# \[SOLVED\] Best way to store words count?

**URL:** <https://discourse.processing.org/t/solved-best-way-to-store-words-count/7031>\
**Category:** Coding Questions\
**Created:** [December 30, 2018, 10:31pm UTC](https://discourse.processing.org/t/solved-best-way-to-store-words-count/7031 "2018-12-30T22:31:33Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Architector\_4](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/user_avatar/discourse.processing.org/architector_4/32/813_2.png) [@Architector\_4](https://discourse.processing.org/u/Architector_4)\
**Post date:** [December 30, 2018, 10:31pm UTC](https://discourse.processing.org/t/solved-best-way-to-store-words-count/7031/1 "2018-12-30T22:31:33Z")

</div>

So I’m making a thing that counts how many times each word is present in a given `String`, but I’m not sure what would be the most efficient way to store the values.

Right now, the first way to store them that came to my mind is to make a new `JSONObject` `words`, and then, for every `thisWord` that I encounter, do `words.setInt(thisWord, words.getInt(thisWord)+1 );` to effectively end up with a `JSONObject` that I can iterate upon to get how many times each word was used.

But, I’m wondering, would a `Table` with 1 row and column names corresponding to words be faster than a `JSONObject`?

Should I just make an `ArrayList<Word>` where `Word` is a custom class containing the word itself and its count, and then, when I want to add 1 to some word, iterate over all items in that `ArrayList` until I find that word and add 1 to its count?

Any thoughts?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![kll](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/user_avatar/discourse.processing.org/kll/32/964_2.png) [@kll](https://discourse.processing.org/u/kll)\
**Post date:** [December 31, 2018, 12:54am UTC](https://discourse.processing.org/t/solved-best-way-to-store-words-count/7031/2 "2018-12-31T00:54:08Z")

</div>

try that example:

```auto
IntDict inventory;
String[] lines, words;
String find = "Lorem";
boolean gotit = false;
long startT, stopT, dT;

void setup() {
  size(200, 200);
  inventory = new IntDict();
  lines = loadStrings("http://websitetips.com/articles/copy/lorem/ipsum.txt");
  for ( String l : lines ) {
    words = split(l, ' ');
    for ( String word : words ) inventory.add(word, 1);
  }
  println(inventory);
  println("we have "+inventory.size()+" entries");
  startT = millis();
  inventory.sortKeys(); // sort alphabetically
  gotit = inventory.hasKey(find); // look for search string
  stopT = millis();
  dT = stopT - startT;
  if ( gotit ) {
    println("Yes, we found _" + find + "_: " + inventory.get(find) + " times");
  } else {
    println("Sorry, no _" + find + "_");
  }
  println(" and needed for sort and search " + dT + " msec" );
}

```

results:

```auto
IntDict size=131 { "Lorem": 19, "ipsum": 19, "dolor": 22, "sit": 19, "amet,": 10, "consetetur": 8, "sadipscing": 9, "elitr,": 9, "sed": 19, "diam": 19, "nonumy": 9, "eirmod": 9, "tempor": 10, "invidunt": 9, "ut": 13, "labore": 9, "et": 40, "dolore": 16, "magna": 11, "aliquyam": 9, "erat,": 8, "voluptua.": 8, "At": 9, "vero": 11, "eos": 9, "accusam": 9, "justo": 9, "duo": 9, "dolores": 9, "ea": 11, "rebum.": 9, "Stet": 9, "clita": 9, "kasd": 9, "gubergren,": 9, "no": 9, "sea": 9, "takimata": 9, "sanctus": 9, "est": 9, "amet.": 9, "": 8, "Duis": 3, "autem": 3, "vel": 6, "eum": 3, "iriure": 3, "in": 6, "hendrerit": 3, "vulputate": 3, "velit": 3, "esse": 3, "molestie": 3, "consequat,": 3, "illum": 3, "eu": 3, "feugiat": 3, "nulla": 5, "facilisis": 2, "at": 2, "eros": 2, "accumsan": 2, "iusto": 2, "odio": 2, "dignissim": 2, "qui": 2, "blandit": 2, "praesent": 2, "luptatum": 2, "zzril": 2, "delenit": 2, "augue": 2, "duis": 2, "te": 2, "feugait": 2, "facilisi.": 2, "consectetuer": 2, "adipiscing": 2, "elit,": 2, "nonummy": 2, "nibh": 2, "euismod": 2, "tincidunt": 2, "laoreet": 2, "aliquam": 2, "erat": 2, "volutpat.": 2, "Ut": 2, "wisi": 2, "enim": 2, "ad": 2, "minim": 2, "veniam,": 2, "quis": 2, "nostrud": 2, "exerci": 2, "tation": 2, "ullamcorper": 2, "suscipit": 2, "lobortis": 2, "nisl": 2, "aliquip": 2, "ex": 2, "commodo": 2, "consequat.": 2, "Nam": 1, "liber": 1, "cum": 1, "soluta": 1, "nobis": 1, "eleifend": 1, "option": 1, "congue": 1, "nihil": 1, "imperdiet": 1, "doming": 1, "id": 1, "quod": 1, "mazim": 1, "placerat": 1, "facer": 1, "possim": 1, "assum.": 1, "facilisis.": 1, "erat.": 1, "Consetetur": 1, "--------------------------------------------": 2, "Courtesy": 1, "of": 1, "WebsiteTips.com": 1, "http://websitetips.com/articles/copy/lorem/": 1 }
we have 131 entries
Yes, we found _Lorem_: 19 times
 and needed for sort and search 20 msec

