Thread: Longest and Shortest String

Originally Posted by NeonBlack

or you could have used else?

Yes but else make the code look complex, that's why I didn't want to use it.
It looks a lot neater with a continue, and easier to read I think.

Originally Posted by NeonBlack

Code:

x_len=x.length();

This is not necessary as it is with strlen() because string.length() has constant time.

Do you mean that it remembers the length?
How would it know x had not changed?

Originally Posted by KIBO

you could also just remember the indexes of the shortest and longest string and in the print. No copying of strings then.

Code:

int shortest = 0, longest = 0;

for (int i = 1; i < words.size(); i++)
{
  const string &word = words[i];

  if (word.length() < words[shortest])
    shortest = i;
  if (word.length() > words[longest])
    longest = i;
}

cout << words[shortest] << endl;
cout << words[longest] << endl;

You have to remember the contents of the longest and shortest strings inorder to print them, with an index you have to remember all the strings.

wow, I had no idea this post was still ongoing lol. Here is my code, yours is definitely better esbo.

Code:

#include <iostream>
#include <string>
#include <vector>
#include <conio.h>

using std::cout;
using std::cin;
using std::endl;
using std::vector;
using std::string;


int main(){
    //asks for list of words
    cout << "Please give me a list of words:" << endl;
    
    string x;
    vector<string> words;
    
    //adds the input to the vector
    while (cin >> x){
          words.push_back(x);
          }
    
    //checks to see if user inputted anything
    if (words.size() == 0){
       cout << "I didn't receive any input." << endl;
       
       cout << "Press any key to continue...";
       _getch();
       return 1;
       }
    
    //the containers
    string longest = words[0];
    string shortest = words[0];
    
    //checks for the shortest and longest string
    for(int i = 1; i != words.size(); i++){
            if(words[i].length() < shortest.length()){
                                 shortest = words[i];
            }
            if(words[i].length() > longest.length()){
                                 longest = words[i];
            }
            
    }
    
    //the output
    cout << "Shortest: " << shortest << endl;
    cout << "Longest: " << longest << endl;
   
    cout << "Press enter to continue...";
    _getch();
    return 0;
}

I got my 'big' C program working in C++, it seems the 'bug' already existed ( I had done a little processing when I should have checked for end of file first) however it never caused any harm to the C program, however as I had rearranged the position of some functions to get it to compile I think that may have made a harmless action dangerous.
Any by converting it to compile with C++ I uncovered 2 hide bugs, which can't be a bad thing.
I might write the output section in C++ (cout) to make it easier to modify but I am not familiar with the print format of cout yet, if it's the same as printf Iprobably won't bother.

hey guys i have a question, if we also want to output the length of the longest/shortest input, is it just cout << longest/shortest.length? sorry, its probably a noob question..

thanks..also i was wondering wat does this part do: _getch()

I used _getch() because my compiler closed my cmd window everytime i ran my programs. You can remove that and the cout above it. Don't use it if possible...I read its not exactly industry standard, and affects performance...but atm I'm only running small programs so whatever keeps my cmd window open! =] Its nice to know youre learning c++ too jewelz. Maybe we can learn from each other!

Originally Posted by esbo

You have to remember the contents of the longest and shortest strings inorder to print them, with an index you have to remember all the strings.

so? He already has all the strings in a vector

Originally Posted by KIBO

so? He already has all the strings in a vector

True, but it is not necessary to remember them all, just the longest and shortest as they are the only ones required in the output.

hey guys, jus wanna say thanks for the help. i really appreciate it =)

ok this is probably the most retarded post ever, but how do i make the output come out within quotation marks?

for example if input was: Hello I am nice.

output:

Longest: Hello
Shortest: I

but i need it to be:

Longest: "Hello"
Shortest: "I"

Code:

cout << "Shortest: " << "\"" << shortest << "\"" << endl;
cout << "Longest: " << "\"" << longest << "\"" << endl;