Task: Burrows–Wheeler transform
C++: #include <algorithm>
#include <iostream>
#include <vector>

const int STX = 0x02;
const int ETX = 0x03;

void rotate(std::string &a) {
    char t = a[a.length() - 1];
    for (int i = a.length() - 1; i > 0; i--) {
        a[i] = a[i - 1];
    }
    a[0] = t;
}

std::string bwt(const std::string &s) {
    for (char c : s) {
        if (c == STX || c == ETX) {
            throw std::runtime_error("Input can't contain STX or ETX");
        }
    }

    std::string ss;
    ss += STX;
    ss += s;
    ss += ETX;

    std::vector<std::string> table;
    for (size_t i = 0; i < ss.length(); i++) {
        table.push_back(ss);
        rotate(ss);
    }
    
    std::sort(table.begin(), table.end());

    std::string out;
    for (auto &s : table) {
        out += s[s.length() - 1];
    }
    return out;
}

std::string ibwt(const std::string &r) {
    int len = r.length();
    std::vector<std::string> table(len);
    for (int i = 0; i < len; i++) {
        for (int j = 0; j < len; j++) {
            table[j] = r[j] + table[j];
        }
        std::sort(table.begin(), table.end());
    }
    for (auto &row : table) {
        if (row[row.length() - 1] == ETX) {
            return row.substr(1, row.length() - 2);
        }
    }
    return {};
}

std::string makePrintable(const std::string &s) {
    auto ls = s;
    for (auto &c : ls) {
        if (c == STX) {
            c = '^';
        } else if (c == ETX) {
            c = '|';
        }
    }
    return ls;
}

int main() {
    auto tests = {
        "banana",
        "appellee",
        "dogwood",
        "TO BE OR NOT TO BE OR WANT TO BE OR NOT?",
        "SIX.MIXED.PIXIES.SIFT.SIXTY.PIXIE.DUST.BOXES",
        "\u0002ABC\u0003"
    };

    for (auto &test : tests) {
        std::cout << makePrintable(test) << "\n";
        std::cout << " --> ";

        std::string t;
        try {
            t = bwt(test);
            std::cout << makePrintable(t) << "\n";
        } catch (std::runtime_error &e) {
            std::cout << "Error " << e.what() << "\n";
        }

        std::string r = ibwt(t);
        std::cout << " --> " << r << "\n\n";
    }

    return 0;
}

VB: Module Module1

    ReadOnly STX As Char = Chr(&H2)
    ReadOnly ETX As Char = Chr(&H3)

    Sub Rotate(Of T)(a As T())
        Dim o = a.Last
        For i = a.Length - 1 To 1 Step -1
            a(i) = a(i - 1)
        Next
        a(0) = o
    End Sub

    Private Function Compare(s1 As String, s2 As String) As Integer
        Dim i = 0
        While i < s1.Length AndAlso i < s2.Length
            Dim a = s1(i)
            Dim b = s2(i)
            If a < b Then
                Return -1
            End If
            If b < a Then
                Return 1
            End If
            i += 1
        End While
        If s1.Length < s2.Length Then
            Return -1
        End If
        If s2.Length < s1.Length Then
            Return 1
        End If
        Return 0
    End Function

    Function Bwt(s As String) As String
        If s.Any(Function(c) c = STX OrElse c = ETX) Then
            Throw New ArgumentException("Input can
        End If
        Dim ss = (STX + s + ETX).ToCharArray
        Dim table As New List(Of String)
        For i = 0 To ss.Length - 1
            table.Add(New String(ss))
            Rotate(ss)
        Next
        table.Sort(Function(a As String, b As String) Compare(a, b))
        Return New String(table.Select(Function(a) a.Last).ToArray)
    End Function

    Function Ibwt(r As String) As String
        Dim len = r.Length
        Dim sa(len - 1) As String
        Dim table As New List(Of String)(sa)
        For i = 0 To len - 1
            For j = 0 To len - 1
                table(j) = r(j) + table(j)
            Next
            table.Sort(Function(a As String, b As String) Compare(a, b))
        Next
        For Each row In table
            If row.Last = ETX Then
                Return row.Substring(1, len - 2)
            End If
        Next
        Return ""
    End Function

    Function MakePrintable(s As String) As String
        Return s.Replace(STX, "^").Replace(ETX, "|")
    End Function

    Sub Main()
        Dim tests As String() = {
            "banana",
            "appellee",
            "dogwood",
            "TO BE OR NOT TO BE OR WANT TO BE OR NOT?",
            "SIX.MIXED.PIXIES.SIFT.SIXTY.PIXIE.DUST.BOXES",
            STX + "ABC" + ETX
        }

        For Each test In tests
            Console.WriteLine(MakePrintable(test))
            Console.Write(" --> ")

            Dim t = ""
            Try
                t = Bwt(test)
                Console.WriteLine(MakePrintable(t))
            Catch ex As Exception
                Console.WriteLine("ERROR: {0}", ex.Message)
            End Try

            Dim r = Ibwt(t)
            Console.WriteLine(" --> {0}", r)
            Console.WriteLine()
        Next
    End Sub

End Module