```

not sure it’s what you need

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Architector\_4](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/user_avatar/discourse.processing.org/architector_4/32/813_2.png) [@Architector\_4](https://discourse.processing.org/u/Architector_4)\
**Post date:** [December 31, 2018, 1:02am UTC](https://discourse.processing.org/t/solved-best-way-to-store-words-count/7031/3 "2018-12-31T01:02:06Z")

</div>

Oh. Didn’t know that `IntDict` is a thing. I guess it makes full sense to use that, considering it’s primary intended purpose is exactly what I need.

Thanks!

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![jeremydouglass](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/user_avatar/discourse.processing.org/jeremydouglass/32/20_2.png) [@jeremydouglass](https://discourse.processing.org/u/jeremydouglass)\
**Post date:** [January 15, 2019, 12:13am UTC](https://discourse.processing.org/t/solved-best-way-to-store-words-count/7031/4 "2019-01-15T00:13:48Z")

</div>

In addition to IntDict:

[https://processing.org/reference/IntDict.html](https://processing.org/reference/IntDict.html)

you could use a Counter class based on HashMap or TreeMap. Or you could use a Guava and use a Guava MultiSet.

[https://google.github.io/guava/releases/16.0/api/docs/com/google/common/collect/Multiset.html](https://google.github.io/guava/releases/16.0/api/docs/com/google/common/collect/Multiset.html)

I wrote a CounterMap class to do this for a library in progress. I ended up moving to a TreeMap-based implementation with multiple classes for the library, but here is an early stand-alone sketch I wrote that was based on a HashMap – just a single class. Here is how you would use it for your problem:

```auto
  CounterMap things = new CounterMap();
  String woodchuck = "how much wood would a wood chuck chuck if a wood chuck could chuck wood ?";
  println("\"", woodchuck, "\"");
  for (String s : split(woodchuck, ' ')) {
    things.count(s);
  }
  println(things.entrySet());

```

The main thing that is interesting about this approach is that it is _not_ bound to type – it can count whatever – numbers, strings, characters, Objects.

