Recursive function, maintain a global counter without using a global variable - javascript

I'm writing functions to serialize and deserialize a binary tree (just converting it to an array and back to a BT) and I'm having a hard time writing the deserializing function without using a global variable to keep track of the index.
my Node class looks like this:
class Node {
constructor(value) {
this.value = value
this.left = null
this.right = null
}
}
and my serialize method looks like this:
function serialize(node = this, list = []) {
if (!node) {
list.push('#')
return
}
list.push(node.value)
serialize(node.left, list)
serialize(node.right, list)
return list
}
Here's my problem, in the deserialize function I have to keep a global variable for the 'index', is there a way to keep the global value for the index without creating a global variable?
let index = 0
function deserialize(list) {
if (index === list.length || list[index] === '#') {
index++
return
}
const tree = new Node(list[index])
index++
tree.left = deserialize(list)
tree.right = deserialize(list)
return tree
}
I initially wrote the function like this: (but I had to refactor the index variable to a global variable)
function deserialize(list, index = 0) {
if (index === list.length || list[index] === '#') {
index++
return
}
const tree = new Node(list[index])
index++
tree.left = deserialize(list, index)
tree.right = deserialize(list, index)
return tree
}
This ended up with a symetric tree because the tree.left and tree.right would always take the same index.
I'm just curious if there is a simple way to keep track of the index in a purely recursive function (not using a recursive subroutine) without creating a global variable.

A general way to do that:
function wrapperFunction(args) {
var bookkeepingStuff = whatever;
function actualRecursiveFunction(args) {
// code
}
return actualRecursiveFunction(args);
}
Just wrap the real recursive function in another function. Any local variables of the wrapper will be effectively like global variables to the real recursive function nested inside.

Pass a baton with a member you can update as you recurse:
function deserialize(list, baton={index: 0}) {
var b = baton; // shorthand
if (b.index === list.length || list[b.index] === '#') {
b.index++;
return;
}
const tree = new Node(list[b.index]);
b.index++;
tree.left = deserialize(list, b);
tree.right = deserialize(list, b);
return tree;
}

Related

Check if key exists in object **at any level** [duplicate]

