Find the longest word in an array

Question

Your challenge is to take an array of strings and output the longest string in the array. So for

["tiny", "small", "bigger", "biggest"]

the output would be biggest.

If two elements of the array have the same length, you should choose the one that appears first in the array. That means if the array looks like this:

["one", "two", "no"]

the output is one, but if the array looked like this:

["two", "one", "no"]

the output is two.

---

As this is code-golf, the shortest code in bytes wins.

Answer 1

Bash, 44 bytes

IFS=$'\n';egrep -m1 .{`wc -L<<<"$*"`}<<<"$*"

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Answer 2

dc, 39 38 36 bytes

0sl[slssdd]sG[dZdll!>Gooz0<M]dsMxlsp

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Edit: -1 byte, filling up empty space by 'd' instead

Edit: -2 bytes, thanks @brhfl for suggestion!

Answer 3

APL+WIN, 11 bytes

s[↑⍒∊⍴¨s←⎕]

Prompts for screen input in the form 'abc' 'defg' hijklm'

Answer 4

Perl 5, 38 bytes

say((sort{$a=~y///c<=$b=~y///c}<>)[0])

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Answer 5

C++, 125 bytes

Accepts input as a pair of iterators; returns an iterator to the longest string. The array must not be empty (i.e. the iterators must be different).

#include<algorithm>
template<class I>I f(I a,I b){return std::max_element(a,b,[](auto&a,auto&b){return a.size()<b.size();});}

Demo

#include <string>
#include <iostream>
#include <iterator>
int main()
{
    std::string strings[] = { "Programming", "Puzzles", "and", "Code", "Golf" };

    std::cout << *f(std::begin(strings), std::end(strings)) << std::endl;
}

The definition of std::max_element() guarantees that

If several elements in the range are equivalent to the greatest element, returns the iterator to the first such element.

Answer 6

Jelly, 4 bytes

LÐṀḢ

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Maximum (ÐṀ) by length (L). Take Head (Ḣ).

---

Jelly, 4 bytes

ṚLÞṪ

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Reverse. Sort by length. Take tail (last element).

Answer 7

Javascript ES5, 41 bytes

Since there was already a solution using sort...

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a=>a.reduce((x,y)=>x.length>=y.length?x:y)

Answer 8

Coconut, 15 13 bytes

max$(key=len)

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Answer 9

Add++, 7 bytes

L,bU«bL

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More interesting, 32 byte version:

L,vbU§bLdbLBkÞ{g}@
D,g,@,bLBK=

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How they work

L,	; Create a lambda function
	; Example argument:         		[["two" "one" "abc" "no"]]
    bU	; Evaluate as list; 			STACK = ['two' 'one' 'abc' 'no']
    «bL	; Take the value with the max length;	STACK = ['two']

And the 32 byte version:

L,		; Create a lambda function
		; Example argument: 		['["two" "one" "no"]']
	vbU	; Evaluate;		STACK = ['two' 'one' 'no']
	§bL	; Sort by length;	STACK = ['no' 'two' 'one']
	dbLBk	; Save length;		STACK = ['no' 'two' 'one']	REGISTER = 3
	Þ{g}	; Filter by 'g';	STACK = ['two' 'one']
	@	; Reverse;		STACK = ['one' 'two']
		; Implicitly return the top element:   'two'

D,g,@,		; Create a function 'g'
		; Example argument:		['two']
	bL	; Length;		STACK =	[3]
	BK=	; Equal to register;	STACK = [1]

Answer 10

jq -r, 19 15 bytes

Golfed 4 bytes after learning min_by is a builtin.

min_by(-length)

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(Without -r the output string is surrounded with "s.)

Answer 11

Lua, 70 64 bytes

function f(a,...)x=...and f(...)return x and#x>#a and x or a end

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x is set to the second argument if that is falsy, otherwise the longest of the second argument and up. The function returns x if it is truthy and longer than the first argument, else the first argument.

