[Boost-users] combinations and permutations

Subject: [Boost-users] combinations and permutations
From: Stephen Nuchia (snuchia_at_[hidden])
Date: 2009-08-24 10:51:09

I'm writing some test case generators and, for the umpteenth time,
having to craft combination and permutation generation loops.

 

I see that there is a "permutation iterator" that scrambles ranges.
That's a good and useful tool but it isn't enough for what I have in
mind.

 

I'd like a set of tools that will provide both exhaustive and random
combinations and permutations of N items from M item sets or multisets
(represented in a variety of concrete ways and with M >= N).  Admitting
multisets moves the problem from first-year to second- or third-year
level.  I like to keep things interesting ;-)

 

Any suggestions?

 

I am putting some effort into generalizing the interface to the code I'm
hacking on now but I doubt my management will permit me to contribute it
to boost.  Maybe, since it is used only for testing.  We'll see.  But if
somebody else started the ball rolling I could take pot shots at their
work.

 

-swn

 

PS: The specification above could be expanded to include a pairwise test
case generator, or that could be considered another library suggestion.
These things are usually needed at a utility level rather than inside a
compiled test driver but there are exceptions.  See
http://www.pairwise.org/tools.asp .