Task: Search a list
C++: #include <string>
#include <algorithm>
#include <iterator>
#include <cstddef>
#include <exception>
#include <iostream>


class not_found: public std::exception
{
public:
  not_found(std::string const& s): text(s + " not found") {}
  char const* what() const throw() { return text.c_str(); }
  ~not_found() throw() {}
private:
  std::string text;
};


std::size_t get_index(std::string* haystack, int haystack_size, std::string needle)
{
  std::size_t index = std::find(haystack, haystack+haystack_size, needle) - haystack;
  if (index == haystack_size)
    throw not_found(needle);
  else
    return index;
}



template<typename FwdIter>
 typename std::iterator_traits<FwdIter>::difference_type fwd_get_index(FwdIter first, FwdIter last, std::string needle)
{
  FwdIter elem = std::find(first, last, needle);
  if (elem == last)
    throw not_found(needle);
  else
    return std::distance(first, elem);
}


template<typename InIter>
 typename std::iterator_traits<InIter>::difference_type generic_get_index(InIter first, InIter last, std::string needle)
{
  typename std::iterator_traits<InIter>::difference_type index = 0;
  while (first != last && *first != needle)
  {
    ++index;
    ++first;
  }
  if (first == last)
    throw not_found(needle);
  else
    return index;
}




std::string haystack[] = { "Zig", "Zag", "Wally", "Ronald", "Bush", "Krusty", "Charlie", "Bush", "Bozo" };


template<typename T, std::size_t sz> T* begin(T (&array)[sz]) { return array; }
template<typename T, std::size_t sz> T* end(T (&array)[sz]) { return array + sz; }
template<typename T, std::size_t sz> std::size_t size(T (&array)[sz]) { return sz; }


void test(std::string const& needle)
{
  std::cout << "-- C style interface --\n";
  try
  {
    std::size_t index = get_index(haystack, size(haystack), needle);
    std::cout << needle << " found at index " << index << "\n";
  }
  catch(std::exception& exc) 
  {
    std::cout << exc.what() << "\n";
  }

  std::cout << "-- generic interface, first version --\n";
  try
  {
    std::size_t index = fwd_get_index(begin(haystack), end(haystack), needle);
    std::cout << needle << " found at index " << index << "\n";
  }
  catch(std::exception& exc) 
  {
    std::cout << exc.what() << "\n";
  }

  std::cout << "-- generic interface, second version --\n";
  try
  {
    std::size_t index = generic_get_index(begin(haystack), end(haystack), needle);
    std::cout << needle << " found at index " << index << "\n";
  }
  catch(std::exception& exc) 
  {
    std::cout << exc.what() << "\n";
  }
}

int main()
{
  std::cout << "\n=== Word which only occurs once ===\n";
  test("Wally");
  std::cout << "\n=== Word occuring multiple times ===\n";
  test("Bush");
  std::cout << "\n=== Word not occuring at all ===\n";
  test("Goofy");
}

VB: Function IsInArray(stringToBeFound As Variant, arr As Variant, _
    Optional start As Integer = 1, Optional reverse As Boolean = False) As Long

    Dim i As Long, lo As Long, hi As Long, stp As Long
    
    IsInArray = -1
    If reverse Then
        lo = UBound(arr): hi = start: stp = -1
    Else
        lo = start: hi = UBound(arr): stp = 1
    End If
    For i = lo To hi Step stp 
        If StrComp(stringToBeFound, arr(i), vbTextCompare) = 0 Then
            IsInArray = i
            Exit For
        End If
    Next i
End Function
Public Sub search_a_list()
    Dim haystack() As Variant, needles() As Variant
    haystack = [{"Zig","Zag","Wally","Ronald","Bush","Krusty","Charlie","Bush","Bozo"}]
    needles = [{"Washington","Bush"}]
    For i = 1 To 2
        If IsInArray(needles(i), haystack) = -1 Then
            Debug.Print needles(i); " not found in haystack."
        Else
            Debug.Print needles(i); " is at position "; CStr(IsInArray(needles(i), haystack)); ".";
            Debug.Print " And last position is ";
            Debug.Print CStr(IsInArray(needles(i), haystack, 1, True)); "."
        End If
    Next i
End Sub