2D array: Find an array of characters

[Scotty Young]

I'm working on a problem to help try and improve my java skills before I sit SCJA:

I have an array, "word", with three characters "D" "O" and "G".

I'm trying to search through a larger 2D array and then print out all three characters when they are matched in a row.

I have worked this out on a white board with someone before, but I cant remember how I solved it... derp.

This is the code I currently have:

class FindWord{
	
	public static void main(String args[]){
	
		char [][] square=	{
			 		{'A','B','S','C','D','E'},
					{'F','G','S','G','S','G'},
					{'A','D','O','H','E','F'},
					{'D','D','I','G','H','H'},
					{'E','H','D','O','G','E'},
					{'X','V','H','O','G','P'}	
		    			 };

		char [] word = 		{'D','O','G'};		

		
		for(int x =0;x<square.length;x++){
			for(int y =0;y<square.length;y++){
				for(int i=0;i<word.length;i++){	
					if(word[i]==square[x][y+i]){
					//if(word[i]==square[y][i]){
				        	System.out.print(square[x][y+i]);
						continue;	
					}
					else{
						
						break;
					}				
				}	
			}
		}

	
	}
}

I feel like I'm close to solving it.>

[Greg Brannon]

How close? What's your program doing now? What should it be doing?

[Scotty Young]

Well, I'm trying to get it to output DOG. At the minute its outputting DDODDDOG.

I thought I knew what I was doing but now I'm a bit lost and confused. I want it to compare every single character in square to the characters in word, and output the characters that match, but only if it finds them in the sequence D-O-G.

[Carey Brown]

I know we're not supposed to give out "answers" but I couldn't resist giving this a try. Works for any size 'square' and 'word'. Prints out list of square coordinates where 'd-o-g' was found.

import java.util.ArrayList;
import java.util.List;

public class PuzzleFindWord
{
	// Eight possible directions: horizontally, vertically, and diagonally
	private static final XY[]		directions =
	{
		new XY( 0, 1 ), new XY( 0, -1 ), new XY( 1, 0 ), new XY( -1, 0 ),
		new XY( 1, 1 ), new XY( 1, -1 ), new XY( -1, 1 ), new XY( -1, -1 )
	};

	private static final char[][]	square =
	{
		{ 'A', 'B', 'S', 'C', 'D', 'E' },
		{ 'F', 'G', 'S', 'G', 'S', 'G' },
		{ 'A', 'D', 'O', 'H', 'E', 'F' },
		{ 'D', 'D', 'I', 'G', 'H', 'H' },
		{ 'E', 'H', 'D', 'O', 'G', 'E' },
		{ 'X', 'V', 'H', 'O', 'G', 'P' }
	};

	private static final char[]		word =
		{ 'D', 'O', 'G' };

	public static void main( String[] args )
	{
		List<XY>	list;

		for( int x = 0 ; x < square[ 0 ].length ; x++ )
		{
			for( int y = 0 ; y < square.length ; y++ )
			{
				for( XY direction : directions )
				{
					list = find( x, y, direction );
					if( list != null )
						System.out.println( list );
				}
			}
		}
	}

	private static ArrayList<XY> find( int x, int y, XY direction )
	{
		ArrayList<XY>	list = new ArrayList<XY>();
		int				wordIndex = 0;

		for(;;)
		{
			if( x < 0 || x >= square[ 0 ].length ||
				y < 0 || y >= square.length ||
				wordIndex >= word.length ||
				square[ y ][ x ] != word[ wordIndex ] )
			{
				return null;
			}

			list.add( new XY( x, y ) );

			if( wordIndex == word.length - 1 )
				return list;

			x += direction.x;
			y += direction.y;
			wordIndex++;
		}
	}

	private static class XY
	{
		int	x, y;

		public XY( int x, int y )
		{
			this.x = x;
			this.y = y;
		}

		@Override
		public String toString()
		{
			return "(" + x + "," + y + ")";
		}
	}
}