Directory Enquiries Challenge

[czardas]

Not such a difficult challenge, but I thought this would make an interesting diversion for some of you budding developers. The object of the challenge is simply to search for a phone number within a 1D array of international phone numbers, with or without country codes. The tricky part is that you don't know anything about the number's location, user location or number formatting. False positive matches are therefore allowed. With, or without, research; you are required to produce an algorithm that gets it right most of the time. Use as few lines of code as you can and any trick you can think of to simplify the task. Can you come up with the best approach? 

Edited August 23, 2016 by czardas

[JLogan3o13]

Good challenge. Perhaps, if you are targeting some of the more junior forum members, you should provide the array so they can work out only the search function. Just my 2¢

[czardas]

Okay, an array can be provided. First I would like people to think about it for a short while - including myself. Perhaps you could PM me some typical American numbers that I wouldn't know. The only American number I know is 911. I also need to research this a little myself. 

[that was quick ]

Edited August 23, 2016 by czardas

[czardas]

As a start, I have generated a sample array with some random phone numbers (mostly ficticious):

#include <Array.au3>

Local $aArray = _
    ['+262 692 12 03 00', '1800 251 996',    '+1 994 951 0197', _
    '091 535 98 91 61',   '2397865',         '08457 128276', _
    '348476300192',       '05842 361774',    '0-800-022-5649', _
    '15499514891',        '0096 363 0949',   '04813137349', _
    '06620 220168',       '07766 554433',    '047 845 44 22 94', _
    '0435 773 4859',      '(01) 882 8565',   '00441619346434', _
    '09314 367090',       '0 164 268 0887',  '0590995603', _
    '991',                '0267 746 3393',   '064157526153', _
    '0 719 829 7756',     '+1-541-754-3012', '+441347543010', _
    '03890 978398',       '(31) 10 7765420', '020 8568 6646', _
    '0161 934 6534',      '0 637 915 1283',  '+44 207 882 8565', _
    '0800 275002',        '0750 646 9746',   '982-714-3119', _
    '000 300 74 52 40',   '023077529227',    '1 758 441 0611', _
    '0183 233 0151',      '02047092863',     '+44 20 7946 0321', _
    '04935 410618',       '048 257 67 60 79']

    _ArrayDisplay($aArray)

The basic challenge, for those of you who have only been coding for a year or two, is as follows: Write a piece of code which attempts to find the following phone numbers by searching through the array.

882 8565
123 8762
7543010
07843 543287
00441619346534
+44208.....missing numbers [optional task]
0015417543012

The challenge is open to anyone, but I hope more advanced coders will give beginners a chance to solve this before suggesting possible alternatives. Discussion is allowed. It is not intended that you study all country dialing codes, although you might want to take a look here to give you some ideas:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_conventions_for_writing_telephone_numbers.
I am looking for a simple solution with just a few lines of code, rather than a complicated script. The method you choose is as important as your coding skills. Notice that one of the numbers you are meant to find (optional task) is incomplete - perhaps found on a torn piece of paper.

Good luck to everyone.

Edited August 24, 2016 by czardas
slight modification

[SadBunny]

So the challenge is to fuzzy-search for anything that sort of resembles a phone number? Doesn't this come down more to some smart pattern definitions than to a scripting solution?

[Somerset]

What do we win, besides an illicit love affair with the phone operator that is now a freaking robot?

[czardas]

5 hours ago, SadBunny said:

So the challenge is to fuzzy-search for anything that sort of resembles a phone number? Doesn't this come down more to some smart pattern definitions than to a scripting solution?

There must be several ways to approach the problem. It is typical of the types of problem encountered with search engine design, only a bit simpler.
 

4 hours ago, Somerset said:

What do we win, besides an illicit love affair with the phone operator that is now a freaking robot?

You won't win!

Edited August 24, 2016 by czardas

[czardas]

I just made searching for the incomplete number +44208..... an optional task. The dialing code gets you through to London, but finding matches for numbers which are half missing is not the main point of this exercise. Perhaps I should have left it out. Just try to find the others.

[JohnOne]

I've been scripting for a fair few years, and I don't even understand the question

None of those numbers to search are in the list.

Could you expand? you know for all those noobs out there 

[czardas]

@JohnOne the first number is found at array index 16. The prefix (01) might not be required for an internal call, but there is no way to know which country the number is in for this particular example.

Hopefully someone will drop a hint or two before long.

Edited August 24, 2016 by czardas

[TheDcoder]

Wow, this is going to be a hard task for people with Obsessive compulsive disorder, OCD people like to do it perfectly and neatly .

[SadBunny]

Well, life isn't perfect and life isn't neat. That's why we need Jesus fuzzy logic and proper process to save us from hell runtime errors and friday-evening releases.

[jchd]

Fuzzy search (lookup search feature here) and regexp will smash such a  mosquito.

