> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://jaywin.gitbook.io/leetcode/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://jaywin.gitbook.io/leetcode/solutions/0299-bulls-and-cows.md).

# 0299. Bulls and Cows

<https://leetcode.com/problems/bulls-and-cows>

## Description

You are playing the [**Bulls and Cows**](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bulls_and_Cows) game with your friend.

You write down a secret number and ask your friend to guess what the number is. When your friend makes a guess, you provide a hint with the following info:

* The number of "bulls", which are digits in the guess that are in the correct position.
* The number of "cows", which are digits in the guess that are in your secret number but are located in the wrong position. Specifically, the non-bull digits in the guess that could be rearranged such that they become bulls.

Given the secret number `secret` and your friend's guess `guess`, return *the hint for your friend's guess*.

The hint should be formatted as `"xAyB"`, where `x` is the number of bulls and `y` is the number of cows. Note that both `secret` and `guess` may contain duplicate digits.

**Example 1:**

```
**Input:** secret = "1807", guess = "7810"
**Output:** "1A3B"
**Explanation:** Bulls are connected with a '|' and cows are underlined:
"1807"
  |
"7810"
```

**Example 2:**

```
**Input:** secret = "1123", guess = "0111"
**Output:** "1A1B"
**Explanation:** Bulls are connected with a '|' and cows are underlined:
"1123"        "1123"
  |      or     |
"0111"        "0111"
Note that only one of the two unmatched 1s is counted as a cow since the non-bull digits can only be rearranged to allow one 1 to be a bull.
```

**Example 3:**

```
**Input:** secret = "1", guess = "0"
**Output:** "0A0B"
```

**Example 4:**

```
**Input:** secret = "1", guess = "1"
**Output:** "1A0B"
```

**Constraints:**

* `1 <= secret.length, guess.length <= 1000`
* `secret.length == guess.length`
* `secret` and `guess` consist of digits only.

## ac

```java
class Solution {
    public String getHint(String secret, String guess) {
        // edge cases

        // walk
        int[] s = new int[10];
        int[] g = new int[10];
        int bulls = 0;
        int cows = 0;

        // bulls
        for (int i = 0; i < secret.length(); i++) {
            if (secret.charAt(i) == guess.charAt(i)) {
                bulls++;
                continue;
            }
            s[secret.charAt(i) - '0']++;
            g[guess.charAt(i) - '0']++;
        }

        // cows
        for (int i = 0; i < s.length; i++) {
            cows += Math.min(s[i], g[i]);
        }

        // result
        return String.format("%dA%dB", bulls, cows);
    }
}
```


---

# Agent Instructions
This documentation is published with GitBook. GitBook is the documentation platform designed so that both humans and AI agents can read, navigate, and reason over technical content effectively. Learn more at gitbook.com.

## Querying This Documentation
If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question.

Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter:

```
GET https://jaywin.gitbook.io/leetcode/solutions/0299-bulls-and-cows.md?ask=<question>
```

The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language.
The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation.

Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.
