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Check if the characters of a given string are in alphabetical order

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Given a string ‘s’, the task is to find if the characters of the string are in alphabetical order. The string contains only lowercase characters. 

Examples: 

Input: Str = "aabbbcc"
Output: In alphabetical order

Input: Str = "aabbbcca"
Output: Not in alphabetical order

A simple approach: 

  • Store the string to a character array and sort the array.
  • If the characters in the sorted array are in the same order as the string then print ‘In alphabetical order ‘.
  • Print ‘Not in alphabetical order’ otherwise.

Below is the implementation of the above approach :  

C++




// C++ implementation of above approach
#include <bits/stdc++.h>
using namespace std;
 
// Function that checks whether
// the string is in alphabetical
// order or not
bool isAlphabaticOrder(string s)
{
    // length of the string
    int n = s.length();
 
    // create a character array
    // of the length of the string
    char c[n];
 
    // assign the string
    // to character array
    for (int i = 0; i < n; i++) {
        c[i] = s[i];
    }
 
    // sort the character array
    sort(c, c + n);
 
    // check if the character array
    // is equal to the string or not
    for (int i = 0; i < n; i++)
        if (c[i] != s[i])
            return false;
         
    return true;   
}
 
// Driver code
int main()
{
    string s = "aabbbcc";
 
    // check whether the string is
    // in alphabetical order or not
    if (isAlphabaticOrder(s))
       cout << "Yes";
    else
       cout << "No";
 
    return 0;
}

Java



// Java implementation of above approach
 
// import  Arrays class
import java.util.Arrays;
 
public class GFG {
 
    // Function that checks whether
    // the string is in alphabetical
    // order or not
    static boolean isAlphabaticOrder(String s)
    {
        // length of the string
        int n = s.length();
       
        // create a character array
        // of the length of the string
        char c[] = new char [n];
       
        // assign the string
        // to character array
        for (int i = 0; i < n; i++) {
            c[i] = s.charAt(i);
        }
       
        // sort the character array
        Arrays.sort(c);
       
        // check if the character array
        // is equal to the string or not
        for (int i = 0; i < n; i++)
            if (c[i] != s.charAt(i)) 
                return false;
               
        return true;    
    }
     
    public static void main(String args[])
    {
        String s = "aabbbcc";
         
        // check whether the string is
        // in alphabetical order or not
        if (isAlphabaticOrder(s))
           System.out.println("Yes");
        else
            System.out.println("No");
           
    }
    // This Code is contributed by ANKITRAI1
}
Python3



# Python 3 implementation of above approach
 
# Function that checks whether
# the string is in alphabetical
# order or not
def isAlphabaticOrder(s):
     
    # length of the string
    n = len(s)
 
    # create a character array
    # of the length of the string
    c = [s[i] for i in range(len(s))]
 
    # sort the character array
    c.sort(reverse = False)
 
    # check if the character array
    # is equal to the string or not
    for i in range(n):
        if (c[i] != s[i]):
            return False
         
    return True
 
# Driver code
if __name__ == '__main__':
    s = "aabbbcc"
 
    # check whether the string is
    # in alphabetical order or not
    if (isAlphabaticOrder(s)):
        print("Yes")
    else:
        print("No")
 
# This code is contributed by
# Surendra_Gangwar
C#



// C# implementation of above approach
// import Arrays class
 
using System;
 
public class GFG{
     
    // Function that checks whether
    // the string is in alphabetical
    // order or not
    static bool isAlphabaticOrder(String s)
    {
        // length of the string
        int n = s.Length;
     
        // create a character array
        // of the length of the string
        char []c = new char [n];
     
        // assign the string
        // to character array
        for (int i = 0; i < n; i++) {
            c[i] = s[i];
        }
     
        // sort the character array
        Array.Sort(c);
     
        // check if the character array
        // is equal to the string or not
        for (int i = 0; i < n; i++)
            if (c[i] != s[i])
                return false;
             
        return true;    
    }
     
    static public void Main (){
        String s = "aabbbcc";
         
        // check whether the string is
        // in alphabetical order or not
        if (isAlphabaticOrder(s))
        Console.WriteLine("Yes");
        else
            Console.WriteLine("No");
         
    }
}
PHP



<?php
// PHP implementation of above approach
 
// Function that checks whether
// the string is in alphabetical
// order or not
Function isAlphabaticOrder($s)
{
     
