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Check if a string can be repeated to make another string
  • Difficulty Level : Medium
  • Last Updated : 13 May, 2021

Given two strings a and b, the task is to check how many times the string a can be repeated to generate the string b. If b cannot be generated by repeating a then print -1.
Examples: 
 

Input: a = “geeks”, b = “geeksgeeks” 
Output: 2 
“geeks” can be repeated twice to generate “geeksgeeks”
Input: a = “df”, b = “dfgrt” 
Output: -1 
 

 

Approach: 
 

  • If len(b) % len(a) != 0 then print -1 as b cannot be generated by repeating a.
  • Else set count = len(b) / len(a) and repeat a count number of times. 
    • If a = b then print count.
    • Else print -1.

Below is the implementation of the above approach: 
 

C++




// CPP implementation of the approach
#include<bits/stdc++.h>
using namespace std;
 
// Function to return the count of repetitions
// of string a to generate string b
int getCount(string a, string b)
{
 
    // If b cannot be generated by repeating a
    if(b.length() % a.length() != 0)
        return -1;
     
    int count = b.length() /a.length();
 
    // Repeat a count number of times
    string str = "";
    for(int i = 0; i < count; i++)
    {
        str = str + a;
    }
    if(str == b)
        return count;
     
    return -1;
}
 
// Driver code
int main()
{
    string a = "geeks";
    string b = "geeksgeeks";
    cout << (getCount(a, b));
    return 0;
}
 
// This code is contributed by
// Surendra_Gangwar
Java



// Java implementation of the approach
 
class GfG
{
 
    // Function to return the count of repetitions
    // of string a to generate string b
    static int getCount(String a, String b)
    {
        // If b cannot be generated by repeating a
        if(b.length() % a.length() != 0)
            return -1;
         
        int count = b.length() / a.length();
     
        // Repeat a count number of times
        String str = "";
        for(int i = 0; i < count; i++)
        {
            str = str + a;
        }
         
        if(str.equals(b))
            return count;
         
        return -1;
    }
 
    // Driver code
    public static void main(String []args)
    {
        String a = "geeks";
        String b = "geeksgeeks";
        System.out.println(getCount(a, b));
    }
}
     
// This code is contributed by Rituraj Jain
Python 3



# Python3 implementation of the approach
 
# Function to return the count of repetitions
# of string a to generate string b
def getCount(a, b):
     
    # If b cannot be generated by repeating a
    if(len(b) % len(a) != 0):
        return -1;
     
    count = int(len(b) / len(a))
     
    # Repeat a count number of times
    a = a * count
     
    if(a == b):
        return count
     
    return -1;
 
# Driver code
if __name__ == '__main__':
    a = 'geeks'
    b = 'geeksgeeks'
    print(getCount(a, b))
C#



// C# implementation of the approach
using System;
 
class GfG
{
 
    // Function to return the count of repetitions
    // of string a to generate string b
    static int getCount(String a, String b)
    {
        // If b cannot be generated by repeating a
        if(b.Length % a.Length != 0)
            return -1;
         
        int count = b.Length / a.Length;
     
        // Repeat a count number of times
        String str = "";
        for(int i = 0; i < count; i++)
        {
            str = str + a;
        }
         
        if(str.Equals(b))
            return count;
         
        return -1;
    }
 
    // Driver code
    public static void Main(String []args)
    {
        String a = "geeks";
        String b = "geeksgeeks";
        Console.WriteLine(getCount(a, b));
    }
}
 
// This code contributed by Rajput-Ji
PHP



<?php
// PHP implementation of the approach
 
// Function to return the count of repetitions
// of string a to generate string b
function getCount($a, $b)
{
     
    // If b cannot be generated by repeating a
    if(strlen($b) % strlen($a) != 0)
        return -1;
     
    $count = floor(strlen($b) / strlen($a));
     
    // Repeat a count number of times
    // Repeat a count number of times
    $str = "";
    for($i = 0; $i < $count; $i++)
    {
        $str = $str . $a ;
    }
     
    if(strcmp($a,$b))
        return $count;
     
    return -1;
}
 
// Driver code
$a = 'geeks';
$b = 'geeksgeeks';
echo getCount($a, $b);
 
// This code is contributed by Ryuga
?>
Javascript



<script>
 
// Javascript implementation of the approach
 
 
    // Function to return the count of repetitions
    // of string a to generate string b
    function getCount( a,  b) {
        // If b cannot be generated by repeating a
        if (b.length % a.length != 0)
            return -1;
 
        var count = parseInt(b.length / a.length);
 
        // Repeat a count number of times
        var str = "";
        for (i = 0; i < count; i++) {
            str = str + a;
        }
 
        if (str == (b))
            return count;
 
        return -1;
    }
 
    // Driver code
     
        var a = "geeks";
        var b = "geeksgeeks";
        document.write(getCount(a, b));
 
// This code is contributed by todaysgaurav
 
</script>
Output: 
2
 



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Article Contributed By :
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dkp1903
@dkp1903
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