main tab: CountingMethods

```auto
import java.util.Arrays;
import java.util.List;

CounterMap things;

void setup() {
  things = new CounterMap();

  println("\ncount(): Increments by 1 and returns the new value. If a key is not found, it adds it starting at 1.");
  println("count('a') -->", things.count('a')); // 1
  println("count('a') -->", things.count('a')); // 2

  println("\ngetCount(): Returns the value without changing it. Returns null if the key is not found.");
  println("getCount('a') -->", things.getCount('a')); // 2
  println("getCount('z') -->", things.getCount('z')); // null

  println("\nremove(): Removes a key, returning its value. Returns null if the key is not found.");
  println("remove('a') -->", things.remove('a')); // 2
  println("remove('a') -->", things.remove('a')); // null

  println("\nclear: Clears the map.\nclear()");
  things.clear();

  println("\nA CounterMap can generate counts for each unique words in string:");
  String woodchuck = "how much wood would a wood chuck chuck if a wood chuck could chuck wood ?";
  println("\"", woodchuck, "\"");
  for (String s : split(woodchuck, ' ')) {
    things.count(s);
  }
  println("entrySet() -->", things.entrySet());
  println("getCount(\"wood\") -->", things.getCount("wood")); // 4
  println("getCount(\"a\") -->", things.getCount("a")); // 2

  println("\nA CounterMap can count almost anything -- characters, floats, integers, Strings, or Objects.");
  things.clear();
  println("count('m') -->", things.count('m')); // 1
  println("count(1.4) -->", things.count(1.4)); // 1
  println("count(1.4) -->", things.count(1.4)); // 2
  println("count((int)1) -->", things.count((int)1)); // 1
  println("count((int)1) -->", things.count((int)1)); // 2
  println("count((int)1) -->", things.count((int)1)); // 3
  println("count(LEFT) -->", things.count(LEFT)); // 1
  println("count(LEFT) -->", things.count(LEFT)); // 2
  println("count(\"a string\") -->", things.count("a string")); // 1
  println("entrySet() -->", things.entrySet());
  
  println("\nclear: Clears the map.\nclear()");
  things.clear();

  println("\nHowever, mixing types of data in one map is usually not a good idea. For example, the char 'a' and the String \"a\" are different.");
  things.clear();

  println("count(\"a\") -->", things.count("a"));
  println("count(\"A\") -->", things.count("A"));
  println("count(\"a \") -->", things.count("a "));
  println("count('a') -->", things.count('a'));
  println("count('a') -->", things.count('a'));
  println("entrySet() -->", things.entrySet());

  things.clear();

  println("\nsetCount(): Sets a count to a specific value. It returns the previous value, or null if the key did not exist.");
  println("setCount('x', 10) -->", things.setCount('x', 10));
  println("setCount('x', -10) -->", things.setCount('x', -10));
  println("setCount('x', 10) -->", things.setCount('x', 0));
  println("getCount('x') -->", things.getCount('x'));

  println("\ncount() can also proceed by an arbitrary increment.");
  println("count('x', 5) -->", things.count('x', 5)); // 5
  println("count('x', 5) -->", things.count('x', 5)); // 10
  println("count('x', -1) -->", things.count('x', -1)); // 9
  println("count('x', -1) -->", things.count('x', -1)); // 8
  
  exit();
}

```

tab: CounterMap

```auto
import java.util.HashMap;
import java.util.Map;

class CounterMap<K> extends HashMap<K, Integer> {

  public Integer count (K key) {
    return count(key, 1);
  }

  public Integer count (K key, Integer increment) {
    Integer newValue = getOrDefault(key, 0) + increment;
    put(key, newValue);
    return newValue;
  }

  public Integer getCount (K key) {
    return get(key);
  }

  @Override
    public Integer remove (Object key) {
    return super.remove(key);
  }

  public Integer setCount (K key, Integer value) {
    return put(key, value);
  }
}

```

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Architector\_4](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/user_avatar/discourse.processing.org/architector_4/32/813_2.png) [@Architector\_4](https://discourse.processing.org/u/Architector_4)\
**Post date:** [January 15, 2019, 1:55pm UTC](https://discourse.processing.org/t/solved-best-way-to-store-words-count/7031/5 "2019-01-15T13:55:43Z")

</div>

Thanks for the reply!  
That class of yours does look like a powerful solution, however `IntDict` is a class I’d still prefer to use at it fits my need exactly.  
In any case, its `sortValuesReverse()` method is magnitudes faster than what I used before for this purpose - which was my implementation of selection sort on a regular array done with constant juggling of `Word` objects in that array… 😃

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![jeremydouglass](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/user_avatar/discourse.processing.org/jeremydouglass/32/20_2.png) [@jeremydouglass](https://discourse.processing.org/u/jeremydouglass)\
**Post date:** [January 15, 2019, 4:58pm UTC](https://discourse.processing.org/t/solved-best-way-to-store-words-count/7031/6 "2019-01-15T16:58:04Z")

</div>

Great – glad that IntDict is working for you!

Yes, sorting is exactly the reason I ended up moving towards TreeMap. I probably would have stuck with IntDict myself except I did that work for keystroke toggling and counting, so I wanted to be able to store, count, and sort either chars or a mix of chars and ints.