I'm building an utility function that should search for a property name and return its value once it is found. It should do this recursively:
// Function
util.findVal = (object, propName) => {
for (let key in object) {
if (key === propName) {
console.log(propName)
console.log(object[key])
return object[key]
} else {
util.findVal(object[key], propName)
}
}
}
// Input
object: {
photo: {
progress: 20
}
}
// Usage
util.findVal(object, 'progress')
However the console log goes forever and the browser crashes. What am I doing wrong?
EDIT:
This is how I'm calling the function:
// Input
item: {
photo: {
file: {},
progress: 20
}
}
this.findProgress(item)
methods: {
findProgress (item) {
return util.findVal(item, this.propName)
}
}
You could use Object.keys and iterate with Array#some.
function findVal(object, key) {
var value;
Object.keys(object).some(function(k) {
if (k === key) {
value = object[k];
return true;
}
if (object[k] && typeof object[k] === 'object') {
value = findVal(object[k], key);
return value !== undefined;
}
});
return value;
}
var object = { photo: { progress: 20 }};
console.log(findVal(object, 'progress'));
Your code has a few errors:
You're recursively calling util.findVal but not returning the result of the call. Code should be return util.findVal(...)
You're not passing the attribute name key to the recursive call
You're not handling the possibility of a reference loop
If an object contains a key and also a sub-object that contains the key which value is returned is random (depends on the sequence in which the keys are analyzed)
The third problem is what can cause infinite recursion, for example:
var obj1 = {}, obj2 = {};
obj1.x = obj2; obj2.y = obj1;
if you just keep looking recursively searching in obj1 or obj2 could lead to infinite recursion.
Unfortunately for reasons not clear to me in Javascript is impossible to know the object "identity"... (what Python id(x) does) you can only compare an object to another. This means that to know if an object has already been seen in the past you need a linear scan with known objects.
ES6 added the possibility to check object identity with Set and Map where objects can be used as keys. This allows for faster (sub-linear) search times.
A search solution that runs in depth order could be for example:
function findVal(obj, key) {
var seen = new Set, active = [obj];
while (active.length) {
var new_active = [], found = [];
for (var i=0; i<active.length; i++) {
Object.keys(active[i]).forEach(function(k){
var x = active[i][k];
if (k === key) {
found.push(x);
} else if (x && typeof x === "object" &&
!seen.has(x)) {
seen.add(x);
new_active.push(x);
}
});
}
if (found.length) return found;
active = new_active;
}
return null;
}
given an object and an attribute name, returns all the values found with that name at the first depth they are found (there can be more than one value: for example when searching {x:{z:1}, y:{z:2}} for the key "z" two values are at the same depth).
The function also correctly handles self-referencing structures avoiding infinite search.
Don't write your own utility if you can avoid it.
Use something like jsonpath
Some examples of supported syntax:
JSONPath Description
$.store.book[*].author The authors of all books in the store
$..author All authors
$.store.* All things in store, which are some books and a red bicycle
$.store..price The price of everything in the store
$..book[2] The third book
$..book[(#.length-1)] The last book via script subscript
$..book[-1:] The last book via slice
$..book[0,1] The first two books via subscript union
$..book[:2] The first two books via subscript array slice
$..book[?(#.isbn)] Filter all books with isbn number
try changing else statement like this
return util.findVal(object[key],propName)
I know this is an old post, but I found it helpful to answer a problem I had with recursively finding a value by it's key. I further developed the answer given by Nina Scholz, and came up with the following. It should be quicker as it is not creating an array of all of the keys each time it is recursively invoked. Also, this will explicitly return false if the key is not found.
function findVal(obj, keyToFind) {
if (obj[keyToFind]) return obj[keyToFind];
for (let key in obj) {
if (typeof obj[key] === 'object') {
const value = findVal(obj[key], keyToFind);
if (value) return value;
}
}
return false;
}
var object = { photo: { progress: 20 }};
console.log(findVal(object, 'progress'));
I think you are saying that you want to look for the property name anywhere recursively within the objects tree of properties and sub-properties. If so, here is how I would approach this:
var object1 = _getInstance(); // somehow we get an object
var pname = 'PropNameA';
var findPropertyAnywhere = function (obj, name) {
var value = obj[name];
if (typeof value != 'undefined') {
return value;
}
foreach(var key in obj) {
var v2 = findPropertyAnywhere(obj[key], name);
if (typeof v2 != 'undefined') {
return v2;
}
}
return null;
}
findPropertyAnywhere(object1, pname);
Think about it if there is no key found.
I think you could do something like this instead of search
return object[propName] || null
In your code there was a breakpoint missing, I guess you are trying to search inside the whole object not just the directly related attributes so here is an edit for you code
EDIT:
util.findVal = (object, propName) =>{
if(!!object[propName]){
return object[propName]
}else{
for (let key in object) {
if(typeof object[key]=="object"){
return util.findVal(object[key], propName)
}else{
return null
}
}
}
}
Found this question in the realm of needing a general solution to check if an object contains a specific value anywhere in its hierarchy (regardless of the key), which can include arrays of course. So the following does not answer OPs question directly or improve upon other solutions but it might help others looking for the same thing I did and finding this post:
function hasValue(object, value) {
return Object.values(object).some(function(val) {
if (val === value) {
return true;
}
if (val && typeof val === 'object') {
return hasValue(val, value);
}
if (val && val.isArray()) {
return val.some((obj) => {
return hasValue(obj, value);
})
}
});
}
it is of course inspired by #Nina Scholz 's solution!
An answer depends a on how complex you want to get. For example a JSON parsed array doesn't contain functions - and I'm fairly certain it won't contain property value set to a parent node in object tree.
This version returns the property value of the first property name found whilst searching the object tree. undefined is returned if either the named property was not found or has a value of undefined. Some modifications would be needed to tell the difference. It does not re-search parent nodes already being searched, nor try to scan null objects!
let util = {};
util.findVal = (object, propName, searched=[]) => {
searched.push( object)
for (let key in object) {
if (key === propName) {
return object[key]
}
else {
let obj = object[ key]
if( obj && (typeof obj == "object" || typeof obj == "function")) {
if( searched.indexOf(obj) >=0) {
continue
}
let found = util.findVal(obj, propName, searched)
if( found != searched) {
return found
}
}
}
}
searched.pop();
// not in object:
return searched.length ? searched : undefined
}
I ended up writing this function.
It is a refactor of a function found here: Recursively looping through an object to build a property list
added a depth parameter to avoid stack overflow in chrome devtools.
function iterate(obj, context, search, depth) {
for (var property in obj) {
if (Object.prototype.hasOwnProperty.call(obj, property)) {
if(typeof obj[property] == 'function') continue;
if( property == search ){
console.log(context+property);
return;
}
if (typeof obj[property] == "object" && depth < 7) {
//console.log('--- going in: ' + context+property);
iterate(obj[property], context+property+'.', search, depth+1);
}
/*else {
console.log(context+property);
}*/
}
}
}
Returns the value of the field with the specified name.
data is the root node/object.
keyName is a string name of the field/member.
If keyName specifies a field that is itself an object, then that object is returned.
function find (data, keyName) {
for (const key in data) {
const entry = data[key]
if (key === keyName)
return entry
if (typeof entry === 'object') {
const found = find(entry, keyName)
if (found)
return found
}
}
}
The for loop goes through each field and if that field is an object then it will recurse into that object.
Here is a piece of code which find the key you are looking for in your rootObj tree. And add it to the root object. So by the end you will have access to you key like this rootObj[key].
findKeyVal(object, key, rootObj) {
if(object instanceof Object) {
let keys = Object.keys(object);
if(keys.includes(key) && !isNullOrUndefined(object[key])) {
rootObj[key] = object[key];
return;
}
else {
keys.filter(k => object[k] instanceof Object).forEach( k => {
this.findKeyVal(object[k], key, rootObj);
})
}
}
}
Old question, but to check if the property exists anywhere in the hierarchy of an object, try this simple option
var obj = {
firstOperand: {
firstOperand: {
firstOperand: {
sweptArea: 5
}
}
}
};
function doesPropertyExists ( inputObj, prop )
{
return JSON.stringify(obj).indexOf( "\""+ prop +"\":" ) != -1;
};
console.log( doesPropertyExists( obj, "sweptArea" ) );
console.log( doesPropertyExists( obj, "firstOperand" ) );
console.log( doesPropertyExists( obj, "firstOperand22" ) );

