I need to organize an array of strings of random length into the least number of new strings with a max size. Is there a function or something in javascript, or something that can be translated to javascript, that will do this?
For example, the new strings might have max lengths of 1000 characters. The array might have strings of lengths 100, 48, 29, etc. I would want to combine those strings into as few new strings as possible.
edit: Sorry if this doesn't make sense, I tried my best.
No standard method in Javascript, but plenty of theoretical work has been done on this (i.e. the bin packing problem).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bin_packing_problem
Some sample pseudo code in the link - should be trivial to translate to javascript.
The algorithm shown isn't going to be optimal in every case. To find the optimal solution to your example you'll just need to iterate over every possibility which might not be that bad depending on how many strings you have.
For my own entertainment, I wrote a simple bin packing algorithm. I picked a simple algorithm which is to sort the input strings by length. Create a new bin. Put the first (longest remaining) string into the bin and then keep filling it up with the longest strings that will fit until no more strings will fit. Create a new bin, repeat. To test it, I allocate an array of strings of random lengths and use that as input. You can see the output visually here: http://jsfiddle.net/jfriend00/FqPKe/.
Running it a bunch of times, it gets a fill percentage of between 91-98%, usually around 96%. Obviously the fill percentage is higher if there are more short strings to fill with.
Here's the code:
function generateRandomLengthStringArrays(num, maxLen) {
var sourceChars = "abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyzABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXY1234567890";
var sourceIndex = 0;
var result = [];
var len, temp, fill;
function getNextSourceChar() {
var ch = sourceChars.charAt(sourceIndex++);
if (sourceIndex >= sourceChars.length) {
sourceIndex = 0;
}
return(ch);
}
for (var i = 0; i < num; i++) {
len = Math.floor(Math.random() * maxLen);
temp = new String();
fill = getNextSourceChar();
// create string
for (var j = 0; j < len; j++) {
temp += fill;
}
result.push(temp);
}
return(result);
}
function packIntoFewestBins(input, maxLen) {
// we assume that none of the strings in input are longer than maxLen (they wouldn't fit in any bin)
var result = [];
// algorithm here is to put the longest string into a bin and
// then find the next longest one that will fit into that bin with it
// repeat until nothing more fits in the bin, put next longest into a new bin
// rinse, lather, repeat
var bin, i, tryAgain, binLen;
// sort the input strings by length (longest first)
input.sort(function(a, b) {return(b.length - a.length)});
while (input.length > 0) {
bin = new String(); // create new bin
bin += input.shift(); // put first one in (longest we have left) and remove it
tryAgain = true;
while (bin.length < maxLen && tryAgain) {
tryAgain = false; // if we don't find any more that fit, we'll stop after this iteration
binLen = bin.length; // save locally for speed/convenience
// find longest string left that will fit in the bin
for (i = 0; i < input.length; i++) {
if (input[i].length + binLen <= maxLen) {
bin += input[i];
input.splice(i, 1); // remove this item from the array
tryAgain = true; // try one more time
break; // break out of for loop
}
}
}
result.push(bin);
}
return(result);
}
var binLength = 60;
var numStrings = 100;
var list = generateRandomLengthStringArrays(numStrings, binLength);
var result = packIntoFewestBins(list, binLength);
var capacity = result.length * binLength;
var fillage = 0;
for (var i = 0; i < result.length; i++) {
fillage += result[i].length;
$("#result").append(result[i] + "<br>")
}
$("#summary").html(
"Fill percentage: " + ((fillage/capacity) * 100).toFixed(1) + "%<br>" +
"Number of Input Strings: " + numStrings + "<br>" +
"Number of Output Bins: " + result.length + "<br>" +
"Bin Legnth: " + binLength + "<br>"
);
Related
Just started my uni course, struggling a little with javascript. I have been asked to display a square using any character, however, the solution must combine for loops and if statements.
This is what I have so far and I feel pretty close but I just can't get the second line to display. I know this can be done via two for loops, (one for iteration of the variable and another for spaces). But this is not how I have been asked to solve this problem.
Here is my code:
var size = 3;
let i;
for(i = 0; i < size; i++) {
print ("*");
if (size === i){
println ("");
}
}
For context, this is all taking place int he professors homemade learning environment.
