Unraveling the Mystery of String Shuffles
When working with strings in Java, have you ever wondered how to determine if a given string is a valid shuffle of two other strings? This seemingly complex problem can be broken down into manageable parts, and we’re about to explore just that.
The Problem Statement
Imagine having an array of strings, where each string is a potential shuffle of two other strings. Our task is to write a program that checks the validity of these shuffles. For instance, consider the following array of strings: results = {"1XY2", "Y1X2", "Y21XX"}. We need to determine if these strings are valid shuffles of the strings “XY” and “12”.
The Solution Unfolds
To tackle this problem, we’ll employ three key methods:
Method 1: Checking the Length
The first step is to verify that the length of the shuffled string is equal to the sum of the lengths of the two original strings. If this condition isn’t met, we can immediately conclude that the shuffle is invalid. This is where our checkLength() method comes into play.
Method 2: Sorting the Strings
To facilitate efficient comparison, we’ll convert each string to a character array and sort it using the Arrays.sort() method. This step ensures that we’re comparing apples to apples, so to speak. Our sortString() method takes care of this crucial step.
Method 3: The Shuffle Check
With our strings sorted, we can now compare the individual characters of the shuffled string with those of the original strings. This is where our shuffleCheck() method shines, meticulously examining each character to determine if the shuffle is valid.
By combining these three methods, we can write a robust program that accurately determines whether a given string is a valid shuffle of two other strings. The beauty lies in the simplicity and elegance of this solution, making it a valuable addition to any Java developer’s toolkit.