groovy.util

## Class PermutationGenerator<E>

- java.lang.Object
- - groovy.util.PermutationGenerator<E>

- All Implemented Interfaces:
    Iterator<List<E>>

      public class PermutationGenerator<E>
      extends Object
      implements Iterator<List<E>>

  Systematically generate permutations. Adapted from Java Code by Michael Gilleland (released with no restrictions) using an algorithm described here: Kenneth H. Rosen, Discrete Mathematics and Its Applications, 2nd edition (NY: McGraw-Hill, 1991), pp. 282-284

- - ### Constructor Summary

    Constructors
    Constructor and Description
    `PermutationGenerator(Collection<E> items)` WARNING: Don't make n too large.

  - ### Method Summary

    Methods
    Modifier and Type | Method and Description
    --- | ---
    `BigInteger` | `getTotal()`
    `boolean` | `hasNext()`
    `List<E>` | `next()` Generate next permutation (algorithm from Rosen p.
    `void` | `remove()`
    `void` | `reset()`

    - ### Methods inherited from class java.lang.Object

      `clone, equals, finalize, getClass, hashCode, notify, notifyAll, toString, wait, wait, wait`

- - ### Constructor Detail

    - #### PermutationGenerator

          public PermutationGenerator(Collection<E> items)

      WARNING: Don't make n too large. Recall that the number of permutations is n! which can be very large, even when n is as small as 20 -- 20! = 2,432,902,008,176,640,000 and 21! is too big to fit into a Java long, which is why we use BigInteger instead.
      Parameters:
        `items` - the items to permute

  - ### Method Detail

    - #### reset

          public void reset()

    - #### getTotal

          public BigInteger getTotal()

    - #### hasNext

          public boolean hasNext()

      Specified by:
        `hasNext` in interface `Iterator<List<E>>`

    - #### next

          public List<E> next()

      Generate next permutation (algorithm from Rosen p. 284)
      Specified by:
        `next` in interface `Iterator<List<E>>`
      Returns:
        the items permuted

    - #### remove

          public void remove()

      Specified by:
        `remove` in interface `Iterator<List<E>>`