[Pascal] Counting letters in a row without arrays

[trash]

I'm working with this excercise: make a program that gives the number of consecutive letters of a word and the most repeated letter in a row -example: if i enter aaafdseergftth and i press return the program should return a = 3, e=2, t=2 and a=3-.

I've come up with a couple of "solutions", like define a string and then use an array to get the characters and compare then with a while loop, but here's the issue: i can't use arrays, string, sunbfunctions to solve this excersise, and explicitely says i have to look for another solution.

Now here is my second idea without using strings or arrays: Define an unknown amounts of char variables and enter each one until Intro is entered with a while loop like While not (Eoln) do (...). And that's the only thing i can come up right now to solve it, but when i was looking for a way to define an unknown amount of variables i found nothing but a solution with an array that i should resize to enter new variables.

The next attempt: i defined tree variables char and one int. Then i defined a While Not (Eoln) that checks every letter entered and compare it with the one before, that would almost solve the excercise. The issue is that every time i enter a letter the while loop will be triggered, then after the loop -after i enter return- i could only print the character of the last of consecutive row of letters -the while is needed because i want the result after i entered all the letters-. If i try with the example above i get: t = 2.

Any ideas?

 

[AlephZero]

The next attempt: i defined tree variables char and one int. Then i defined a While Not (Eoln) that checks every letter entered and compare it with the one before, that would almost solve the excercise.

That's a good idea.

The issue is that every time i enter a letter the while loop will be triggered, then after the loop -after i enter return- i could only print the character of the last of consecutive row of letters

When you have processed the first 4 characters "aaaf", you know enough to print out "a = 3". You don't have to process the whole string before you print out something.

 

[trash]

When you have processed the first 4 characters "aaaf", you know enough to print out "a = 3". You don't have to process the whole string before you print out something.

Thanks for answring AlephZero.
I have to enter the whole thing before i get the answer, that's what the excercise ask for.

If i don't process the whole thing wouldn't it go like this?
[Enter a]
Nothing happens
[Enter a]
Nothing happens
[Enter a]
Nothing happens
[Enter f]
prints a=3

I would like something like:
[Enter a]
[Enter a]
[Enter a]
[Enter b]
[Enter b]
[Enter f]
[Enter Return]
prints a=3, b=2

 

[Bill Simpson]

I have to enter the whole thing before i get the answer, that's what the excercise ask for.

Hint: Can you use or have you been introduced to "recursion" yet?

If not then ignore this.

 

[LudusRex]

I would suggest considering alternative data structures to solve this exercise without using arrays or strings. One possible solution could be using a linked list, where each node contains a character and a count of consecutive occurrences. This way, you can still keep track of the consecutive letters without using an array. Additionally, you could use a hash table to keep track of the most repeated letter in a row, updating the count each time a new consecutive letter is encountered. This would also eliminate the need for resizing an array. Overall, it may require some additional coding and logic, but it is possible to solve this exercise without using arrays or strings.