One word search results

C++

I wrote this one up today. It is not the most efficient way and does not always generate the most random looking word searches but it gets the job done and it does it relatively quick.

Bonus: Supports Palindromes too!!!

It works by taking input for the word and the size of the word search. It then generates infurators by dropping letters, inserting letters, or flipping letters. It then adds those to the grid as well as the correct word. It then checks all instances of the first letter in every direction for the word. If 1 instance is not found ( 2 for palindromes ) it brute forces the cycle over. It then outputs the word search to console as well as a file.

Here it is at 213 lines of code with whitespace and comments.

#include <fstream>
#include <iostream>
#include <string>
#include <vector>

#include <stdio.h>
#include <time.h>

// Keep Track of Coordinates
struct XY {

public:
    int X;
    int Y;
};

// Just in case someone breaks the rules
std::string ToUppercase( const std::string& pWord ) {
    char *myArray = new char[ pWord.size() + 1 ];
    myArray[ pWord.size() ] = 0;
    memcpy( myArray, pWord.c_str(), pWord.size() );

    for ( unsigned int i = 0; i < pWord.size(); i++ ) {
        if ( (int) myArray[ i ] >= 97 && (int) myArray[ i ] <= 122 ) {
            myArray[ i ] = (char) ( (int) myArray[ i ] - 32 );
        }
    }   

    return std::string( myArray );
}

// Random number between a max and min inclusively 
int RandomBetween( int pMin, int pMax ) {
    return rand() % ( pMax - pMin + 1 ) + pMin;
}

// Find all instances of a character
std::vector<XY> FindHotspots( const std::vector<char> &pWordSearch, char pFirstChar, unsigned int pLength ) {
    std::vector<XY> myPoints;
    for ( unsigned int i = 0; i < pLength; i++ ) {
        for ( unsigned int j = 0; j < pLength; j++ ) {
            if ( pWordSearch[ i * pLength + j ] == pFirstChar ) {
                XY myXY;
                myXY.X = i;
                myXY.Y = j;
                myPoints.push_back( myXY );
            }
        }
    }
    return myPoints;
}

// Searchs each index from specific point in certain direction for word
// True if word is found
bool Found( const std::vector<char> &pWordSearch, const std::string &pWord, int pRow, int pCol, int pX, int pY, int pLength ) {
    for ( unsigned int i = 0; i < pWord.length(); i++ ) {
        if ( pRow < 0 || pCol < 0 || pRow > pLength - 1 || pCol > pLength - 1 ) 
            return false;
        if ( pWord[ i ] != pWordSearch[ pRow * pLength + pCol ] )
            return false;
        pRow += pX;
        pCol += pY;
    }
    return true;
}

// Goes through all the hotspots and searchs all 8 directions for the word
int FindSolution( const std::vector<char> &pWordSearch, const std::string &pWord, unsigned int pLength ) {
    std::vector<XY> myHotspots = FindHotspots( pWordSearch, pWord[ 0 ], pLength );

    int mySolutions = 0;
    for ( unsigned int i = 0; i < myHotspots.size(); i++ ) {
        if ( Found( pWordSearch, pWord, myHotspots[ i ].X, myHotspots[ i ].Y, 1, 0, pLength ) )
            mySolutions++;
        if ( Found( pWordSearch, pWord, myHotspots[ i ].X, myHotspots[ i ].Y, 1, 1, pLength ) )
            mySolutions++;
        if ( Found( pWordSearch, pWord, myHotspots[ i ].X, myHotspots[ i ].Y, 0, 1, pLength ) )
            mySolutions++;
        if ( Found( pWordSearch, pWord, myHotspots[ i ].X, myHotspots[ i ].Y, -1, 1, pLength ) )
            mySolutions++;
        if ( Found( pWordSearch, pWord, myHotspots[ i ].X, myHotspots[ i ].Y, -1, 0, pLength ) )
            mySolutions++;
        if ( Found( pWordSearch, pWord, myHotspots[ i ].X, myHotspots[ i ].Y, -1, -1, pLength ) )
            mySolutions++;
        if ( Found( pWordSearch, pWord, myHotspots[ i ].X, myHotspots[ i ].Y, 0, -1, pLength ) )
            mySolutions++;
        if ( Found( pWordSearch, pWord, myHotspots[ i ].X, myHotspots[ i ].Y, 1, -1, pLength ) )
            mySolutions++;
    }
    return mySolutions;
}