You could use nested for loops and take a line break after each filled line.
function print(s) { document.getElementById('out').innerHTML += s; }
function println(s) { document.getElementById('out').innerHTML += s + '\n'; }
var size = 5,
i, j;
for (i = 0; i < size; i++) {
for (j = 0; j < size; j++) {
print("*");
}
println("");
}
<pre id="out"></pre>
Single loop with a check if i is unequal to zero and if the remainder is zero, then add a line break.
Using:
=== identity/strict equality operator checks the type and the value, for example if both are numbers and if the value is the same,
!== non-identity/strict inequality operator it is like above, but it checks the oposite of it,
% remainder operator, which returns a rest of a number which division returns an integer number.
&& logical AND operator, which check both sides and returns the last value if both a truthy (like any array, object, number not zero, a not empty string, true), or the first, if it is falsy (like undefined, null, 0, '' (empty string), false, the oposite of truthy).
function print(s) { document.getElementById('out').innerHTML += s; }
function println(s) { document.getElementById('out').innerHTML += s + '\n'; }
var size = 5,
i;
for (i = 0; i < size * size; i++) {
if (i !== 0 && i % size === 0) {
println("");
}
print("*");
}
<pre id="out"></pre>
Well the for loop is only iterating 3 times, printing the first line. If you want a square you'll have to print 9 stars total, right? So i'm assuming, is this is the approach you'd go for, you would need to iterate not until size, but until size * size.
I'm using console.log to 'print' the square:
var dimension = 10;
var edge = '*';
var inside = ' ';
var printLine;
for (var i = 1; i <= dimension; i++) {
if (i === 1 || i === dimension) {
printline = Array(dimension + 1).join(edge);
} else {
printline = edge + Array(dimension - 1).join(inside) + edge;
}
console.log(printline);
}
Note that in the following example, an array of length 11 gets you only 10 "a"s, since Array.join puts the argument between the array elements:
Array(11).join('a'); // create string with 10 as "aaaaaaaaaa"
You wanna make a square of * where the size is the number of * on its sides?
Let's split a task into 3 parts:
where you print top side like *****
where you print middle (left and right sides) like * *
where you print bottom (same as top)
Now let's code that, I kept the code as simple as possible, this can be done in fewer lines but I think this will be easier to understand for beginners:
var size = 5;
var i = 0;
// top
for (i = 0; i < size; i++)
console.log("*");
//middle
for (var j = 0; j < size - 2; j++){
console.log("\n"); // go to next row
// middle (2 on sides with size-2 in between)
console.log("*");
for (i = 0; i < size-2; i++)
console.log(" ");
console.log("*\n"); // goes to new row as well
}
// same as top
for (i = 0; i < size; i++)
console.log("*");
Full square is even simpler:
var size = 5;
var i = 0;
for (var i = 0; i < size; i++){ // iterates rows
for (var j = 0; j < size; j++) // iterates * in row
console.log("*");
console.log("\n") // moves to new row
}
In order to print a row, you print same sign X times. Well, to print X rows we can use just that 1 more time (only this time we are iterating over a different variable (j is * in a row, i is a number of rows).
After a row is made we go to go to next row with \n.
As for
it must contain if statement
Put this at the end:
if (youCanHandleTheTruth) console.log("It's a terrible practice to tell students their solution MUST CONTAIN CODEWORDS. If you need them to showcase something, write appropriate task that will require them to do so.");
I'm trying to build a collaborative doc editor and implement operational transformation. Imagine we have a string that is manipulated simultaneously by 2 users. They can only add characters, not remove them. We want to incorporate both of their changes.
The original string is: catspider
The first user does this: cat<span id>spider</span>
The second user does this: c<span id>atspi</span>der
I'm trying to write a function that will produce: c<span id>at<span id>spi</span>der</span>
The function I've written is close, but it produces c<span id>at<span i</span>d>spider</span> codepen here
String.prototype.splice = function(start, newSubStr) {
return this.slice(0, start) + newSubStr + this.slice(start);
};
function merge(saved, working, requested) {
if (!saved || !working || !requested) {
return false;
}
var diffSavedWorking = createDiff(working, saved);
var diffRequestedWorking = createDiff(working, requested);
var newStr = working;
for (var i = 0; i < Math.max(diffRequestedWorking.length, diffSavedWorking.length); i++) {
//splice does an insert `before` -- we will assume that the saved document characters
//should always appear before the requested document characters in this merger operation
//so we first insert requested and then saved, which means that the final string will have the
//original characters first.
if (diffRequestedWorking[i]) {
newStr = newStr.splice(i, diffRequestedWorking[i]);
//we need to update the merge arrays by the number of
//inserted characters.
var length = diffRequestedWorking[i].length;
insertNatX(diffSavedWorking, length, i + 1);
insertNatX(diffRequestedWorking, length, i + 1);
}
if (diffSavedWorking[i]) {
newStr = newStr.splice(i, diffSavedWorking[i]);
//we need to update the merge arrays by the number of
//inserted characters.
var length = diffSavedWorking[i].length;
insertNatX(diffSavedWorking, length, i + 1);
insertNatX(diffRequestedWorking, length, i + 1);
}
}
return newStr;
}
//arr1 should be the shorter array.
