Question

I’m new to the site. would like some help if at all possible.

I would like an algorithm that calculates a list of words after you input letters available and word length. I am adding a Draw Something solution section to my website. I am a web developer, vast knowledge of XHTML, CSS and some JS but thats all, I don’t think this can be done without the use of something more powerful such as python or C++?

Answer 1

In javascript, runnable in your browser:

vocabulary = ['start', 'tarts', 'stars', 'rats', 'tears']  // ...etc. read from a file

function letters(word) {
    return word.split('');
}

function possibleWords(length, allowedLetters) {
    var isAllowedLetter = function(letter) {
        return allowedLetters.indexOf(letter) != -1;  // allowedLetters contains letter
    };
    return vocabulary.filter(function(word) {
        return word.length==length && letters(word).every(isAllowedLetter);
    })
}

Demo:

> possibleWords(5, ['s','t','a','r'])
["start", "tarts", "stars"]

 

---

 

To make this more efficient, you would do:

vocabulary = ['start', 'tarts', 'stars', 'rats', 'tears']  // ...etc. read from a file

function letters(word) {
    return word.split('');
}

function set(iterable) {
    var data = {};
    iterable.forEach(function(x) {
        data[x] = true;
    });
    return {
        contains: function(x) {
            return !(data[x]===undefined);
        }
    };
}

function possibleWords(length, allowedLetters) {
    var isAllowedLetter = allowedLetters.contains;
    return vocabulary.filter(function(word) {
        return word.length==length && letters(word).every(isAllowedLetter);
    })
}

Demo:

> possibleWords(5, set(['s','t','a','r']))
["start", "tarts", "stars"]