    // length of the string
    $n = strlen($s);
 
    $c = array();
     
    // assign the string
    // to character array
    for ($i = 0; $i < $n; $i++)
    {
        $c[$i] = $s[$i];
    }
 
    // sort the character array
    sort($c);
 
    // check if the character array
    // is equal to the string or not
    for ($i = 0; $i < $n; $i++)
        if ($c[$i] != $s[$i])
            return false;
         
    return true;
}
 
// Driver code
$s = "aabbbcc";
 
// check whether the string is
// in alphabetical order or not
if (isAlphabaticOrder($s))
    echo "Yes";
else
    echo "No";
     
// This Code is contributed
// by Shivi_Aggarwal
?>
Javascript



<script>
//Javascript implementation of above approach
 
// Function that checks whether
// the string is in alphabetical
// order or not
function isAlphabaticOrder(s)
{
    // length of the string
    var n = s.length;
 
    // create a character array
    // of the length of the string
    var c = new Array(n);
 
    // assign the string
    // to character array
    for (var i = 0; i < n; i++) {
        c[i] = s[i];
    }
 
    // sort the character array
    c.sort();
 
    // check if the character array
    // is equal to the string or not
    for (var i = 0; i < n; i++)
        if (c[i] != s[i])
            return false;
         
    return true;   
}
 
s = "aabbbcc";
 
// check whether the string is
// in alphabetical order or not
if (isAlphabaticOrder(s))
  document.write( "Yes");
else
  document.write( "No");
 
//This code is contributed by SoumikMondal
</script>
Output
Yes
Complexity Analysis:
  • Time Complexity: O(N*log(N))
  • Auxiliary Space: O(N)
Efficient approach: 
  • Run a loop from 1 to (n-1) (where n is the length of the string)
  • Check whether the element at index ‘i’ is less than the element at index ‘i-1’.
  • If yes, then print ‘In alphabetical order ‘.
  • Print ‘Not in alphabetical order’ otherwise.
Below is the implementation of the above approach 
C++



// C++ implementation of above approach
#include <bits/stdc++.h>
using namespace std;
 
// Function that checks whether
// the string is in alphabetical
// order or not
bool isAlphabaticOrder(string s)
{
    int n = s.length();
 
    for (int i = 1; i < n; i++) {
 
        // if element at index 'i' is less
        // than the element at index 'i-1'
        // then the string is not sorted
        if (s[i] < s[i - 1])
           return false;
    }
 
    return true;
}
 
// Driver code
int main()
{
    string s = "aabbbcc";
 
    // check whether the string is
    // in alphabetical order or not
    if (isAlphabaticOrder(s))
       cout << "Yes";
    else
       cout << "No";
 
    return 0;
}
Java



// Java implementation of above approach
public class GFG {
 
// Function that checks whether
// the string is in alphabetical
// order or not
    static boolean isAlphabaticOrder(String s) {
        int n = s.length();
 
        for (int i = 1; i < n; i++) {
 
            // if element at index 'i' is less
            // than the element at index 'i-1'
            // then the string is not sorted
            if (s.charAt(i) < s.charAt(i - 1)) {
                return false;
            }
        }
 
        return true;
    }
 
// Driver code
    static public void main(String[] args) {
        String s = "aabbbcc";
        // check whether the string is
        // in alphabetical order or not
        if (isAlphabaticOrder(s)) {
            System.out.println("Yes");
        } else {
            System.out.println("No");
        }
    }
}
//This code is contributed by PrinciRaj1992
Python 3



# Python 3 implementation of above approach
 
# Function that checks whether
# the string is in alphabetical
# order or not
def isAlphabaticOrder(s):
 
    n = len(s)
 
    for i in range(1, n):
 
        # if element at index 'i' is less
        # than the element at index 'i-1'
        # then the string is not sorted
        if (s[i] < s[i - 1]) :
            return False
 
    return True
 
# Driver code
if __name__ == "__main__":
 
    s = "aabbbcc"
 
    # check whether the string is
    # in alphabetical order or not
    if (isAlphabaticOrder(s)):
        print("Yes")
    else:
        print("No")
C#



