The JavaScript Source: Miscellaneous : Word Combinations

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Word Combinations

This script reads a series of alphanumeric characters, and calculates how many unique ways those characters can be rearranged. If desired, it will display all of the combinations.

Enter letters here:

Your letters can be arranged unique ways.

The JavaScript Source: Miscellaneous : Word Combinations
Simply click inside the window below, use your cursor to highlight the script, and copy [Control]+C the script into a new file in your text editor (such as Note Pad) and save [Control+S]. The script is yours!!!

 /* This script and many more are available free online at The JavaScript Source :: http://javascript.internet.com Created by: Brett McLean :: http://www.brettbits.com/ */ // calculateCombinations takes inputText as a parameter, which is a string containing all // user-provided characters. It calculates how many combinations exist for these characters, // prints them in the outputField, as well as returning the number to the calling function. function calculateCombinations(inputText) { inputCopy = inputText; numerator = factorial(inputText.length); denominator = 1; while(inputCopy != "") { denominator *= factorial(howManyOccurances(inputCopy, inputCopy.charAt(0))); inputCopy = stripCharactersFromString(inputCopy, inputCopy.charAt(0)); } document.combform.outputField.value = (numerator/denominator); return numerator/denominator; } // HowManyOccurances returns how many times characterToFind appears in stringToSearch. // Example: howManyOccurances("abcabcabca", "a") returns 4. function howManyOccurances(stringToSearch, characterToFind) { count = 0; for(i = 0; i < stringToSearch.length; i++) { if(stringToSearch.charAt(i) == characterToFind) count++; } return count; } // stripCharactersFromString returns stringToStripFrom, with all occurances // of characterToStrip removed. // Example: stripCharactersFromString("abcabcabca", "a") returns "bcbcbc". function stripCharactersFromString(stringToStripFrom, characterToStrip) { outputString = ""; for(i = 0; i < stringToStripFrom.length; i++) if(stringToStripFrom.charAt(i) != characterToStrip) outputString += stringToStripFrom.charAt(i); return outputString; } // factorial returns the factorial of inputNumber, also written as (inputNumber)!. // Definition of factorial: inputNumber! = (inputNumber) * (inputNumber-1) * ... * 2 * 1 // Example: factorial(4) = 4! = 4 * 3 * 2 * 1 = 24 function factorial(inputNumber) { outputNumber = 1; for(i = inputNumber; i > 0; i--) outputNumber *= i; return outputNumber; } // createWordList recursively generates an array containing all possible combinations of // a given string of letters. It solves this problem by taking each letter in the word, // and then appending to it all possible combinations of the remaining letters. // Initially, wordArray should be empty, strbase should equal "", and remainingchars // should contain the user's input string. function createWordList(wordArray, strbase, remainingchars) { if(remainingchars.length == 1) { // base case: only one character remains, and can be arranged only one way wordArray[wordArray.length] = strbase + remainingchars.charAt(0); // append one remaining character to string base } else { for(var j = 0; j < remainingchars.length; j++) { currchar = remainingchars.charAt(j); // first character of remaining characters if(remainingchars.indexOf(currchar) == j) // ensures repeat letters do not cause combination redundancy wordArray = createWordList(wordArray, strbase + remainingchars.charAt(j), remainingchars.substring(0, j) + remainingchars.substring(j+1, remainingchars.length)); //recursive call } } return wordArray; //returns the wordArray containing stbase plus all possible combinations of remainingchars } // printWordList accepts an array, and prints each string contained within, separated by commas. // It then places this output into the textarea named "combinationlist". function printWordList(wordArray) { output = ""; for(i = 0; i < wordArray.length-1; i++) output += wordArray[i] + ", "; output += wordArray[wordArray.length-1]; document.combform.combinationlist.value = output; } // showCombinations receives the user's input characters as a parameter, calculates how many combinations exist from these // characters, and then displays every one of these combinations. This function has a safeguard in which it warns // the user if a calculation will take a long time to process. function showCombinations(inputText) { numCombinations = calculateCombinations(inputText); confirmMessage = "The following calculation will involve finding " + numCombinations + " different combinations of the letters"; confirmMessage += "\nyou have provided. Depending on the speed of your computer, it may take a while to"; confirmMessage += "\nprocess this request, or in a worst-case scenario, your web browser may crash."; confirmMessage += "\nThis will do no damage to your computer that a restart will not solve."; confirmMessage += "\nAre you sure you want to continue?"; if(numCombinations < 5000 || confirm(confirmMessage)) // only do it if the number of combinations to calculate is low, or the user agrees to the warning printWordList(createWordList(new Array(), "", inputText)); // calculate and then print all combinations of the letters provided }  <script type="text/javascript" src="wordComb.js"></script>  <table align="center"> <form name="combform" onSubmit="calculateCombinations(inputField.value); return false;"> <tr><td> Enter letters here: <input type="text" name="inputField"> </td></tr> <tr><td> <input type="submit" value="How Many Combinations Are There?"> </td></tr> <tr><td> Your letters can be arranged <input type="text" name="outputField" size=10> unique ways. </td></tr> <tr><td> <textarea name="combinationlist" rows=10 cols=70>List of character combinations are displayed here.</textarea> </td></tr> <tr><td> <input type="button" onclick="showCombinations(inputField.value);" value="List All Possible Combinations"> </td></tr> </form> </table>
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