<String>> newSet = new HashSet<List<String>>(myRecursiveMethod())
newSet.add(sampleList);
return newSet;
}
}
This method only acts like this currently:
INPUT:
List One = ["A","B"]
List Two = ["C","D"]
OUTPUT:
[["AC"]["BD"]]
DESIRED OUTPUT:
[["AC","BD"],["AD","BC"]]
EDIT:
After reviewing responses my W.I.P code for the class:
private static Set<List<String>> myRecursiveMethod(List<String> listOne,
List<String> listTwo) {
//Backup Case (user enters an empty list)
if (listOne.isEmpty()){
return new HashSet<List<String>>();
}
// Base Case:
if (listOne.size() == 1) {
List<String> mergedStrings = new ArrayList<>();
for (String s : listTwo) {
mergedStrings.add(listOne.get(0).concat(s));
}
Set<List<String>> builtHashSet = new HashSet<List<String>();
builtHashSet.add(mergedStrings);
return builtHashSet;
}
// Recursive Case:
else {
// Ensure original list values arn't changed.
List<String> newListOne = new ArrayList<String>(listOne);
List<String> newListTwo = new ArrayList<String>(listTwo);
//first two elements...I don't think this is correct
String listOneFirst = newListOne.get(0);
String listTwoFirst = newListTwo.get(0);
List<String> sampleList = new ArrayList<String>();
sampleList.add(listOneFirst + listTwoFirst);
//used for making recursive case smaller
newListOne.remove(0);
// Calls recursion
Set<List<String>> newSet = new HashSet<List<String>>(
myRecursiveMethod(newListOne, newListTwo));
newSet.add(sampleList);
return newSet;
}
}

I think the problem is here:
if (listOne.isEmpty){
return new HashSet<List<String>>;
}
You are correct, at some point your recursion has to end, and you have to start building the desired output. But the desired output is not a Set with an empty list. It is a Set containing some lists with some content. Thus: don't wait until listOne is empty. Instead:
if (listOne.size() == 1) {
List<String> mergedStrings = new ArrayList<>();
mergedStrings = ... merge the ONE listOne entry with all listTwo entries
Set<List<String>> rv = new HashSet<>();
rv.add(mergedStrings);
return rv;
}
In other words: you use recursion to reduce the length of the first list by one. And when only one element is left in that list, it is time to merge in the second list.
Now lets look into how to "use" that (calling the method rec for brevity); putting down some pseudo code to show the steps we need:
rec([a, b], [c,d]) -->
rec([a], [c,d]) X rec([b], [c, d]) -->
<[ac, ad]> X <[bc, bd]> -->
<[ac, ad], [bc, bd]>
"X" meaning "joining" two results from recursive calls; should be as easy as:
Set<List<String>> rec1 = rec(...);
return rec1.addAll(rec2 ...

Java Generating Strings Recursively - All 1s then 1 and 0

Hey guys I'm trying to get the concept of recursion down by making a program that generates String of an ArrayList recursively. My basic algorithm is:
public static ArrayList<String> generateListOfAll1sStrings(int maxBits)
terminal condition: if maxBits is 1, return the simplest case: a list containing just "1"
otherwise:
recursively call generateListOfAll1sStrings() for the next-smallest bit-length, saving the list that is returned
find the longest string in that list and create a new string with "1" appended to it (making the next-longest string)
return a new list that contains all the elements of the shorter list along with the new string just added.
The code I have so far is:
package bincomb.model;
import java.util.ArrayList;
public class BinaryCombinationGenerator {
public static ArrayList<String> generateListOfAll1sStrings(int maxBits) {
String string = null;
ArrayList<String> listofJust1 = new ArrayList<String>();
ArrayList<String> otherArray = new ArrayList<String>();
int i = 1;
if (maxBits == 1) {
listofJust1.add("1");
return listofJust1;
}
if (maxBits > 1) {
for (String string2 : listofJust1) {
String comp = "";
if (!(comp.equals(string2))) {
comp = string2;
}
string = comp;
}
listofJust1.add(i, (string + "1"));
i++;
listofJust1 = BinaryCombinationGenerator.generateListOfAll1sStrings((maxBits-1));
System.out.println(listofJust1);
return listofJust1;
}
return listofJust1;
}
public static void main(String[] args) {
generateListOfAll1sStrings(10);
}
}
However, currently, I'm returning an IndexOutOfBoundsException. I think my for loop is causing the problem, but I'm not certain how to go about fixing it.

You're getting an java.lang.IndexOutOfBoundsException at this line listofJust1.add(i, (string + "1"));.
This is because the method list.add(index, objects) tries to add the object at index "1" but your array has 0 elements.
Either change it to listofJust1.add(i-1, (string + "1")); or simply listofJust1.add((string + "1"));
#Edit: here:
listofJust1.add(i, (string + "1"));
You want to add the string for the current (N) level of recursion but below you substitute this array with:
listofJust1 = BinaryCombinationGenerator.generateListOfAll1sStrings((maxBits-1));
Which basically says "get the result for (maxBits-1) and replace with it listofJust1" therefore you are losing what you added before.
Instead you should first get the list for level N-1 and then add the string for the current level:
listofJust1 = BinaryCombinationGenerator.generateListOfAll1sStrings((maxBits-1));
listofJust1.add(stringForThisLevel);
Also you need to rething how you are computing "string" at level N, doesn't seem right.

