Logic puzzle? Determine if words in "find string" are in the same order as words in a "search string".

[OaklandJim]

Am trying to help someone who posted to the list.

I need to determine if words in a find string (a single string with one or more words separated by space) are in the same order as words in a search string (also a single string with one or more words separated by space). I've got code that comes before that determination (see below) so you don't have to bother with that. I just need some help with the logic to make the determination. Results are not case sensitive.

Example 1: a) Search string "Goat Dog Cat Bear" b) Find string "Dog Cat" yields a True result.

Example 2: a) Search string "Goat Dog Cat Bear" b) Find string "Cat Bear" yields a True result.

Example 3: a) Search string "Goat Dog Cat Bear" b) Find string "Cat Dog" yields a False result.

Example 4: a) Search string "Goat Dog Cat Bear" b) Find string "Goat Bear" yields a False result.

' ----------------------------------------------------------------
' Procedure Name: IsOutOfOrder
' Purpose: Determine if words in find string are not in same order as search string.
' Procedure Kind: Function
' Procedure Access: Public
' Parameter psSearchString (String): String of words to search in.
' Parameter psFindString (String): String of words to search for.
' Author: Jim
' Date: 5/9/2023
' ----------------------------------------------------------------

Function IsOutOfOrder(psSearchString As String, psFindString As String)

'   Array holding words in the search string.
    Dim asSearchWords() As String

'   Array holding words in the find string.
    Dim asFindWords() As String
    
'   Count of search words found and of find words found.
    Dim iSearchWordsCount As Long
    Dim iFindWordsCount As Long
    
'   Used to loop through words to process ("find words" present)
    Dim iFindWord As Long
    
'   Flag indicating that all words in find string are present in search string.
    Dim bAllWordsArePresent As Boolean
    
'   Split "search in" string and "find string" into arrays.
    asSearchWords = Split(psSearchString, " ")
    asFindWords = Split(psFindString, " ")
    
'   Convert split search words array and find words array to one based
'   indexing from zero based
    Call OneBasedArray(asSearchWords)
    Call OneBasedArray(asFindWords)
    
'   Count of search words found and of find words found.
    iSearchWordsCount = UBound(asSearchWords)
    iFindWordsCount = UBound(asFindWords)
    
'   Initialize the function return value.
    IsOutOfOrder = False
    
'   Determine if all words in string to find are in the search string.
    bAllWordsArePresent = IsAllWordsPresent(psSearchString, psFindString)

'   If All words are present then test for find words are out of order
'   relative to search words.
    If bAllWordsArePresent _
     Then
        
Debug.Print "here"

     End If
    
End Function

I hate zero base of arrays so I use this to make arrays 1 base

' ----------------------------------------------------------------
' Procedure Name: OneBasedArray
' Purpose: Convert string array from zero based indexing to one based.
' Procedure Kind: Function
' Procedure Access: Public
' Parameter pasValues (String): Array to convert.
' Return Type: String)
' Author: Jim
' Date: 5/9/2023
' ----------------------------------------------------------------
Function OneBasedArray(ByRef pasValues() As String)
    
    Dim iUbound As Long
    
    Dim asTemp() As String
    
    Dim iValue As Long
    
    iUbound = UBound(pasValues)

    ReDim asTemp(1 To iUbound + 1)
    
    For iValue = 0 To iUbound
    
       asTemp(iValue + 1) = pasValues(iValue)
    
    Next iValue
    
    pasValues = asTemp
    
End Function

' ----------------------------------------------------------------
' Procedure Name: IsAllWordsPresent
' Purpose: Determin if all words in a "find string" are within a "search string".
' Procedure Kind: Function
' Procedure Access: Public
' Parameter psSearchString (String): String to search in.
' Parameter psFindString (String): String containing words to search for.
' Return Type: Boolean
' Author: Jim
' Date: 5/9/2023
' ----------------------------------------------------------------

Function IsAllWordsPresent(psSearchString As String, psFindString As String) As Boolean

'   Used to keep track of whether a find word was found in search words.
    Dim abWordIsPresent() As Boolean

'   Array that holds words to find.
    Dim asFindWords() As String
    
'   Count of find words are present in the string psFindString.
    Dim iFindWordsCount As Long
    
'   Used to loop through words in string psFindString.
    Dim iFindWord As Long
    
'   Initialize the function return value.
    IsAllWordsPresent = True
    
'   Put all words to find in array asFindWords
    asFindWords = Split(psFindString, " ")
    
'   Make the split array one based instead of zero based.
    Call OneBasedArray(asFindWords)
    
'   Count of "find words" that are in the asFindWords array.
    iFindWordsCount = UBound(asFindWords)
    
'   Size the array holding true/false (found/not found) flags
    ReDim abWordIsPresent(iFindWordsCount)
    
'   Search in for all find words to determine if all find words are present.
    For iFindWord = 1 To iFindWordsCount

        If InStr(UCase(psSearchString), UCase(asFindWords(iFindWord))) _
         Then
            abWordIsPresent(iFindWord) = True
        Else
            abWordIsPresent(iFindWord) = False
        End If

    Next iFindWord

'   Determine if all find words are present in search words.
    For iFindWord = 1 To iFindWordsCount

        If Not abWordIsPresent(iFindWord) _
         Then
            IsAllWordsPresent = False
            Exit For
        End If

    Next iFindWord

End Function

 

[OaklandJim]

I think I figured it out. As usual, don't make coding more difficult than it already is!

Option Explicit

' ----------------------------------------------------------------
' Procedure Name: IsOutOfOrder
' Purpose: Determine if words in find string are not in same order as search string.
' Procedure Kind: Function
' Procedure Access: Public
' Parameter psSearchString (String): String of words to search in.
' Parameter psFindString (String): String of words to search for.
' Author: Jim
' Date: 5/9/2023
' ----------------------------------------------------------------

Function IsOutOfOrder(psSearchString As String, psFindString As String)

'   Array holding words in the search string.
    Dim asSearchWords() As String

'   Array holding words in the find string.
    Dim asFindWords() As String
   
'   Count of search words found and of find words found.
    Dim iSearchWordsCount As Long
    Dim iFindWordsCount As Long
   
'   Used to loop through words to process ("find words" present)
    Dim iFindWord As Long
   
'   Flag indicating that all words in find string are present in search string.
    Dim bAllWordsArePresent As Boolean
   
'   Split "search in" string and "find string" into arrays.
    asSearchWords = Split(psSearchString, " ")
    asFindWords = Split(psFindString, " ")
   
'   Convert split search words array and find words array to one based
'   indexing from zero based
    Call OneBasedArray(asSearchWords)
    Call OneBasedArray(asFindWords)
   
'   Count of search words found and of find words found.
    iSearchWordsCount = UBound(asSearchWords)
    iFindWordsCount = UBound(asFindWords)
   
'   Initialize the function return value.
    IsOutOfOrder = True
   
'   Determine if all words in string to find are in the search string.
    bAllWordsArePresent = IsAllWordsPresent(psSearchString, psFindString)

'   If All words are present then test for find words are out of order
'   relative to search words.
    If bAllWordsArePresent _
     Then
       
        If InStr(1, UCase(psSearchString), UCase(psFindString)) _
         Then
            IsOutOfOrder = False
        Else
            IsOutOfOrder = True
        End If
   
    Else
        IsOutOfOrder = False
   
    End If
   
End Function