Why Javascript object didn't change?

Can someone explain me this strange js behavior ?
All of this is in AngularJS.
I have helper function in my main app.js to simply return element from an array by its id:
var MyLib = MyLib || {};
MyLib.helpers = {
find: function(needle, stack) {
for (var i = 0; i < stack.length; i++) {
if(stack[i]._id === needle)
return stack[i];
}
return false;
}
}
Then I have factory and function to handle database change:
// categories are grabbed from db
var categories = [some array of objects];
// change is object returned from database that has all info about object as well as new object itself
function handleChange(change) {
var _category = MyLib.helpers.find(change.id, categories);
// if deleted, that part is ok
if(change.deleted) {
var idx = categories.indexOf(_category);
if(idx !== -1) {
categories.splice(idx, 1);
}
} else {
// if updated that part is weird
if(_category) {
_category = change.doc;
}
// if newly added that part is ok
else {
categories.push( angular.copy(change.doc) );
}
}
}
Why when I try to update element grabbed from categories array doesn't update in categories array ?
// categories ARE NOT updated after this
_category = change.doc;
and only when I refer to categories by index like this:
// categories ARE updated after this although _category is returned from this array by index (find function)
var idx = categories.indexOf(_category);
categories[idx] = change.doc;
I don't understand this...
You are overwriting the variable with a new value and any reference to prior value is gone.
Instead of overwriting the original object value with a new object you could update the existing object using angular.extend()
angular.extend(_category, change.doc);
I didn't analyze everything, but you should always have dot notation.
_category pass by value, and will not change when 'MyLib.hel ...' is changed
var _category = MyLib.helpers.find(change.id, categories);
something.category pass by reference, and will be changed when 'MyLib.hel ...' is changed
var something.category = MyLib.helpers.find(change.id, categories);