Looping in ArrayLists with a Method

With much assistance I have developed a method that makes anagrams and then adds them into an ArrayList.
public void f(String s, String anagram, ArrayList<String> array)
{
if(s.length() == 0)
{
array.add(anagram);
return;
}
for(int i = 0 ; i < s.length() ; i++)
{
char l = s.charAt(i);
anagram = anagram + l;
s = s.substring(0, i) + s.substring(i+l, s.length());
f(s,anagram,array);
}
}
The problem is when I attempt to use this function to make ArrayLists in a loop that adds Strings from one ArrayList to another, I get an error saying I can't use a void, and the method f() is void.
List<String> Lists = new ArrayList<String>(); //makes new array list
for(String List : words)
{ //takes values from old array list
List.trim();
Lists.add(f(List,"",new ArrayList<String>())); //this is where it doesn't work
}
Let me clarify once more:
I want to use this function to insert ArrayLists of anagrams into each position in another ArrayList. The anagram Lists are derived from Strings that are being read from one list to another. I tried changing the method to static but that doesn't work, I also removed the return; in the method once, but that doesn't fix it either.
How do I make this whole thing work?

The error happens because the method f() is void, meaning: it doesn't return any value that can be added to the ArrayList.
The answer of invoking f() is stored in the ArrayList passed as a parameter to f, you should probably use that ArrayList to add all of its elements to Lists. Something like this:
List<String> lists = new ArrayList<String>();
for (String list : words) {
list.trim();
ArrayList<String> answer = new ArrayList<String>();
f(list, "", answer);
lists.addAll(answer);
}

Your method header for F needs to look like this:
public String f(String s, String anagram, ArrayList<String> array)
And then you return a String value to add to that ArrayList you are using.

Your function definition for f() shows the return value of type void. So looking at your code you're attempting to do this:
Lists.add(void);
which is obviously illegal.
Your choice really is to have the ArrayList declared in a greater scope.
private List<String> anagrams;
public void f(String s, String anagram) {
...
anagrams.add(anagram);
...
}
....
for(String List : words) {
//takes values from old array list
anagrams = new ArrayList<String>();
List.trim();
f(list,"");
Lists.add(anagrams); //this is where it doesn't work
}

How do I make this combinations/permutations method recursive?

I have an arraylist of Strings that want to have all possible combinations stored into another collection.
For example:
[air,bus,car]
->
[air]
[bus]
[car]
[air,bus]
[air,car]
[bus,air]
[bus,car]
[car,air]
[car,bus]
[air,bus,car]
[air,car,bus]
...
[car,bus,air]
Repetitions are not important. The code right now I have is:
public ArrayList<String> comb(ArrayList<String> wrds, ArrayList<String> str, int size)
{
ArrayList<String> s = new ArrayList<String>();
s.addAll(str);
if(size != a1.size())
{
Iterator e = a1.iterator();
while(e.hasNext())
{
s.add((String)e.next());
}
size++;
}
}
I am trying to get it to recursively call itself so it can store the combinations. Can I get any help as to where or which part I am missing in my code?

Seeing as this is homework, I'll try to give you background to the answer.
The key to solving this is to use recursion.
First imagine you have two items in your array. You'd could remove the first item to give you your first combination. Adding the remaining item to the first item gives you the second combination. Removing the second item give you the third combination. Adding the remaining item gives you the forth combination. If you had ["air", "bus"] it'd be something like:
["air"]
["air", "bus"]
["bus"]
["bus", "air"]
A method that returns that might look like:
String[][] combinations(String[] strings)
The important things to note are the an array containing a single string can be passed to this method and it can return an array containing an array with a single string in it.
The problem is complicated a little because you have to keep a tally of the string combinations, so before we get to solving that, it's important that you understand recursion.
Imagine you wanted to write a multiplication method that takes two numbers and multiplies them but you only have addition and subtraction at your disposal. You could write a recursive function that adds one of the numbers to itself until the other number reaches an exit condition, something like:
public int multiply(int value1, int value2)
{
if (value1 > 1)
{
int remaining = value1 - 1;
return value2 + multiply(remaining, value2);
}
else
{
return value2;
}
}
You can do just the same thing with an array, only instead to exiting when the a value hit's 1 you exit when the array contains one item, something like:
public String[][] combinations(String[] strings)
{
if (strings.length > 1)
{
...
}
else
{
return new String[][]{strings};
}
}
For reasons with the Java API it's much easier to use java.util.List rather than arrays so you want something like:
public List<List<String>> combinations(List<String> strings)
{
if (strings.size()> 1)
{
...
}
else
{
List<List<String>> result = new ArrayList<List<String>>();
result.add(strings);
return result;
}
}
Now it's the ... that's the important bit. You need to keep an list-of-lists that will be the result and iterate over the strings. For each of the strings you can add that string to the results and then you need create a sub-list that is minus the current string, which you use to call the combinations method again iterating over the result adding the current string each list it contains. In code it looks something like:
public List<List<String>> combinations(List<String> strings)
{
if (strings.size() > 1)
{
List<List<String>> result = new ArrayList<List<String>>();
for (String str : strings)
{
List<String> subStrings = new ArrayList<String>(strings);
subStrings.remove(str);
result.add(new ArrayList<String>(Arrays.asList(str)));
for (List<String> combinations : combinations(subStrings))
{
combinations.add(str);
result.add(combinations);
}
}
return result;
}
else
{
List<List<String>> result = new ArrayList<List<String>>();
result.add(new ArrayList<String>(strings));
return result;
}
}
In summary, what you're doing is reducing the list of strings down to a single item, then combining it with the preceeding items to produce all the possible combinations as the thread returns up the call stack.

