program to print number of occurences

[rithish]

#include <stdio.h>
#include <stdlib.h>
#include<string.h>
char combine(char [],int k,int n);
int main()
{
   char str[10];
   int m,n;
   printf("enter the string: ");
   fgets(str,sizeof(str),stdin);
   m=0;
   n=strlen(str);
   printf("the combinations are....\n");
   combine(str,m,n-1);
   return 0;
}
char combine(char a[],int k,int n)
{
    int i;
    char temp[40],t;
    strcpy(temp,a);
    if(k==n)
    {
        printf("%s\t",a);
    }
    else{
        for(i=k;i<=n;i++)
        {
            t=a[k];
            a[k]=a[i];
            a[i]=t;
            combine(a,k+1,n);
        }
    }
    strcpy(a,temp);
}

actually output will be like this
enter the string:ab
the occurences are
1.aa
2.bb
3.ab
4.ba

[rithish]

actually i didnt write this code i just copied from google.but it produces the correct output.but here from line 27 to line 33

for(i=k;i<=n;i++)
        {
            t=a[k];
            a[k]=a[i];
            a[i]=t;
            combine(a,k+1,n);
        }

i dont understand wat happens here.please some one explain.

[deceptikon]

Just for the record, when someone talks about occurrences they almost never mean combinations. As for how this works, it recursively builds a tree that breaks down the string, swaps elements, and recombines them to produce combinations.

When you have an algorithm you don't understand, the best approach is to either step through a small data set in a debugger or on paper and draw out what happens to the data. For example, you can get a good test run of this algorithm by typing "abc".

Don't expect someone to be around to explain everything to you, a good programmer's best weapon is the ability to disect code, trace through it, and methodically figure out how it works without any help.