No type-checking, so works not only for a sequence of strings, but for sequences containing tables, or anything with a __len metamethod that returns a number. For instance f("tiny", {1, 2, 3, 4, 5}, debug.setmetatable(6, { __len = function (self) return self end })) returns 6.

This technically breaks the rule of operating on an array (in Lua, a table) because it operates on an argument list, but operating on a table seemed more complicated (table.sort is not stable). A table can be unpacked into the function: f(table.unpack { 'oh', 'one', 'two' }).

Answer 12

Vyxal, 2 bytes

ÞG

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Answer 13

Mathematica, 29 bytes

#&@@#~MaximalBy~StringLength&

Pure function. Takes a list of strings as input and returns a string as output. #~MaximalBy~StringLength finds the longest strings in the list and #&@@ selects the first instance.

Answer 14

Rust, 73 bytes

|mut x:Vec<String>|{x.sort_by(|a,b|b.len().cmp(&a.len()));x[0].clone()}

Very simple code, that can probably be golfed at least a little more. The fact that i had to use String instead of &str, just for the return value, bugs me alot. (I could have used a .to_string() method, but that wouldve added 2 bytes.)

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Answer 15

MY, 24 bytes

1ω74ǵ'ƒ⇹(ω74ǵ'ƒ⇹(⍐=⍸@ω@←

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How?

1ω74ǵ'ƒ⇹(ω74ǵ'ƒ⇹(⍐=⍸@ω@←
                       ← = Output ...
                      ω  = ... the input ...
                       @ = ... at ...
1                    @   = ... the first ...
                   ⍸     = ... truthy index of ...
 ω74ǵ'ƒ⇹(                = ... the length of each element of the input's ...
                  =      = ... equality with ...
         ω74ǵ'ƒ⇹(⍐       = ... the maximum length.
          

Answer 16

Java 8, 57 bytes (70 bytes)

By the power of streams, my java answer shall be the shortest

Arrays.stream(a).max(Comparator.comparing(String::length))

Honestly I don't know if I cheated with that answer because I don't return anything but you could use that line of code. If we really want to return stuff then it's a bit longer.

Thanks to LukeStevens for pointing out to use lambdas to be more golfy.

w->Arrays.stream(w).max(Comparator.comparing(String::length)‌​).get()

Answer 17

F# (.NET Core), 29 bytes

 Seq.maxBy <| fun s->s.Length

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Explanation

Through partial application of Seq.maxBy, returns a function (string seq -> string)

Answer 18

Stacked, 19 bytes

[:$#'"!:MAX index#]

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Explanation

[:$#'"!:MAX index#]
[                 ]   anonymous function, takes input as list of strings
 :$  "!               on each member:
   #'                   get the length
            index     get the index of...
       :MAX             the maximum length
                 #    and obtain the respective member in the array.

Alternatives

19 bytes: [[#'\#'-]sortby 0#]

24 bytes: [$#'"!:sorted index#_1#]

Answer 19

Common Lisp, 32 bytes

(elt(sort(read)'> :key'length)0)

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Answer 20

Husk, 3 bytes

►L↔

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Explanation

  ↔  -- reverse the list (such that the first gets picked in case of a tie)
►L   -- find maximum by length

Answer 21

Scratch 2.0, 22 blocks

Accepts input by pressing see inside on the project page and manually adding and removing items from list.

Project here. Flash required to run and view, apologies.

All blocks were counted including nested ones. Not sure how I'd count bytes with this language unless you want the length of the JSON.

Answer 22

05AB1E, 3 bytes

Réθ

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Explanation

R     # reverse
 é    # sort by length
  θ   # get the last element

Answer 23

PHP, 59 bytes

while($n=strlen($s=$argv[++$i]))$n>$e&&$e=$n+!$r=$s;echo$r;

takes words as separate command line arguments. Run with -nr or try it online.

Answer 24

Google Sheets, 40 Bytes

Anonymous worksheet function that takes input from range A:A and outputs to the calling cell

=Index(A:A,Match(Max(Len(A:A)),Len(A:A),

Answer 25

PHP, 69 bytes

usort($x,function($a,$b){return strlen($b)<=>strlen($a);});echo$x[0];

Not a trick or nice golfing, just sorting array by string length and then outputting the first element.

