Find a string which matches all the patterns in the given array

Given an array of strings arr[] which contains patterns of characters and “*” denoting any set of characters including the empty string. The task is to find a string that matches all the patterns in the array.
Note: If there is no such possible pattern, print -1. 
Examples:

Input: arr[] = {“pq*du*q”, “pq*abc*q”, “p*d*q”} 
Output: pqduabcdq 
Explanation:
Pattern “pqduabcdq” matches all the strings: 
String 1:
First “*” can be replaced by a empty string. 
Second “*” can be replaced by “abcdq”. 
String 2:
First “*” can be replaced by “du” 
Second “*” can be replaced by “d” 
String 3:
First “*” can be replaced by “q” 
Second “*” can be replaced by “uabcd”
Input: arr[] = {“a*c”, “*”} 
Output: ac 

Approach: The idea is to find the common prefix and suffix string in all the patterns and then the middle of every pattern can be replaced by the first or last “*” in every pattern. Below is the illustration of the approach:

• Create three empty strings that match with the prefix, suffix, and middle portion of every pattern.
• Iterate over every pattern in the array, For every pattern: 
  • Find the first and last “*” in the pattern.
  • Iterate over the existing prefix and check that if it matches the current prefix of the pattern, If any character doesn’t match with the pattern, return -1.
  • If there is some portion that is leftover in the prefix of the current pattern, then append it to the prefix of the common string.
  • Similarly, match the suffix of the pattern.
  • Finally, append all the middle characters of the string except the “*” in the middle initialized string for the common string.
• Finally, concatenate the portions of the common string that is the prefix, middle, and the suffix portion of the string.

Below is the implementation of the above approach:

C++

// C++ implementation to find the
// string which matches
// all the patterns

#include<bits/stdc++.h>
using namespace std;

// Function to find a common string
// which matches all the pattern
string find(vector<string> S,int N)
{
    // For storing prefix till
    // first most * without conflicts
    string pref;

    // For storing suffix till
    // last most * without conflicts
    string suff;

    // For storing all middle
    // characters between
    // first and last *
    string mid;

    // Loop to iterate over every
    // pattern of the array
    for (int i = 0; i < N; i++) {

        // Index of the first "*"
        int first = int(
            S[i].find_first_of('*')
            );

        // Index of Last "*"
        int last = int(
            S[i].find_last_of('*')
            );

        // Iterate over the first "*"
        for (int z = 0; z < int(pref.size()) &&
                              z < first; z++) {
            if (pref[z] != S[i][z]) {
                return "*";
            }
        }

        // Prefix till first most *
        // without conflicts
        for (int z = int(pref.size());
                       z < first; z++) {
            pref += S[i][z];
        }

        // Iterate till last
        // most * from last
        for (int z = 0; z < int(suff.size()) &&
               int(S[i].size())-1-z > last; z++) {
            if (suff[z] != S[i][int(S[i].size())-1-z]) {
                return "*";
            }
        }

        // Make suffix till last
        // most * without conflicts
        for (int z = int(suff.size());
         int(S[i].size())-1-z > last; z++) {
            suff += S[i][int(S[i].size())-1-z];
        }

        // Take all middle characters
        // in between first and last most *
        for (int z = first; z <= last; z++) {
            if (S[i][z] != '*') mid += S[i][z];
        }
    }

    reverse(suff.begin(), suff.end());
    return pref + mid + suff;
}

// Driver Code
int main() {

    int N = 3;
    vector<string> s(N);

    // Take all
    // the strings
    s[0]="pq*du*q";
    s[1]="pq*abc*q";
    s[2]="p*d*q";

    // Method for finding
    // common string
    cout<<find(s,N);

    return 0;
}

Python3

# Python3 implementation
# to find the string which
# matches all the patterns

# Function to find a common
# string which matches all
# the pattern
def find(S, N):

    # For storing prefix
    # till first most *
    # without conflicts
    pref = ""

    # For storing suffix
    # till last most *
    # without conflicts
    suff = ""

    # For storing all middle
    # characters between
    # first and last *
    mid = ""

    # Loop to iterate over every
    # pattern of the array
    for i in range(N):

        # Index of the first "*"
        first = int(S[i].index("*"))

        # Index of Last "*"
        last = int(S[i].rindex("*"))

        # Iterate over the first "*"
        for z in range(len(pref)):
            if(z < first):
                if(pref[z] != S[i][z]):
                    return "*"

        # Prefix till first most *
        # without conflicts
        for z in range(len(pref),first):
            pref += S[i][z];

        # Iterate till last
        # most * from last
        for z in range(len(suff)):
            if(len(S[i]) - 1 - z > last):
                if(suff[z] != S[i][len(S[i]) - 1 - z]):
                    return "*"

        # Make suffix till last
        # most * without conflicts
        for z in range(len(suff),
                       len(S[i]) - 1 - last):
            suff += S[i][len(S[i]) - 1 - z]

        # Take all middle characters
        # in between first and last most *
        for z in range(first, last + 1):
            if(S[i][z] != '*'):
                mid += S[i][z]

    suff=suff[:: -1]
    return pref + mid + suff

# Driver Code
N = 3
s = ["" for i in range(N)]

# Take all
# the strings
s[0] = "pq*du*q"
s[1] = "pq*abc*q"
s[2] = "p*d*q"

# Method for finding
# common string
print(find(s, N))

# This code is contributed by avanitrachhadiya2155

Output:

pqduabcdq