20130403_shortest_string

# shortest_string is a method that takes an array of strings as its input
# and returns the shortest string
# +array+ is an array of strings
# shortest_string(array) should return the shortest string in +array+
# If +array+ is empty the method should return nil

# array.sort.first
def shortest_string(array)
  
  new_count = [ ]
  
  array.each do |count|
   new_count.push(count.length)
  end
  
  new_count.sort.first
end

# array = ['cat', 'zzzzzzz', 'apples']

THIS IS THE TEST:

describe 'shortest_string' do
it "returns nil when the array is empty ([])" do
shortest_string([]).should be_nil
end

it "returns '' when that is the only element in the array" do
shortest_string(['']).should eq ''
end

it "returns 'cat' when that is the only element in the array" do
shortest_string(['cat']).should eq 'cat'
end

it "returns the 'zzzzzzz' with the example array" do
shortest_string(['cat', 'zzzzzzz', 'apples']).should eq 'cat'
end

it "returns the shortest string regardless of ordering" do
# This creates an array containing ['a', 'aa', ...]
# up to 10 characters long, but randomly ordered
array = Array.new(10) { |i| 'a' * (i + 1) }.shuffle

shortest_string(array).should eq 'a'

end
end