NAME
    rsearch - reverse search for an element satisfying a specified condition

SYNOPSIS
    rsearch(a, b [, [c] [, [d] ] ])

TYPES
    a		matrix, list, association, or file open for reading
    b		string if a is a file, otherwise any
    c		integer, defaults to zero, size(a) or the current file-position
    d		integer, defaults to size(a) or current file-position

    return	nonnegative integer or null

DESCRIPTION

    Negative values of c and nonpositive values of d are treated as
    offsets from size(a), i.e. as if c were replaced by size(a) + c
    and d by size(a) + d.  Any such adjustment is assumed to have been
    made.

    The nature of the search depends on whether the rsearch() is called
    with or without the fourth argument d.

Four argument case:

    The search interval is as for search(a,b,c,d), i.e. the indices i
    to be examined are to satisfy c <= i < d and 0 <= i < size(a)
    for non-file a, and c <= i <= d - strlen(b), 0 <= i <= size(a) - strlen(b)
    if a is a file stream.  The difference from search(a,b,c,d) is that
    the indices i, if any, are examined in decreasing order, so that
    if a match is found, the returned integer i is the largest in the
    search interval.  The null value is returned if no match is found.

    The default value for d is size(a) for non-file cases, and the current
    file-position if a is a file.  The default for c is zero except if a
    is a file and d is an integer.

    For non-file a, the search is for a[[i]] == b, except that if
    the function accept() as been defined, it is for i such that
    accept(a[[i]], b) tests as nonzero.	 Since the addresses (rather than
    values) of a[[i]] and b are passed to accept(), the values of one or
    both of a[[i]] and b may be changed during a call to rsearch().

    In the file-stream case, if strlen(b) = n, a match at file-position i
    corresponds to the n characters in the file starting at position i
    matching those of the string b.  The null value is returned if no
    match is found.   The final file position will correspond to the
    last character if a match is found, or the start (lowest) position
    of the search interval if no match is found, except that if no
    reading of characters is required (e.g. if start > end), the original
    file-position is not changed.


    Two- or Three-argument case:

    If a is not a file, the default value for c is size(a).  If a is a
    file, rsearch(a,b) = rsearch(a, b, ftell(a)), and
    rsearch(a,b,) = rsearch(a, b, size(a)).

    If a is not a file, the search starts, if at all, at the largest
    non-negative index i for which i <= c and i < size(a), and continues
    until a match a[[i]] == b is found, or if accept() has been defined,
    accept(a[[i]], b) tests as nonzero; if no such i is found and returned,
    the null value is returned.

    If a is a file, the first, if any, file-position tested has the greatest
    nonnegative position i such that i <= c and i <= size(a) - strlen(b).
    The returned value is either the first i at which a match is found or
    the null value if no match with the string b is found.  The final
    file-position will correspond to the last character of b, or the zero
    position, according as a match is found or not found.

EXAMPLE
    > L = list(2,"three",4i)
    > rsearch(L,"three")
	    1
    > rsearch(L,"threes")
    > rsearch(L, 4i, 4)
    > rsearch(L, 4i, 1)
	    2

    > f = fopen("foo", "w+")
    > fputs(f, "This file has 28 characters.")
    > fflush(f)
    > rsearch(f, "ha")
	18
    > ftell(f)
	19
    > rsearch(f, "ha", 17)
	10
    > rsearch(f, "ha", 9)
    > ftell(f)
	0
    > rsearch(f, "ha")
	18
    > rsearch(f, "ha", 5, 500)
	18

LIMITS
    none

LINK LIBRARY
    none

SEE ALSO
    assoc, list, mat, search

## Copyright (C) 1999  Landon Curt Noll
##
## Calc is open software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under
## the terms of the version 2.1 of the GNU Lesser General Public License
## as published by the Free Software Foundation.
##
## Calc is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT
## ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY
## or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.	 See the GNU Lesser General
## Public License for more details.
##
## A copy of version 2.1 of the GNU Lesser General Public License is
## distributed with calc under the filename COPYING-LGPL.  You should have
## received a copy with calc; if not, write to Free Software Foundation, Inc.
## 59 Temple Place, Suite 330, Boston, MA  02111-1307, USA.
##
## @(#) $Revision: 29.2 $
## @(#) $Id: rsearch,v 29.2 2000/06/07 14:02:33 chongo Exp $
## @(#) $Source: /usr/local/src/cmd/calc/help/RCS/rsearch,v $
##
## Under source code control:	1994/03/19 03:13:21
## File existed as early as:	1994
##
## chongo <was here> /\oo/\	http://www.isthe.com/chongo/
## Share and enjoy!  :-)	http://www.isthe.com/chongo/tech/comp/calc/
