anagram detection problem for strings: http://interactivepython.org/runestone/static/pythonds/AlgorithmAnalysis/AnAnagramDetectionExample.html

checkingOff.py

def checkingOff(s1 , s2):
  alist = list(s2)
  
  pos1 = 0
  stillOK = True
  
  while pos1 < len(s1) and stillOK:
    pos2 = 0
    found = False
    while pos2 < len(alist) and not found:
      if s1[pos1] == alist[pos2]:
        found = True
      else:
        pos2 = pos2 + 1
    if found:
      alist[pos2] = None
    else:
      stillOK = False
      
    pos1 += 1
    
  return stillOK

print checkingOff('abcd', 'dcba')

countAndCompare.py

def countAndCompare(s1, s2):
  c1 = [0]*26
  c2 = [0]*26
  
  for i in range(len(s1)):
    pos = ord(s1[i]) - ord('a')
    c1[pos] = c1[pos] + 1
    
  for i in range(len(2)):
    pos = ord(s2[i]) - ord('a')
    c2[pos] = c2[pos] + 1
    
  j = 0
  stillOK = True
  while j < 26 and stillOK:
    if c1[j] == c2[j]:
      j = j + 1
    else:
      stillOK = False
      
  return stillOK
      
print(countAndCompare('apple', 'pleap'))

sortAndCompare.py

def sortAndCompare(s1, s2):
  # convert string to list type
  alist1 = list(s1)
  alist2 = list(s2)
  
  # sort lists
  alist1.sort()
  alist2.sort()
  
  position = 0
  matches = True
  
  # go through every character and see if they match
  while pos < len(s1) and matches:
    if alist1[position] == alist2[position]:
        pos = pos + 1
    else:
        matches = False

  return matches

print(sortAndCompare('abcde', 'edcba'))