// C# implementation of above approach
using System;
 
public class GFG{
     
// Function that checks whether
// the string is in alphabetical
// order or not
static bool isAlphabaticOrder(string s)
{
    int n = s.Length;
 
    for (int i = 1; i < n; i++) {
 
        // if element at index 'i' is less
        // than the element at index 'i-1'
        // then the string is not sorted
        if (s[i] < s[i - 1])
        return false;
    }
 
    return true;
}
 
// Driver code
    static public void Main (){
    string s = "aabbbcc";
    // check whether the string is
    // in alphabetical order or not
    if (isAlphabaticOrder(s))
    Console.WriteLine ("Yes");
        else
    Console.WriteLine  ("No");
    }
}
PHP



<?php
// PHP implementation of above approach
 
// Function that checks whether
// the string is in alphabetical
// order or not
function isAlphabaticOrder($s)
{
    $n = strlen($s);
    for ($i = 1; $i < $n; $i++)
    {
 
        // if element at index 'i' is less
        // than the element at index 'i-1'
        // then the string is not sorted
        if ($s[$i] < $s[$i - 1])
        return false;
    }
 
    return true;
}
 
// Driver code
$s = "aabbbcc";
 
// check whether the string is
// in alphabetical order or not
if (isAlphabaticOrder($s))
    echo "Yes";
else
    echo "No";
 
// This code is contributed
// by Sach_Code
?>
Javascript



<script>
// JavaScript implementation of above approach
 
// Function that checks whether
// the string is in alphabetical
// order or not
function isAlphabaticOrder( s){
    let n = s.length;
 
    for (let i = 1; i < n; i++) {
        // if element at index 'i' is less
        // than the element at index 'i-1'
        // then the string is not sorted
        if (s[i] < s[i - 1])
           return false;
    }
    return true;
}
 
// Driver code
let s = "aabbbcc";
// check whether the string is
// in alphabetical order or not
if (isAlphabaticOrder(s))
    document.write("Yes");
else
    document.write("No");
</script>
Output
Yes
Complexity Analysis:
  • Time Complexity: O(N)
  • Auxiliary Space: O(1)
Another efficient approach:
The steps involved are as follows:
  • Iterate through the given string and store the frequency count of each alphabet.
  • Then iterate through each alphabet in lexicographically increasing order(from a to z) and let the count of any alphabet be x. Then check if exactly x elements are present in the given string in continuous order or not.
  • If it matches with all alphabets then return true otherwise return false.
Illustrative example:
Let Str=”aabbccb”
Then count of each alphabet is as follows { a=2, b= 3 and c=2}. 
Now we will iterate through each alphabets and check for the condition.
As a=2, so first 2 elements in the string need to be ‘a’. Since 2 elements with ‘a’ is there in given string we will move further.
Now b=3, so next 3 elements need to be ‘b’ in the string, which is not there as 5th element in given string is not ‘b’. Hence the string is not in alphabetical order.
Below is the code for the above approach:
C++



// C++ implementation of above approach
#include <bits/stdc++.h>
using namespace std;
 
// Function that checks whether
// the string is in alphabetical
// order or not
bool isAlphabaticOrder(string s)
{
    // array to store the
    // count of each alphabet
    int arr[26]={0};
     
    int n = s.length();
     
    for(int i=0;i<n;i++)
    {
        arr[s[i]-'a']++;
    }
     
    int ind=0;
    // Using the count array we will iterate
    // in lexicographic order through each
    // alphabet present and check if the
    // string has element present in same
    // order or not
    for(int i=0;i<26;i++)
    {
        while(arr[i]--)
        {
            char c= char(97+i);
            if(c!=s[ind])
            {
                return false;
            }
            else
            {
                ind++;
            }
             
        }
    }
 
    return true;
}
 
// Driver code
int main()
{
    string s = "aabbbcc";
 
    // check whether the string is
    // in alphabetical order or not
    if (isAlphabaticOrder(s))
    cout << "Yes";
    else
    cout << "No";
 
    return 0;
}
 
// This code is contributed by Pushpesh Raj.
Java



// Java implementation of above approach
import java.util.*;
public class GFG {
 
  // Function that checks whether
  // the string is in alphabetical
  // order or not
  static boolean isAlphabaticOrder(String s)
  {
 
