Ignore the default binary go builds.

* 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.

.gitignore

@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+alphabetter

alphabetter.go

@@ -3,55 +3,107 @@ package main
 import (
 	"fmt"
 	"log"
+	"math/rand"
+	"os"
 	"sort"
+	"time"
 )
 
 var SPELLINGS = map[rune]string{
-	'a': "ay",
-	'b': "bee",
-	'c': "see",
-	'd': "dee",
-	'e': "ee",
-	'f': "eff",
-	'g': "gee",
-	'h': "aitch",
-	'i': "eye",
-	'j': "jay",
-	'k': "kay",
-	'l': "ell",
-	'm': "emm",
-	'n': "enn",
-	'o': "oh",
-	'p': "pee",
-	'q': "cue",
-	'r': "arr",
-	's': "ess",
-	't': "tee",
-	'u': "ewe",
-	'v': "vee",
-	'w': "double ewe",
-	'x': "ecks",
-	'y': "why",
-	'z': "zee",
+	'A': "A",
+	'B': "BEE",
+	'C': "CEE",
+	'D': "DEE",
+	'E': "E",
+	'F': "EF",
+	'G': "GEE",
+	'H': "AITCH",
+	'I': "I",
+	'J': "JAY",
+	'K': "KAY",
+	'L': "EL",
+	'M': "EM",
+	'N': "EN",
+	'O': "O",
+	'P': "PEE",
+	'Q': "CUE",
+	'R': "AR",
+	'S': "ESS",
+	'T': "TEE",
+	'U': "U",
+	'V': "VEE",
+	'W': "DOUBLE U",
+	'X': "EX",
+	'Y': "WYE",
+	'Z': "ZEE",
 }
 
+var modeRandom = false
+var modeInfinite = false
+var modeStats = false
+
 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())
+	for i := 1; i < len(os.Args); i++ {
+		if os.Args[i] == "--random" {
+			modeRandom = true
+		}
+		if os.Args[i] == "--infinite" {
+			modeInfinite = true
+		}
+		if os.Args[i] == "--stats" {
+			modeStats = true
+		}
+	}
+
+	totalAlphabets := 0
+	// a count of how many alphabets stabilize in various quantities
+	stats := make(map[int]int)
+	for {
+		var alphabet []rune
+		if modeRandom {
+			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 = sort_alphabet(alphabet)
+			if i > 100 {
+				fmt.Println("Alphabet seems infinite.")
+				break
+			}
+			alphabet = sortAlphabet(alphabet)
 			if string(alphabet) == prev {
-			return
+				if modeInfinite {
+					fmt.Println(prev)
+				}
+				break
 			}
 			prev = string(alphabet)
+			if !modeInfinite {
 				fmt.Println(prev)
 			}
+			i++
+		}
+		fmt.Println("Iterations:", i)
+		stats[i]++
+		totalAlphabets++
+
+		if modeStats {
+			printStats(stats, totalAlphabets)
+		}
+
+		if !modeInfinite {
+			return
+		}
+	}
 }
 
 // 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 {
@@ -62,9 +114,13 @@ func sort_alphabet(alphabet []rune) []rune {
 		j_index := -1
 
 		k := 0
-		for k = 0; k < len(i_spelling) && k < len(j_spelling); k++ {
-			i_index = find_index(alphabet, rune(i_spelling[k]))
-			j_index = find_index(alphabet, rune(j_spelling[k]))
+		for k = 0; ; k++ {
+			if k >= len(i_spelling) || k >= len(j_spelling) {
+				return len(i_spelling) < len(j_spelling)
+			}
+
+			i_index = findIndex(alphabet, rune(i_spelling[k]))
+			j_index = findIndex(alphabet, rune(j_spelling[k]))
 
 			if i_index != j_index {
 				break
@@ -75,7 +131,7 @@ 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 +140,26 @@ 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
+}
+
+func printStats(counts map[int]int, total int) {
+	keys := make([]int, 0, len(counts))
+	for k, _ := range counts {
+		keys = append(keys, k)
+	}
+	sort.Ints(keys)
+
+	for _, k := range keys {
+		if k == 101 {
+			fmt.Printf("Infinite Loops: %.2f\n", float64(counts[k])/float64(total))
+			continue
+		}
+		fmt.Printf("%d: %.2f\n", k, float64(counts[k])/float64(total))
+	}
+	fmt.Println(counts)
+}

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`.