//returns inserted characters at their
//insertion index.
function createDiff(arr1, arr2) {
var diff = [];
var j = 0;
for (var i = 0; i < arr1.length; i++) {
diff[i] = "";
while (arr2[j] !== arr1[i]) {
diff[i] += arr2[j];
j++;
}
j++;
}
var remainder = arr2.substr(j);
if (remainder) diff[i] = remainder;
return diff;
}
function insertNatX(arr, length, pos) {
for (var j = 0; j < length; j++) {
arr.splice(pos, 0, "");
}
}
var saved = 'cat<span id>spider</span>';
var working = 'catspider';
var requested = 'c<span id>atspi</span>der';
console.log(merge(saved, working, requested));
Would appreciate any thoughts on a better / simpler way to achieve this.
Ok so i need to create four randomly generated numbers between 1-10 and they cannot be the same. so my thought is to add each number to an array but how can I check to see if the number is in the array, and if it is, re-generate the number and if it isnt add the new number to the array?
so basically it will go,
1.create new number and add to array
2.create second new number, check to see if it exist already, if it doesn't exist, add to array. If it does exist, re-create new number, check again etc...
3.same as above and so on.
You want what is called a 'random grab bag'. Consider you have a 'bag' of numbers, each number is only represented once in this bag. You take the numbers out, at random, for as many as you need.
The problem with some of the other solutions presented here is that they randomly generate the number, and check to see if it was already used. This will take longer and longer to complete (theoretically up to an infinite amount of time) because you are waiting for the random() function to return a value you don't already have (and it doesn't have to do that, it could give you 1-9 forever, but never return 10).
There are a lot of ways to implement a grab-bag type solution, each with varying degrees of cost (though, if done correctly, won't ever be infinite).
The most basic solution to your problem would be the following:
var grabBag = [1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10];
// randomize order of elements with a sort function that randomly returns -1/0/1
grabBag.sort(function(xx,yy){ return Math.floor(Math.random() * 3) - 1; })
function getNextRandom(){
return grabBag.shift();
};
var originalLength = grabBag.length;
for(var i = 0; i < originalLength; i++){
console.log(getNextRandom());
}
This is of course destructive to the original grabBag array. And I'm not sure how 'truly random' that sort is, but for many applications it could be 'good enough'.
An slightly different approach would be to store all the unused elements in an array, randomly select an index, and then remove the element at that index. The cost here is how frequently you are creating/destroying arrays each time you remove an element.
Here are a couple versions using Matt's grabBag technique:
function getRandoms(numPicks) {
var nums = [1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10];
var selections = [];
// randomly pick one from the array
for (var i = 0; i < numPicks; i++) {
var index = Math.floor(Math.random() * nums.length);
selections.push(nums[index]);
nums.splice(index, 1);
}
return(selections);
}
You can see it work here: http://jsfiddle.net/jfriend00/b3MF3/.
And, here's a version that lets you pass in the range you want to cover:
function getRandoms(numPicks, low, high) {
var len = high - low + 1;
var nums = new Array(len);
var selections = [], i;
// initialize the array
for (i = 0; i < len; i++) {
nums[i] = i + low;
}
// randomly pick one from the array
for (var i = 0; i < numPicks; i++) {
var index = Math.floor(Math.random() * nums.length);
selections.push(nums[index]);
nums.splice(index, 1);
}
return(selections);
}
And a fiddle for that one: http://jsfiddle.net/jfriend00/UXnGB/
Use an array to see if the number has already been generated.
var randomArr = [], trackingArr = [],
targetCount = 4, currentCount = 0,
min = 1, max = 10,
rnd;
while (currentCount < targetCount) {
rnd = Math.floor(Math.random() * (max - min + 1)) + min;
if (!trackingArr[rnd]) {
trackingArr[rnd] = rnd;
randomArr[currentCount] = rnd;
currentCount += 1;
}
}
alert(randomArr); // Will contain four unique, random numbers between 1 and 10.
