Subordinated searh in a 2D array

[txn]

Let's say you've got a 2D array like this:

Local $avArray[5][3] = [ _
   ["link1", "title1", "text0"], _
   ["link2", "title2", "text0"], _
   ["link3", "title3", "text0"], _
   ["link4", "title3", "text1"], _
   ["link5", "title2", "text1"]]

And you want to find the index number of the array containing "title3" and "text0". You would write something like this:

For $i = 0 To UBound($avArray) - 1
   $match = $avArray[$i]
   If StringInStr($match[1], "title3") And StringInStr($match[2], "text0") Then
      Return $match[0]
   EndIf
Next

Right? Now let's say that, if in $avArray there's no "text0" string, you would settle for matching only "title3". How would you do that? Do you go through $avArray again with another For/Next loop? And if you would settle also for another option (say "title2") so that just putting an Else inside the first loop wouldn't do the trick?

Thanks.

Edited November 5, 2013 by txn

[Melba23]

txn,

This seems to work for me:

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#include <Constants.au3>

Local $avArray[5][3] = [ _
   ["link1", "title1", "text0"], _
   ["link2", "title2", "text0"], _
   ["link3", "title3", "text0"], _
   ["link4", "title3", "text1"], _
   ["link5", "title2", "text1"]]

$sMatch = _Search($avArray, "title3", "text0", "??", "title2")
MsgBox($MB_SYSTEMMODAL, "Found", $sMatch)

; Mode:  "?." = match title only; ".?" = match text only; "??" = match both
Func _Search($aArray, $sTitle, $sText, $sMode, $sAlt_Title = "", $sAlt_Text = "")

    Local $fFound_Title, $fFound_Text, $fFound_Alt_Title, $fFound_Alt_Text

    For $i = 0 To UBound($aArray) - 1
        ; Clear all flags
        $fFound_Title = False
        $fFound_Text = False
        $fFound_Alt_Title = False
        $fFound_Alt_Text = False
        ; Look for titles
        If StringInStr($aArray[$i][1], $sTitle) Then $fFound_Title = True
        If $sAlt_Title Then
            If StringInStr($aArray[$i][1], $sAlt_Title) Then $fFound_Alt_Title = True
        EndIf
        ; Look for texts
        If StringInStr($aArray[$i][2], $sText) Then $fFound_Text = True
        If $sAlt_Text Then
            If StringInStr($aArray[$i][2], $sAlt_Text) Then $fFound_Alt_Text = True
        EndIf

        MsgBox($MB_SYSTEMMODAL, "Element: " & $i, $fFound_Title & @CRLF & $fFound_Text & @CRLF & $fFound_Alt_Title & @CRLF & $fFound_Alt_Text)

        ; Now check mode to see if we have a match
        Switch $sMode
            Case "?." ; Only looking for title
                If $fFound_Title Then
                    Return $aArray[$i][0]
                ElseIf $sAlt_Title Then
                    If $fFound_Alt_Title Then
                        Return $aArray[$i][0]
                    EndIf
                EndIf
            Case ".?" ; Only looking for text
                If $fFound_Text Then
                    Return $aArray[$i][0]
                ElseIf $sAlt_Text Then
                    If $fFound_Alt_Text Then
                        Return $aArray[$i][0]
                    EndIf
                EndIf
            Case "??" ; Looking for both
                If $fFound_Title And $fFound_Text Then
                    Return $aArray[$i][0]
                Else
                    ; Accept an alt title?
                    If $sAlt_Title Then
                        If $fFound_Alt_Title And $fFound_Text Then
                            Return $aArray[$i][0]
                        EndIf
                    EndIf
                    ; Accept an alt text?
                    If $sAlt_Text Then
                        If $fFound_Title And $fFound_Alt_Text Then
                            Return $aArray[$i][0]
                        EndIf
                    EndIf
                    ; Accept both alts?
                    If $sAlt_Title And $sAlt_Text Then
                        If $fFound_Alt_Title And $fFound_Alt_Text Then
                            Return $aArray[$i][0]
                        EndIf
                    EndIf
                EndIf
        EndSwitch
    Next

EndFunc

I hope the parameters and logic flow are understandable, but please ask if not.

