Implement random starting alphabet.

* Use uppercase letters.
* Print number of iterations it took to reach a steady state.
* Add a --infinite mode that loops forever, and only prints the final outcome.
* [WIP] Start with a random alphabet.

alphabetter.go

@@ -3,55 +3,89 @@ package main
 import (
 	"fmt"
 	"log"
+	"math/rand"
+	"os"
 	"sort"
+	"time"
 )
 
 var SPELLINGS = map[rune]string{
-	'a': "ay",
+	'A': "AY",
-	'b': "bee",
+	'B': "BEE",
-	'c': "see",
+	'C': "SEE",
-	'd': "dee",
+	'D': "DEE",
-	'e': "ee",
+	'E': "EE",
-	'f': "eff",
+	'F': "EFF",
-	'g': "gee",
+	'G': "GEE",
-	'h': "aitch",
+	'H': "AITCH",
-	'i': "eye",
+	'I': "EYE",
-	'j': "jay",
+	'J': "JAY",
-	'k': "kay",
+	'K': "KAY",
-	'l': "ell",
+	'L': "ELL",
-	'm': "emm",
+	'M': "EMM",
-	'n': "enn",
+	'N': "ENN",
-	'o': "oh",
+	'O': "OH",
-	'p': "pee",
+	'P': "PEE",
-	'q': "cue",
+	'Q': "CUE",
-	'r': "arr",
+	'R': "ARR",
-	's': "ess",
+	'S': "ESS",
-	't': "tee",
+	'T': "TEE",
-	'u': "ewe",
+	'U': "EWE",
-	'v': "vee",
+	'V': "VEE",
-	'w': "double ewe",
+	'W': "DOUBLE EWE",
-	'x': "ecks",
+	'X': "ECKS",
-	'y': "why",
+	'Y': "WHY",
-	'z': "zee",
+	'Z': "ZEE",
 }
 
 func main() {
-	alphabet := []rune{'a', 'b', 'c', 'd', 'e', 'f', 'g', 'h', 'i', 'j', 'k', 'l', 'm', 'n', 'o', 'p', 'q', 'r', 's', 't', 'u', 'v', 'w', 'x', 'y', 'z'}
+	rand.Seed(time.Now().UnixNano())
-	prev := string(alphabet)
+	random := false
-	fmt.Println(string(prev))
+	infinite := false
+	for i := 1; i < len(os.Args); i++ {
+		if os.Args[i] == "--random" {
+			random = true
+		}
+		if os.Args[i] == "--infinite" {
+			infinite = true
+		}
+	}
+
 	for {
-		alphabet = sort_alphabet(alphabet)
+		var alphabet []rune
-		if string(alphabet) == prev {
+		if random {
+			alphabet = randomAlphabet()
+		} else {
+			alphabet = []rune{'A', 'B', 'C', 'D', 'E', 'F', 'G', 'H', 'I', 'J', 'K', 'L', 'M', 'N', 'O', 'P', 'Q', 'R', 'S', 'T', 'U', 'V', 'W', 'X', 'Y', 'Z'}
+		}
+		prev := string(alphabet)
+		fmt.Println(string(prev))
+		i := 0
+		for {
+			alphabet = sortAlphabet(alphabet)
+			if string(alphabet) == prev {
+				if infinite {
+					fmt.Println(prev)
+				}
+				break
+			}
+			prev = string(alphabet)
+			if !infinite {
+				fmt.Println(prev)
+			}
+			i++
+		}
+		fmt.Println("Iterations:", i)
+
+		if !infinite {
 			return
 		}
-		prev = string(alphabet)
-		fmt.Println(prev)
 	}
 }
 
 // sort the provided alphabet (a slice of runes) by spelling, using the alphabet itself
 // as the lexicographic ordering. Return the new alphabet.
-func sort_alphabet(alphabet []rune) []rune {
+func sortAlphabet(alphabet []rune) []rune {
 	new_alphabet := make([]rune, len(alphabet))
 	copy(new_alphabet, alphabet)
 	sort.Slice(new_alphabet, func(i, j int) bool {
@@ -63,8 +97,8 @@ func sort_alphabet(alphabet []rune) []rune {
 
 		k := 0
 		for k = 0; k < len(i_spelling) && k < len(j_spelling); k++ {
-			i_index = find_index(alphabet, rune(i_spelling[k]))
+			i_index = findIndex(alphabet, rune(i_spelling[k]))
-			j_index = find_index(alphabet, rune(j_spelling[k]))
+			j_index = findIndex(alphabet, rune(j_spelling[k]))
 
 			if i_index != j_index {
 				break
@@ -75,7 +109,7 @@ func sort_alphabet(alphabet []rune) []rune {
 	return new_alphabet
 }
 
-func find_index(alphabet []rune, target rune) int {
+func findIndex(alphabet []rune, target rune) int {
 	for i, letter := range alphabet {
 		if letter == target {
 			return i
@@ -84,3 +118,9 @@ func find_index(alphabet []rune, target rune) int {
 	log.Panicf("Tried to find a letter that doesn't exist")
 	return -1
 }
+
+func randomAlphabet() []rune {
+	a := []rune{'A', 'B', 'C', 'D', 'E', 'F', 'G', 'H', 'I', 'J', 'K', 'L', 'M', 'N', 'O', 'P', 'Q', 'R', 'S', 'T', 'U', 'V', 'W', 'X', 'Y', 'Z'}
+	rand.Shuffle(len(a), func(i, j int) { a[i], a[j] = a[j], a[i] })
+	return a
+}

readme.md

@@ -26,3 +26,7 @@ with nearly any version of golang installed. Then execute it with
 ```
 ./alphabetter
 ```
+
+To loop forever, run with `--infinite`. While in infinite mode, only the starting alphabet and final alphabet are printed.
+
+To start with a random alphabet (on each iteration), run with `--random`.