Answer 26

APL NARS, 10 chars, 24 bytes

{⍵[↑⍒⍴¨⍵]}

note in the test, that: 'uno' it is not one array of array, so the array of correct deep is ,⊂'uno' instead

⎕fmt  ,⊂'uno'    
  ┌1─────┐
  │┌3───┐│
  ││ uno││
  │└────┘2
  └∊─────┘

so in the test g fail for 'uno'

g←{⍵[↑⍒⍴¨⍵]}
g 'uno'
  u

but not fail for the correct type of input

g ,⊂'uno'
  uno
g 'uno' 'quattro' 'cinque'
  quattro
⎕fmt  g ,⊂''
  ┌───┐
  │┌0┐│
  ││ ││
  │└¯┘2
  └∊──┘

if the community think this is one too much big limitation: than there is the 18 chars solution

{1=≡⍵:⍵⋄∊⍵[↑⍒⍴¨⍵]} 

that evade the problem in the first test calculate the deep of input

f←{1=≡⍵:⍵⋄∊⍵[↑⍒⍴¨⍵]}     
f 'uno'
  uno
f 'uno' 'quattro' 'cinque'
  quattro

The problem of the input type of one Char in Apl as 'a' (it is consider from interpreter one char). We can transform that in one array of array of char, or one type list of arrays of deep 2 write ,⊂,'a'; so g ,⊂,'a' should return the correct answer of type array of array length 1

Answer 27

V, 27 23 21 20 bytes

Í./_
ÚGYu/"
uYHVGp

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Explanation:

Í./_         In every line, replace every character by _
Ú            Sort alphabetically. Cursor ends up in first line
 GY          Go to last line, copy it
   u         Undo sort
    /"       Search for string in register " (the one that was just copied). Non-printable character is <C-r>
u            Undo replace, go to last cursor position. Non-printable character is <C-o> (thanks, Cows quack)
  Y          Copy line
   HVG       Go to first line, select all lines until last line
      p      Paste copied line into selection

Hexdump:

00000000: cd2e 2f5f 0ada 4759 752f 1222 0a75 0f59  ../_..GYu/.".u.Y
00000010: 4856 4770                                HVGp

Answer 28

C++ (gcc), 65 63 bytes

Accepts any container of std::string and returns via reference.

[](auto&c,auto&r){r=c[0];for(auto x:c)r=x.size()>r.size()?x:r;}

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If you are tolerant to output, there is a 58 byte solution which alters the input list and copies the longest string to the first element:

[](auto&c){for(auto x:c)c[0]=x.size()>c[0].size()?x:c[0];}

Answer 29

Attache, 9 bytes

MaxBy&:`#

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This is simply bonding the size operator (`#) to the left of MaxBy. This is equivalent to:

f[x] := MaxBy[Size, x]

...which selects the first element with the largest size in x.

Answer 30

sed 4.2.2 -rz, 71 72 83 bytes

h
:
s/^.//gm
/[^\n]{2}/t
:b
/^\n/{s/.//
x
s/^[^\n]*.//
x}
tb
x
s/\n.*//

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• -r uses extended regular expressions, in other words, allows golifer syntax as we are able to save several \s

• -z puts all lines of input into one "line", so that they would be processed at the same time rather than the normal cyclic processing.

This was a fun challenge seeing as sed did not have any builtin sort functions. The program works as follows:

• copy the pattern space into the hold space
• find the position of the longest line by repeatedly removing the first character from every line until we are remaining with line(s) with only a single character, this first of these is at the position of the longest line

• to find which line this position corresponds to, we repeatedly

  • remove the first line of the pattern space and hold space until we encounter a non-newline character on the first line of the pattern space
• now that the corresponding line is at the top of the hold space, we remove the other lines
• the contents of the buffer is printed at the end of the program