[JohnOne]

StringStrip, StringReplace, StringInstr

[iamtheky]

I think coming up with an arrangement of numbers that cant be a phone number is difficult.  Even saying 'less than this many digits' is bound to be undone by some weird country code and pin requirements.  even sticking with purely public numbers you could at max maybe get away with a single criteria of a minimum of 3 digits (in the U.S. those are generally  "*11").

[czardas]

I guess there will always be some peculiar exceptions (ignore internal extensions unless you want to include them). After looking through the lists of standard number formats, I would say that any number less than 7 digits 6 or maybe 4 digits should only return an exact match (to be dialed within the territory). You wouldn't expect someone to dial the emergency services in the US if they are calling from Japan. I'm not sure it would even be possible to do this. Beyond 7 digits, the number is likely to contain some outer-regional code possibly preceded by a country code etc. Sometimes the digit zero is dropped immediately after the country dialing code (I'm not sure if this is always the case), so there are a few things to latch on to and watch out for.

Edited August 24, 2016 by czardas

[pluto41]

expandcollapse popup

#include <array.au3>
#include <file.au3>

Opt ('MustDeclareVars', 1)

Local $aPhoneNumbers = _
    ['+262 692 12 03 00', '1800 251 996',    '+1 994 951 0197', _
    '091 535 98 91 61',   '2397865',         '08457 128276', _
    '348476300192',       '05842 361774',    '0-800-022-5649', _
    '15499514891',        '0096 363 0949',   '04813137349', _
    '06620 220168',       '07766 554433',    '047 845 44 22 94', _
    '0435 773 4859',      '(01) 882 8565',   '00441619346434', _
    '09314 367090',       '0 164 268 0887',  '0590995603', _
    '991',                '0267 746 3393',   '064157526153', _
    '0 719 829 7756',     '+1-541-754-3012', '+441347543010', _
    '03890 978398',       '(31) 10 7765420', '020 8568 6646', _
    '0161 934 6534',      '0 637 915 1283',  '+44 207 882 8565', _
    '0800 275002',        '0750 646 9746',   '982-714-3119', _
    '000 300 74 52 40',   '023077529227',    '1 758 441 0611', _
    '0183 233 0151',      '02047092863',     '+44 20 7946 0321', _
    '04935 410618',       '048 257 67 60 79']

; Reference: http://www.studyabroad.com/resources/international-telephone-country-codes / Country codes saved in countries.txt CSV format (;) seperator is used.
Local $aPhoneCountry
_FileReadToArray (@ScriptDir & "countries.txt", $aPhoneCountry, $FRTA_NOCOUNT)
if @error Then
    Msgbox (0, "_FileReadToArray", @Error & " occured while trying to read: " & @ScriptDir & "countries.txt")
    Exit 1
EndIf

Local $aCountryCode, $strPhoneNumber, $bPrint = False
For $i = 0 To UBound ($aPhoneNumbers) - 1
    $strPhoneNumber = StringReplace ( $aPhoneNumbers [$i], "+", "" )
    $strPhoneNumber = StringReplace ( $strPhoneNumber, " ", "" )
    $strPhoneNumber = StringReplace ( $strPhoneNumber, "-", "" )
    For $j = 0 to UBound ( $aPhoneCountry ) - 1
        $aCountryCode = StringSplit ($aPhoneCountry[$j], ";")
        If StringInStr ( $strPhoneNumber, $aCountryCode [1] ) = 1 Then
            $bPrint = True
            ConsoleWrite ( "==> " & $aCountryCode [1] & " " & $aCountryCode [2] & "Phone Number: " & StringRight ( $strPhoneNumber, StringLen ( $strPhoneNumber ) - StringLen ( $aCountryCode [1] ) ) & @CRLF )
        EndIf
    Next
    If $bPrint = False Then ConsoleWrite ( "> " & $strPhoneNumber & @CRLF )
    $bPrint = False
Next

Ok newbie One (me)  starts: this is totally not perfect but a approach. Namely first detect the Country dial-numbers. Everything after the Country number is likely to be a phone number.

 

 

[iamtheky]

Gief me an array that includes a bunch of number strings you dont believe are phone numbers, and ensure those are excluded, plz.

[czardas]

@pluto41 Thanks for your effort. There is no guarantee that a number has a country code included. You should probably start the search from the other end, backtracking through the digits.  That's all the tips I have at my disposal right now!

@iamtheky What are you on about?

4 hours ago, czardas said:

I would say that any number less than 7 digits should only return an exact match

Note to self - Seven digits is too many: perhaps less than six digits should return an exact match - both numbers being five or less digits. In some places you might not need to dial an area code at all, so this is debatable.

Edited August 24, 2016 by czardas

[czardas]

@pluto41 Thanks for your effort. There is no guarantee that a number has a country code included. You should probably start the search from the other end, backtracking through the digits.  That's all the tips I have at my disposal right now!

@iamtheky What are you on about?

4 hours ago, czardas said:

I would say that any number less than 7 digits should only return an exact match

Note to self - Seven digits is too many: perhaps less than six digits should return an exact match - both numbers being five or less digits. In some places you might not need to dial an area code at all, so this is debatable.

Edited August 24, 2016 by czardas