public static void combination(Object[] array){
for(int x = 0; x < (1 << array.length); x++){
System.out.print("[");
for(int y = 0; y < array.length; y++){
if(checkIsOn(x, y){
System.out.print(array[y]);
}
}
System.out.println("]");
}
}
public static boolean checkIsOn(int mast, int position){
return (mast & (1 << position) > 0);
}

Use the list as a parameter to the recursive function. You can call the function from within itself with a new list containing everything except the first item.

Complex string split in Java

Consider the following String :
5|12345|value1|value2|value3|value4+5|777|value1|value2|value3|value4?5|777|value1|value2|value3|value4+
Here is how I want to split string, split it with + so I get this result :
myArray[0] = "5|12345|value1|value2|value3|value4";
myArray[1] = "5|777|value1|value2|value3|value4?5|777|value1|value2|value3|value4";
if string has doesn't contain char "?" split it with "|" and continue to part II, if string does contain "?" split it and for each part split it with "|" and continue to part II.
Here is part II :
myObject.setAttribute1(newString[0]);
...
myObject.setAttribute4(newString[3]);
Here what I've got so far :
private static String input = "5|12345|value1|value2|value3|value4+5|777|value1|value2|value3|value4?5|777|value1|value2|value3|value4+";
public void mapObject(String input){
String[] myArray = null;
if (input.contains("+")) {
myArray = input.split("+");
} else {
myArray = new String[1];
myArray[0] = input;
}
for (int i = 0; i < myArray.length; i++) {
String[] secondaryArray = null;
String[] myObjectAttribute = null;
if (myArray[i].contains("?")) {
secondaryArray = temporaryString.myArray[i].split("?");
for (String string : secondaryArray) {
myObjectAttribute = string.split("\\|");
}
} else {
myObjectAttribute = myArray[i].toString().split("\\|");
}
myObject.setAttribute1(myObjectAttribute[0]);
...
myObject.setAttribute4(myObjectAttribute[3]);
System.out.println(myObject.toString());
}
Problem :
When I split myArray, going trough for with myArray[0], everything set up nice as it should.
Then comes the myArray[1], its split into two parts then the second part overrides the value of the first(how do I know that?). I've overridden toString() method of myObject, when I finish I print the set values so I know that it overrides it, does anybody know how can I fix this?

I'm not quite sure what the intention is here, but in this snippet of code
secondaryArray = temporaryString.split("?");
for (String string : secondaryArray) {
myObjectAttribute = string.split("\\|");
}
if secondaryArray has two elements after the split operation, you are iterating over each half and re-assigning myObjectAttribute to the output of string.split("\|") each time. It doesn't matter what is in the first element of secondaryArray, as after this code runs myObjectAttribute is going to contain the result of split("\\|") on the last element in the array.
Also, there is no point in calling .toString() on a String object as you do in temporaryString = myArray[i].toString().

The code doesn't seem to be able to handle the possible expansion of strings in the secondary case. To make the code clearer, I would use a List rather than array.
private static String input = "5|12345|value1|value2|value3|value4+5|777|value1|value2|value3|value4?5|777|value1|value2|value3|value4+";
private void split(List<String> input, List<String> output, String split) {
for (String s: input) {
if (s.contains(split))
{
output.addAll(Arrays.asList(s.split(Pattern.quote(split)));
}
else
output.add(s);
}
}
public void mapObject(String input) {
List<String> inputSrings = new ArrayList<String>();
List<String> splitPlus = new ArrayList<String>();
inputStrings.add(input);
split(inputStrings, splitPlus);
List<String> splitQuest = new ArrayList<String>();
split(splitPlus, splitQuest, "?");
for (String s: splitQuest) {
// you can now set the attributes from the values in the list
// splitPipe
String[] attributes = s.split("\\|");
myObject.setAttribute1(attributes[0]);
....
myObject.setAttribute4(attributes[3]);
System.out.println(myObject);
}
}