Working example: http://jsfiddle.net/FishBasketGordo/J4Ly7/
var a = [];
for (var i = 0; i < 5; i++) {
var r = Math.floor(Math.random()*10) + 1;
if(!(r in a))
a.push(r);
else
i--;
}
That'll do it for you. But be careful. If you make the number of random numbers generated greater than the may number (10) you'll hit an infinite loop.
I'm using a recursive function. The test function pick 6 unique value between 1 and 9.
//test(1, 9, 6);
function test(min, max, nbValue){
var result = recursValue(min, max, nbValue, []);
alert(result);
}
function recursValue(min, max, nbValue, result){
var randomNum = Math.random() * (max-min);
randomNum = Math.round(randomNum) + min;
if(!in_array(randomNum, result)){
result.push(randomNum);
nbValue--;
}
if(nbValue>0){
recursValue(min, max, nbValue, result);
}
return result;
}
function in_array(value, my_array){
for(var i=0;i< my_array.length; i++){
if(my_array[i] == value){
console.log(my_array+" val "+value);
return true;
}
}
return false;
}
Here is a recursive function what are you looking for.
"howMany" parameter is count of how many unique numbers you want to generate.
"randomize" parameter is biggest number that function can generate.
for example : rand(4,8) function returns an array that has 4 number in it, and the numbers are between 0 and 7 ( because as you know, Math.random() function generates numbers starting from zero to [given number - 1])
var array = [];
var isMatch= false;
function rand(howMany, randomize){
if( array.length < howMany){
var r = Math.floor( Math.random() * randomize );
for( var i = 0; i < howMany; i++ ){
if( array[i] !== r ){
isMatch= false;
continue;
} else {
isMatch= true;
break;
}
}
if( isMatch == false ){
array.push(r);
ran(howMany, randomize);
}
ran(howMany, randomize);
return array;
}
}
In your answer earlier, you do have a small bug. Instead of
var originalLength = grabBag.length;
for(var i = 0; i < originalLength .length; i++){
console.log(getNextRandom());
}
I believe you meant:
var originalLength = grabBag.length;
for(var i = 0; i < originalLength; i++){
console.log(getNextRandom());
}
Thanks.
I want to create an array of random/pseudo-random numbers using a seed. I want the very same array to be created when the same seed is used and I want to have little or no visible pattern in the array. I'm working in JavaScript.
This is the random function I'm using, which I'm quite happy with (sorry, I forgot who the original author is):
function random(seed) {
if (!seed) seed = new Date().getTime();
seed = (seed*9301+49297) % 233280;
return seed/(233280.0);
}
This is the array generation:
var superSeed = random();
var nRandom = 100;
var randomArray = new Array();
for (var i = 0 ; i < nRandom ; i++){
randomArray.push(random((superSeed*10)+ (i)));
}
Somehow the pattern seems to be quite similar, no matter how often I run it. This question seems to be similar, but since it's about matrixes, I don't understand what's being said.
Thanks!
Having worked on similar things before I think we can use a fairly simple series, which takes two initial values and then you can get a lot more.
var a1,b1;
function InitSequence(v1, v2) {
a1 = Math.pow(v1, 5) / Math.pow(v1, 3);
b1 = Math.pow(v2, 8);
lastrand = (a1 + b1) & 0x7fffffff;
}
function SequenceNext() {
var alast = a1;
var nextVal = (a1 + b1) & 0x7fffffff;
b1 = alast;
a1 = nextVal;
return nextVal;
}
Then use it like this:
InitSequence(75, 21);
for (var i = 0; i < 99; i++) {
v = SequenceNext();
}
I tested it like this:
var used = new Array();
InitSequence(75, 21); // any two values will do.
// fill 10k into array.
for (var i = 0; i < 9999; i++) {
v = SequenceNext();
if (undefined != used[v]) {
used[v]++;
} else used[v] = 1;
//document.write(i+": "+v+"<br>");
}
// see if there any duplicates.
var tdup = 0;
for (xx in used) {
ndup = used[xx];
if (ndup > 1) {
document.write("duplicated " + xx + " :" + ndup + "<br>");
tdup += ndup;
}
}
document.write("Total dups " + tdup + "<br>");
This is using the Fibonacci series, which in mathematical terms, the sequence Fn of Fibonacci numbers is defined by the recurrence relation
. I'm starting with different values - (v1^5) / (v1^3) and v2 ^ 8; otherwise it would only ever be identical.