M23

[txn]

Thanks for your reply Melba23.

Actually I figured out I'm not dealing with a 2d array but rather with an array of arrays (returned by StringRegExp with flag 4). Does it make difference?

As for your code, the parameters and logic flow are absolutely understandable, and your solution is certainly more elegant and portable than going like:

For $i = 0 To UBound($avArray) - 1
   $match = $avArray[$i]
   If StringInStr($match[1], "title3") And StringInStr($match[2], "text0") Then
      Return $match[0]
   EndIf
Next
For $i = 0 To UBound($avArray) - 1
   $match = $avArray[$i]
   If StringInStr($match[1], "title3") Then
      Return $match[0]
   EndIf
Next
For $i = 0 To UBound($avArray) - 1
   $match = $avArray[$i]
   If StringInStr($match[1], "title2") Then
      Return $match[0]
   EndIf
Next

But I see there's a lot of nested statements in your code. Is it preferable than looping through the array over and over?

 

Edit: so my nested arrays should actually be declared like below. Sorry for misleading you, I thought that 2d arrays and nested arrays were the same thing (and to be honest I still don't really get the difference  )

Global $one[3] = ["link1", "title1", "text0"]
Global $two[3] = ["link2", "title2", "text0"]
Global $three[3] = ["link3", "title4", "text0"]
Global $four[3] = ["link4", "title4", "text1"]
Global $five[3] = ["link5", "title6", "text1"]
Global $avArray[5] = [$one, $two, $three, $four, $five]

Edited November 6, 2013 by txn

[kylomas]

txn,

There is a tutorial on arrays here.

Briefly, you can visualize 1D arrays as a list and 2D arrays as a spreadsheet.  In your example you have a 1D array where each element (row) is an array.  This is distinctly different from a 2D array and rarely used (some of the heavy hitters may disagree).

Maybe the following example will help...

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; $avArray is a 1D array where each cell points to a 1D array.
; This is completely different from a 2D array both in concept and use.

Global $one[3] = ["link1", "title1", "text0"]
Global $two[3] = ["link2", "title2", "text0"]
Global $three[3] = ["link3", "title4", "text0"]
Global $four[3] = ["link4", "title4", "text1"]
Global $five[3] = ["link5", "title6", "text1"]
Global $avArray1[5] = [$one, $two, $three, $four, $five]

; The above could be expressed as a 2D array as follows:

Global $avArray2[5][3] = [ _
                         ["link1", "title1", "text0"], _
                         ["link2", "title2", "text0"], _
                         ["link3", "title4", "text0"], _
                         ["link4", "title4", "text1"], _
                         ["link5", "title6", "text1"] _
                         ]

; Each "row" of $avArray1 can be accessed as follows.  Each element needs to be copied to an interim array
; (there may some other way to do this that I am not aware of)

ConsoleWrite(@lf & '!Printing $avArray1[$one]' & @LF)
local $aTmp = $avArray1[$one]
for $1 = 0 to ubound($aTmp) - 1
    ConsoleWrite($aTmp[$1] & @LF)
Next

; The above would need to be repeated for each "row" of $avArray1 whereas a 2D array is much easier to access:

ConsoleWrite(@lf & '!Printing $avArray2' & @LF)
for $1 = 0 to ubound($avArray2) - 1
    for $2 = 0 to ubound($avArray2,2) - 1           ; note the use of the dimension indicator
        ConsoleWrite($avArray2[$1][$2] & ' ')
    Next
    ConsoleWrite(@LF)
Next
ConsoleWrite(@LF)

kylomas

edit:

But I see there's a lot of nested statements in your code. Is it preferable than looping through the array over and over?

 

In the _Search function the top for..next loop is used to iterate through the array testing for equality and setting switches.  The case statement (switch...endswitch) is then used to decide what to return to the caller.  That way the array is only pased once.

Edited November 6, 2013 by kylomas