Added an algorithm to the strings sub folder which finds the smallest substring of a given string which contains all of the characters in another given string.

Author: wistrasy

strings/min_window_substring.py

@@ -0,0 +1,87 @@
+def min_window(search_str: str, target_letters: str) -> str:
+    """
+    Given a string to search, and another string of target char_dict,
+    return the smallest substring of the search string that contains
+    all target char_dict.
+
+    >>> is_contains_unique_chars("Hello World", "lWl")
+    "llo W"
+    >>> is_contains_unique_chars("Hello World", "f")
+    ""
+
+    This solution uses a sliding window, alternating between shifting
+    the end of the window right until all target char_dict are contained
+    in the window, and shifting the start of the window right until the
+    window no longer contains every target character.
+
+    Time complexity: O(target_count + search_len) -> 
+        The algorithm checks a dictionary at most twice for each character 
+        in search_str.
+
+    Space complexity: O(search_len) -> 
+        The primary contributer to additional space is the building of a 
+        dictionary using the search string.
+    """
+    
+    target_count = len(target_letters)
+    search_len = len(search_str)
+
+
+    #Return if not possible due to string lengths.
+    if (search_len < target_count):
+        return ""
+
+    #Build dictionary with counts for each letter in target_letters
+    char_dict = {}
+    for ch in target_letters:
+        if ch not in char_dict:
+            char_dict[ch] = 1
+        else:
+            char_dict[ch] += 1
+
+    #Initialize window
+    window_start = 0
+    window_end = 0
+
+    exists = False
+    min_window_len = search_len + 1
+
+    #Start sliding window algorithm
+    while(window_end < search_len):
+
+        #Slide window end right until all search characters are contained
+        while(target_count > 0 and window_end < search_len):
+            cur = search_str[window_end]
+            if cur in char_dict:
+                char_dict[cur] -= 1
+                if (char_dict[cur] >= 0):
+                    target_count -= 1
+            window_end += 1
+        temp = window_end - window_start
+
+        #Check if window is the smallest found so far
+        if (target_count == 0 and temp < min_window_len):
+            min_window = [window_start,window_end]
+            exists = True
+            min_window_len = temp
+
+        #Slide window start right until a search character exits the window
+        while(target_count == 0 and window_start < window_end):
+            cur = search_str[window_start]
+            window_start += 1
+            if cur in char_dict:
+                char_dict[cur] += 1
+                if (char_dict[cur] > 0):
+                    break
+        temp = window_end - window_start + 1
+
+        #Check if window is the smallest found so far
+        if (temp < min_window_len and target_count == 0):
+            min_window = [window_start-1,window_end]
+            min_window_len = temp
+        target_count = 1
+
+    if (exists):
+        return search_str[min_window[0]:min_window[1]]
+    else:
+        return ""