// Generate words that are similar
//
// 1. Word with last character same as first
// 2. Word with 1 character removed
// 3. Word with 1 character added
std::vector<std::string> GenerateInfurators( const std::string &pWord ) {
    std::vector<std::string> myInfurators;
    for ( unsigned int i = 0; i < pWord.size() / 2; i++ ) {
        char myReplace = '0';
        do { 
            myReplace = pWord[ RandomBetween( 0, pWord.size() - 1 ) ];
        } while ( myReplace == pWord[ pWord.size() - 1 ] );
        myInfurators.push_back( pWord.substr( 0, pWord.size() - 2 ) + myReplace );
    }

    for ( unsigned int i = 1; i < pWord.size() - 2; i++ ) {
        myInfurators.push_back( pWord.substr( 0, i ) + pWord.substr( i + 1 ) ); 

        std::string myWord = pWord;
        myInfurators.push_back( myWord.insert( i, 1, pWord[ i - 1 ] ) );
    }

    return myInfurators;
}

// Adds word in random position in word search
void AddWordRandomly( std::vector<char> &pWordSearch, const std::string &pWord, unsigned int pLength ) {
    int myXDirec = 0;
    int myYDirec = 0;
    do { 
        myXDirec = RandomBetween( -1, 1 );
        myYDirec = RandomBetween( -1, 1 );
    } while ( myXDirec == 0 && myYDirec == 0 );

    int myRow = 0;
    if ( myXDirec == 0 ) {
        myRow = RandomBetween( 0, pLength - 1 );
    } else if ( myXDirec > 0 ) {
        myRow = RandomBetween( 0, pLength - pWord.size() - 1 );
    } else {
        myRow = RandomBetween( pWord.size(), pLength - 1 );
    }

    int myCol = 0;
    if ( myYDirec == 0 ) {
        myCol = RandomBetween( 0, pLength - 1 );
    } else if ( myYDirec > 0 ) {
        myCol = RandomBetween( 0, pLength - pWord.size() - 1 );
    } else {
        myCol = RandomBetween( pWord.size(), pLength - 1 );
    }

    for ( unsigned int i = 0; i < pWord.size(); i++ ) {
        pWordSearch[ myRow * pLength + myCol ] = pWord[ i ];
        myRow += myXDirec;
        myCol += myYDirec;
    }
}

// Checks for palindromes
bool WordIsPalindrome( const std::string &pWord ) {
    for ( unsigned int i = 0; i < pWord.size(); i++ ) {
        if ( pWord[ i ] != pWord[ pWord.size() - 1 - i ] ) 
            return false;
    }
    return true;
}

int main() {
    // Handle all input
    std::string myWord;
    std::cin >> myWord;
    myWord = ToUppercase( myWord );

    std::string myStrLength;
    std::cin >> myStrLength;
    unsigned int mySideLength = std::stoi( myStrLength );

    // Setup variables
    // New time seed
    // Generate infurators
    // Add words
    std::vector<char> myWordSearch;
    srand( ( unsigned int ) time( 0 ) );
    std::vector<std::string> myWords = GenerateInfurators( myWord );
    myWords.push_back( myWord );

    bool myWordIsPalindrome = WordIsPalindrome( myWord );

    // Brute force words until 1 instance only
    // 2 instances for palindromes
    do {
        for ( unsigned int i = 0; i < mySideLength * mySideLength; i++ ) {
            myWordSearch.push_back( myWord[ RandomBetween( 0, myWord.size() -1 ) ] );
        }

        for ( unsigned int j = 0; j < 10; j++ ) {
            for ( unsigned int i = 0; i < myWords.size() - 1; i++ ) {
                AddWordRandomly( myWordSearch, myWords[ i ], mySideLength );
            }
        }
        AddWordRandomly( myWordSearch, myWord, mySideLength );
    } while ( ( FindSolution( myWordSearch, myWord, mySideLength ) != 1 && !myWordIsPalindrome ) || 
            ( FindSolution( myWordSearch, myWord, mySideLength ) != 2 && myWordIsPalindrome ) );

    // Output to console && text file
    std::ofstream myFile( "word_search.txt" );
    for ( unsigned int i = 0; i < mySideLength; i++ ) {
        for ( unsigned int j = 0; j < mySideLength; j++ ) {
            myFile << myWordSearch[ i * mySideLength + j ] << "";
            std::cout << myWordSearch[ i * mySideLength + j ] << " ";
        }
        myFile << "n";
        std::cout << "n" << std::endl;
    }
    myFile.close();

    system( "pause" );
    return 0;
}

I am far from a C++ expert so I’m sure there’s places where this code could be improved but I was happy with how it ended up.

Here’s the outputs.