    // array to store the
    // count of each alphabet
    int[] arr = new int[26];
    for (int i = 0; i < 26; i++) {
      arr[i] = 0;
    }
 
    int n = s.length();
 
    for (int i = 0; i < n; i++) {
      arr[s.charAt(i) - 'a']++;
    }
 
    int ind = 0;
    // Using the count array we will iterate
    // in lexicographic order through each
    // alphabet present and check if the
    // string has element present in same
    // order or not
    for (int i = 0; i < 26; i++) {
      while (arr[i] > 0) {
        char c = (char)(97 + i);
        if (c != s.charAt(ind)) {
          return false;
        }
        else {
          ind++;
        }
 
        arr[i]--;
      }
    }
 
    return true;
  }
 
  // Driver code
  public static void main(String args[])
  {
    String s = "aabbbcc";
 
    // check whether the string is
    // in alphabetical order or not
    if (isAlphabaticOrder(s) == true)
      System.out.print("Yes");
    else
      System.out.print("No");
  }
}
 
// This code is contributed by Samim Hossain Mondal.
Python3



# Python implementation of above approach
 
# Function that checks whether
# the string is in alphabetical
# order or not
def isAlphabaticOrder(s):
    # array to store the
    # count of each alphabet
    arr=[0]*26;
     
    n = len(s);
     
    for i in range(0,n):
        arr[ord(s[i])-ord('a')]+=1;
     
    ind=0;
    # Using the count array we will iterate
    # in lexicographic order through each
    # alphabet present and check if the
    # string has element present in same
    # order or not
    for i in range(0,26):
        while(arr[i]>0):
            c= chr(97+i);
            if(c!=s[ind]):
                return False;
            else:
                ind+=1;
            arr[i]-=1;
    return True;
 
# Driver code
s = "aabbbcc";
 
# check whether the string is
# in alphabetical order or not
if (isAlphabaticOrder(s)):
    print("Yes");
else:
    print("No");
C#



// C# implementation of above approach
using System;
class GFG {
 
  // Function that checks whether
  // the string is in alphabetical
  // order or not
  static bool isAlphabaticOrder(string s)
  {
     
    // array to store the
    // count of each alphabet
    int[] arr = new int[26];
    for (int i = 0; i < 26; i++) {
      arr[i] = 0;
    }
 
    int n = s.Length;
 
    for (int i = 0; i < n; i++) {
      arr[s[i] - 'a']++;
    }
 
    int ind = 0;
    // Using the count array we will iterate
    // in lexicographic order through each
    // alphabet present and check if the
    // string has element present in same
    // order or not
    for (int i = 0; i < 26; i++) {
      while (arr[i] > 0) {
        char c = (char)(97 + i);
        if (c != s[ind]) {
          return false;
        }
        else {
          ind++;
        }
 
        arr[i]--;
      }
    }
 
    return true;
  }
 
  // Driver code
  public static void Main()
  {
    string s = "aabbbcc";
 
    // check whether the string is
    // in alphabetical order or not
    if (isAlphabaticOrder(s) == true)
      Console.Write("Yes");
    else
      Console.Write("No");
  }
}
 
// This code is contributed by Samim Hossain Mondal.
Javascript



// Javascript implementation of above approach
 
// Function that checks whether
// the string is in alphabetical
// order or not
function isAlphabaticOrder(s)
{
    // array to store the
    // count of each alphabet
    let arr=new Array(26).fill(0);
     
    let n = s.length;
     
    for(let i=0;i<n;i++)
    {
        let x=s[i].charCodeAt('0')-'a'.charCodeAt('0');
        arr[x]++;
    }
     
    let ind=0;
    // Using the count array we will iterate
    // in lexicographic order through each
    // alphabet present and check if the
    // string has element present in same
    // order or not
    for(let i=0;i<26;i++)
    {
        while(arr[i]--)
        {
            let c = String.fromCharCode(i+97)
            if(c!=s[ind])
            {
                return false;
            }
            else
            {
                ind++;
            }
             
        }
    }
 
    return true;
}
 
// Driver code
    let s = "aabbbcc";
 
    // check whether the string is
    // in alphabetical order or not
    if (isAlphabaticOrder(s))
        document.write("Yes");
    else
        document.write("No");
Output
Yes
Complexity Analysis:
  • Time Complexity: O(N)
    Auxiliary Space: O(1) as the array used to count the frequency of alphabets is of constant size.

Last Updated :
25 Jan, 2023
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