# Smallest difference of pair in String-array

Let's say I have the following array of Strings:

String[] rows = new String[]{
"",
"A",
"B C C",
"",
"B D E",
"E F G H"
};


As well as the following pairs:

String[] pairs = new String[]{
"H F",
"A B",
"A E",
"G B"
};


How can I calculate the smallest difference between the two pairs in the array? So the output would be the following for the pairs:

"H F" -> 0   // (both in the 6th item of the array)
"A B" -> 1   // (2nd and 3rd items of the array)
"A E" -> 3   // (2nd and 5th items of the array; 2nd and 6th would be larger)
"G B" -> 1   // (5th and 6th items of the array; 3rd and 6th would be larger)


I have been able to accomplish this with the following code, but I have the feeling this can be done better/shorter instead of the three nested for-loops..

int[] calculateMinDistanceOfPairs(String[] rows, String[] pairs){
// Result int-array:
int rowLength = rows.length,
c = 0,
d = rowLength,
i,j;
int[] result = new int[pairs.length];
// Loop (1) over the pairs:
for(String pair : pairs){
// Inner loop (2) over the rows
for(i=1, d=rowLength; i<rowLength; i++){
// If the current row contains the first item of the pair:
if(rows[i].contains(pair.split(" ")[0])){
// Inner loop (3) over the rows again
for(j=1; j<rowLength; j++){
// If the current row contains the second item of the pair:
if(rows[j].contains(pair.split(" ")[1])){
// Change d to:
d =
j-i > 0 ?   // If j-i is larger than 0:
j-i < d ?  //  If j-i is smaller than d:
j-i       //   d is now j-i
:          //  Else:
d         //   d remains the same
:            // Else (i-j is larger than or equal to 0):
i-j < d?   //  If i-j is smaller than d:
i-j       //   d is now i-j
:          //  Else:
d;        //   d remains the same
}
} // End of inner loop (3)
}
} // End of inner loop (2)
// Add d to the result-array:
result[c++] = d;
} // End of loop (1)
return result;
}


Try it in this online compiler.

• I'm not entirely sure how this code runs. Could you please add in the method declaration and the initialisation of the variables d and o?
– Imus
Jun 27 '17 at 7:03
• @Imus d and o were a mistake.. I made this answer for a code-golf challenge (hence the short variable names), and then re-written it manually for review here. But it's fixed now, and I've also added a TIO-link at the bottom. Jun 27 '17 at 7:18