BANANA-12:
BBBBBABANABB
BBANAAANANBB
BABAANABBABA
BNAANAAANABN
BANNNNNANBBB
AANABNNANNAA
NAANANAAAABA
ANNNBAANNNBN
ABABNAANABNA
BNNANNAAANNB
BBABAAANBBAB
BBANANNBBABB

ELEMENT-14:
MLELEMEEETNEET
EMTTELTEETELEE
EMNNELEENLNTEL
TLTNEEMEEELMTM
TLEMLNLMEEEETE
TTEEEEEENLNTLE
NETNENEEMTTMEN
ELELTETEEMNMEE
MTEEMTNEEEENEM
ELENEEEMMENNME
ELLEELELTMLETL
ETLTNEMEEELELE
EELTLLLLLMNEEE
EEEELEMNTLEEEE

ABRACADABRA-22:
ACRABAACADABBADBRRAAAA
BBABAABAARBAAAARBAABAA
RARRARBAAABRRRRAAABBRA
DABARRARABBBBABABARABR
BRBACABBAAAABAARRABDAD
ABRRCBDADRARABAACABACR
DCAAARAABCABRCAAAARAAA
AAABACCDCCRACCDARBADBA
CAARAAAAAACAAABBAACARA
ADRABCDBCARBRRRDAABAAR
RARBADAARRAADADAABAAAB
BBRRABAABAAADACACRBRAA
ARBBBDBRADCACCACARBABD
CAARARAAAACACCDARARAAA
ARABADACRARCDADABADBBA
RARAADRRABADBADAABBAAA
RAAAABBBARRDCAAAAAARRA
BABBAAACRDBABCABBBRAAR
AARARAARABRAAARBRRRAAB
BAAAARBRARARACAARAAAAA
ADCBBABRBCBDBRARAARBAA
AARBADAAAARACADABRAABB

Bonus: RACECAR-14:
RRACEARCECARAR
RRRRRRRRRCARAR
RARRAACECARAAA
CCACECRREAECAR
RECEAEEAAECEAE
RCRRREACCCCEAR
RRRARCERREERRR
CCARAAAAECCARC
ECECARRCCECCRR
CARRRACECCARAC
ACRACCAAACCCAR
ARRECRARRAAERR
RRCRACECARRCRR
RRRRACECRARRRR

I may update this to generate slightly more «random» looking word searches.

We’ve got lots of them! For best results, enter words contained within the clues (or answers) of the puzzle you’re searching for. Advanced search operators are available.

Popular Searches

All Word Searches

in my search form, if the user types ‘good’, it displays all the results which contain the keyword ‘good’. however if the user types in ‘good sweetest’, it displays no results because there is no record with the two words appearing together; BUT appearing in an entry at different places.

for example, the record says:

A good action is an ever-remaining
store and a pure yield

the user types in ‘good’, it will show up this record, but if the user types in ‘good’ + ‘pure’, it will not show anything. or if the record contains the keyword ‘good-deeds’ and if the user types in ‘good deeds’ without the hyphen, it will not show anything.

what i would like is that if the user types in ‘good’ + ‘pure’ or ‘good deeds’ it should records containing these keywords highlighting them.

search.php code:

$search_result = "";

$search_result = $_POST["q"];

$search_result = trim($search_result);

//Check if the string is empty
if ($search_result == "") {
  echo  "<p class='error'>Search Error. Please Enter Your Search Query.</p>" ;
  exit();
      }

if ($search_result == "%" || $search_result == "_" || $search_result == "+" ) {
  echo  "<p class='error1'>Search Error. Please Enter a Valid Search Query.</p>" ;
  exit();
      }

$result = mysql_query('SELECT cQuotes, vAuthor, cArabic, vReference FROM thquotes WHERE cQuotes LIKE "%' . mysql_real_escape_string($search_result) .'%" ORDER BY idQuotes DESC', $conn)
  or die ('Error: '.mysql_error());


function h($s) {
    echo htmlspecialchars($s, ENT_QUOTES);
} 

function highlightWords($string, $word)
 {

    $string = preg_replace("/".preg_quote($word, "/")."/i", "<span class='highlight'>$0</span>", $string);
    /*** return the highlighted string ***/
    return $string;

 }

?>

<div class="caption">Search Results</div>
<div class="center_div">
<table>
    <?php while ($row= mysql_fetch_array($result, MYSQL_ASSOC)) {
        $cQuote =  highlightWords(htmlspecialchars($row['cQuotes']), $search_result);
        ?>
        <tr>
        <td style="text-align:right; font-size:18px;"><?php h($row['cArabic']); ?></td>
            <td style="font-size:16px;"><?php echo $cQuote; ?></td>
            <td style="font-size:12px;"><?php h($row['vAuthor']); ?></td>
            <td style="font-size:12px; font-style:italic; text-align:right;"><?php h($row['vReference']); ?></td>
        </tr>
    <?php } ?>
</table>
</div>

search.html:

   <form name="myform" class="wrapper">
      <input type="text" name="q" onkeyup="showUser()" class="txt_search"/>
      <input type="button" name="button" onclick="showUser()" class="button"/>
      <p>
        <div id="txtHint"></div>
    </form>