Print every string possible when each char can be two options

[heckl]

Hello, I need to make a program that will allow me to print every possible string when every .at can be two possibilities. So I will need to have some type of system to reflect this variance, but I don't know where to start. The longest string will be 8 elements long. How can I decide which variables can be picked?

[JLBorges]

> So I will need to have some type of system to reflect this variance,

Since a bit can take one of two possible values, one way is to represent each string as an n-bit integer (where n is the length of the string).

Another way is recursive: to generate a string of length n, prefix (or suffix) each of the two characters to every generated string of length n-1.

Spoiler: http://coliru.stacked-crooked.com/a/0ea07ea4b9c3d7e4

[heckl]

I have it working pretty much. I just need to be able to copy the output to a clipboard and CTRL+C closes my terminal every time. I am confused on how to print out to a file. Can someone please tell me what I am doing wrong?

#include <iostream>
#include <string>
#include <iomanip>
#include <fstream>

std::string make_string(unsigned int value, std::size_t nchars, char a, char b)
{
	std::string result;
	for (; result.size() < nchars; value /= 2) result += value & 1U ? a : b;
	if (result.at(0) == '0')
	{
		result.at(0) = 'p';
	}
	else
	{
		result.at(0) = 'p';
	}
	if (result.at(1) == '0')
	{
		result.at(1) = '5';
	}
	else
	{
		result.at(1) = 'M';
	}
	if (result.at(2) == '0')
	{
		result.at(2) = '8';
	}
	else
	{
		result.at(2) = 'x';
	}
	if (result.at(3) == '0')
	{
		result.at(3) = '3';
	}
	else
	{
		result.at(3) = 'J';
	}
	if (result.at(4) == '0')
	{
		result.at(4) = 'N';
	}
	else
	{
		result.at(4) = 'Q';
	}
	if (result.at(5) == '0')
	{
		result.at(5) = 'e';
	}
	else
	{
		result.at(5) = '9';
	}
	if (result.at(6) == '0')
	{
		result.at(6) = 'o';
	}
	else
	{
		result.at(6) = '7';
	}
	if (result.at(7) == '0')
	{
		result.at(7) = 'I';
	}
	else
	{
		result.at(7) = 'm';
	}
	return result; // note: the bits are in reverse
}

void print_strings(std::size_t nchars, char a, char b)
{
	std::ofstream myfile("example.txt");
	myfile.open("example.txt");
	const unsigned int ub = 1U << nchars;
	for (unsigned int n = 0; n < ub; ++n)
	{
		myfile << std::setw(3) << make_string(n, nchars, a, b) << '\n';
	}
}

int print_strings_alt(std::size_t nchars, char a, char b, std::string str = {}, int n = 0)
{
	if (nchars == 0)
	{
		if (str.at(0) == '0')
		{
			str.at(0) = 'p';
		}
		else
		{
			str.at(0) = 'p';
		}
		if (str.at(1) == '0')
		{
			str.at(1) = '5';
		}
		else
		{
			str.at(1) = 'M';
		}
		if (str.at(2) == '0')
		{
			str.at(2) = '8';
		}
		else
		{
			str.at(2) = 'x';
		}
		if (str.at(3) == '0')
		{
			str.at(3) = '3';
		}
		else
		{
			str.at(3) = 'J';
		}
		if (str.at(4) == '0')
		{
			str.at(4) = 'N';
		}
		else
		{
			str.at(4) = 'Q';
		}
		if (str.at(5) == '0')
		{
			str.at(5) = 'e';
		}
		else
		{
			str.at(5) = '9';
		}
		if (str.at(6) == '0')
		{
			str.at(6) = 'o';
		}
		else
		{
			str.at(6) = '7';
		}
		if (str.at(7) == '0')
		{
			str.at(7) = 'I';
		}
		else
		{
			str.at(7) = 'm';
		}
		std::ofstream myfile("example.txt");
		myfile.open("example.txt");
		myfile << std::setw(3) << str << '\n';
		return n + 1;
	}
	else
	{
		const int nxt = print_strings_alt(nchars - 1, a, b, str + b, n);
		return print_strings_alt(nchars - 1, a, b, str + a, nxt);
	}
}

int main()
{
	std::ofstream myfile("example.txt");
	myfile.open("example.txt");

	print_strings(8, '0', '1');
	std::cout << "-------------------\n";
	print_strings_alt(8, '0', '1');
	myfile.close();
}

[Chervil]

I just need to be able to copy the output to a clipboard and CTRL+C closes my terminal every time.

Try this key sequence instead of CTRL-C

ALT-SPACE
E
S
ENTER

[heckl]

awesome! tyvm!

[heckl]

So the purpose of this was to calculate every single possible string that I can have from a cipher paper that I use to make passwords. It's just a line going through chars and ints that I printed out on a paper that covers one whole side of the paper and I received the digits from the perfect password website. I mistakenly made bad lines due to tiredness and was changing out the passwords. Fortunately my external didn't brick lol.... I did 350 entries... Such tedium... Macro buttons on mouses help a lot. Is anyone aware of any other methods?

[JLBorges]

Avoiding hard-coded values and the long sequence if-else constructs:

#include <iostream>
#include <string>
#include <algorithm>
#include <fstream>

std::string make_string( unsigned int value, const std::string& a, const std::string& b )
{
    const std::size_t nchars = std::min( a.size(), b.size() ) ;
    std::string result ;

    for( std::size_t i = 0 ; i < nchars ; ++i )
    {
        result += value&1U ? a[i] : b[i] ;
        value /= 2 ;
    }

    return result ; // note: the bits are in reverse
}

std::ostream& print_strings( const std::string& a, const std::string& b, std::ostream& stm = std::cout )
{
    const unsigned int ub = 1U << std::min( a.size(), b.size() ) ;

    for( unsigned int n = 0 ; n < ub ; ++n ) stm << make_string( n, a, b ) << '\n' ;

    return stm ;
}

int main()
{
    const std::string first = "ABCDEFGH" ;
    const std::string second = "STUVWXYZ" ;

    print_strings( first, second ) ; // print to stdout

    std::ofstream myfile( "example.txt" ) ;
    print_strings( first, second, myfile ) ; // print to file
}