I like the "Super 7" PRNG. It is simple, fast (although the other answer with the fib. sequence is fast as well), and has the interesting property:
In the entire range -- albeit of a meager of 32k -- there are no duplicates using the "Super 7" PRNG.
Multiple 7's can be joined to increase the number of bits and/or provide multiple seeds. This non-duplication property can exposed or folded.
(The sequence of a PRNG is always the same given a starting seed: it's the distribution and cycle lengths that are interesting -- it is these properties that may make them ideal in different cases where "true randomness" isn't desired).
Happy coding.
Maybe you should try this
function s_random() {
s_random.m = 71402523; s_random.a = 409647; s_random.c = 1508892;
s_random.seed = (s_random.seed*s_random.a + s_random.c) % s_random.m;
return s_random.seed / s_random.m;
}
/*
generate IV
s_random.seed = Math.floor((new Date).getTime()/10000);
*/
s_random.seed = 130324232;
var CheckRandom = 4999999;
var PrintSamples = 100;
var used = new Array();
for (var i = 0; i < CheckRandom; i++) {
v = (Math.ceil(Math.sqrt(s_random())* 1000000000) * 8);
if (undefined != used[v]) {
used[v]++;
} else used[v] = 1;
if ( i< PrintSamples) document.write(i+": "+v+"");
}
/* see if there are any duplicates. */
var tdup = 0;
for (xx in used) {
ndup = used[xx];
if (ndup > 1) {
if (ndup < PrintSamples) document.write("duplicated " + xx + " :" + ndup + "");
tdup += ndup;
}
}
document.write("Total generated " + CheckRandom + "");
document.write("Total duplicates " + tdup + "");
Just got 5 million seeded, repeatable random numbers and no duplicates. Tested several times on Mac OS X with Safari.
Cheers,
Karl
var swf=["1.swf","2.swf","3.swf"];
var i = Math.floor(Math.random()*swf.length);
alert(swf[i]); // swf[1] >> 2.swf
This case ,Random output One number.
How to Random output two different numbers ?
var swf = ['1.swf', '2.swf', '3.swf'],
// shuffle
swf = swf.sort(function () { return Math.floor(Math.random() * 3) - 1; });
// use swf[0]
// use swf[1]
Even though the above should work fine, for academical correctness and highest performance and compatibility, you may want to shuffle like this instead:
var n = swf.length;
for(var i = n - 1; i > 0; i--) {
var j = Math.floor(Math.random() * (i + 1));
var tmp = swf[i];
swf[i] = swf[j];
swf[j] = tmp;
}
Credits to tvanfosson and Fisher/Yates. :)
You can use splice to remove the chosen element, then simply select another randomly. The following leaves the original array intact, but if that's not necessary you can use the original and omit the copy. Shown using a loop to demonstrate how to select an arbitrary number of times upto the size of the original array.
var swf=["1.swf","2.swf","3.swf"];
var elementsToChoose = 2;
var copy = swf.slice(0);
var chosen = [];
for (var j = 0; j < elementsToChoose && copy.length; ++j) {
var i = Math.floor(Math.random()*copy.length);
chosen.push( copy.splice(i,1) );
}
for (var j = 0, len = chosen.length; j < len; ++j) {
alert(chosen[j]);
}
I would prefer this way as the bounds are known (you are not getting a random number and comparing it what you already have. It could loop 1 or 1000 times).
var swf = ['1.swf', '2.swf', '3.swf'],
length = swf.length,
i = Math.floor(Math.random() * length);
firstRandom = swf[i];
// I originally used `delete` operator here. It doesn't remove the member, just
// set its value to `undefined`. Using `splice` is the correct way to do it.
swf.splice(i, 1);
length--;
var j = Math.floor(Math.random() * length),
secondRandom = swf[j];
alert(firstRandom + ' - ' + secondRandom);
Patrick DW informed me of delete operator just leaving the value as undefined. I did some Googling and came up with this alternate solution.
Be sure to check Tvanfosson's answer or Deceze's answer for cleaner/alternate solutions.
This is what I would do to require two numbers to be different (could be better answer out there)
var swf=["1.swf","2.swf","3.swf"];
var i = Math.floor(Math.random()*swf.length);
var j;
do {
j = Math.floor(Math.random()*swf.length);
} while (j === i);
alert(swf[i]);
alert(swf[j]);
Edit: should be j===i