Search recursively for value in object by property name

I'm building an utility function that should search for a property name and return its value once it is found. It should do this recursively:
// Function
util.findVal = (object, propName) => {
for (let key in object) {
if (key === propName) {
console.log(propName)
console.log(object[key])
return object[key]
} else {
util.findVal(object[key], propName)
}
}
}
// Input
object: {
photo: {
progress: 20
}
}
// Usage
util.findVal(object, 'progress')
However the console log goes forever and the browser crashes. What am I doing wrong?
EDIT:
This is how I'm calling the function:
// Input
item: {
photo: {
file: {},
progress: 20
}
}
this.findProgress(item)
methods: {
findProgress (item) {
return util.findVal(item, this.propName)
}
}
You could use Object.keys and iterate with Array#some.
function findVal(object, key) {
var value;
Object.keys(object).some(function(k) {
if (k === key) {
value = object[k];
return true;
}
if (object[k] && typeof object[k] === 'object') {
value = findVal(object[k], key);
return value !== undefined;
}
});
return value;
}
var object = { photo: { progress: 20 }};
console.log(findVal(object, 'progress'));
Your code has a few errors:
You're recursively calling util.findVal but not returning the result of the call. Code should be return util.findVal(...)
You're not passing the attribute name key to the recursive call
You're not handling the possibility of a reference loop
If an object contains a key and also a sub-object that contains the key which value is returned is random (depends on the sequence in which the keys are analyzed)
The third problem is what can cause infinite recursion, for example:
var obj1 = {}, obj2 = {};
obj1.x = obj2; obj2.y = obj1;
if you just keep looking recursively searching in obj1 or obj2 could lead to infinite recursion.
Unfortunately for reasons not clear to me in Javascript is impossible to know the object "identity"... (what Python id(x) does) you can only compare an object to another. This means that to know if an object has already been seen in the past you need a linear scan with known objects.
ES6 added the possibility to check object identity with Set and Map where objects can be used as keys. This allows for faster (sub-linear) search times.
A search solution that runs in depth order could be for example:
function findVal(obj, key) {
var seen = new Set, active = [obj];
while (active.length) {
var new_active = [], found = [];
for (var i=0; i<active.length; i++) {
Object.keys(active[i]).forEach(function(k){
var x = active[i][k];
if (k === key) {
found.push(x);
} else if (x && typeof x === "object" &&
!seen.has(x)) {
seen.add(x);
new_active.push(x);
}
});
}
if (found.length) return found;
active = new_active;
}
return null;
}
given an object and an attribute name, returns all the values found with that name at the first depth they are found (there can be more than one value: for example when searching {x:{z:1}, y:{z:2}} for the key "z" two values are at the same depth).
The function also correctly handles self-referencing structures avoiding infinite search.
Don't write your own utility if you can avoid it.
Use something like jsonpath
Some examples of supported syntax:
JSONPath Description
$.store.book[*].author The authors of all books in the store
$..author All authors
$.store.* All things in store, which are some books and a red bicycle
$.store..price The price of everything in the store
$..book[2] The third book
$..book[(#.length-1)] The last book via script subscript
$..book[-1:] The last book via slice
$..book[0,1] The first two books via subscript union
$..book[:2] The first two books via subscript array slice
$..book[?(#.isbn)] Filter all books with isbn number
try changing else statement like this
return util.findVal(object[key],propName)
I know this is an old post, but I found it helpful to answer a problem I had with recursively finding a value by it's key. I further developed the answer given by Nina Scholz, and came up with the following. It should be quicker as it is not creating an array of all of the keys each time it is recursively invoked. Also, this will explicitly return false if the key is not found.
function findVal(obj, keyToFind) {
if (obj[keyToFind]) return obj[keyToFind];
for (let key in obj) {
if (typeof obj[key] === 'object') {
const value = findVal(obj[key], keyToFind);
if (value) return value;
}
}
return false;
}
var object = { photo: { progress: 20 }};
console.log(findVal(object, 'progress'));
I think you are saying that you want to look for the property name anywhere recursively within the objects tree of properties and sub-properties. If so, here is how I would approach this:
var object1 = _getInstance(); // somehow we get an object
var pname = 'PropNameA';
var findPropertyAnywhere = function (obj, name) {
var value = obj[name];
if (typeof value != 'undefined') {
return value;
}
foreach(var key in obj) {
var v2 = findPropertyAnywhere(obj[key], name);
if (typeof v2 != 'undefined') {
return v2;
}
}
return null;
}
findPropertyAnywhere(object1, pname);
Think about it if there is no key found.
I think you could do something like this instead of search
return object[propName] || null
In your code there was a breakpoint missing, I guess you are trying to search inside the whole object not just the directly related attributes so here is an edit for you code
EDIT:
util.findVal = (object, propName) =>{
if(!!object[propName]){
return object[propName]
}else{
for (let key in object) {
if(typeof object[key]=="object"){
return util.findVal(object[key], propName)
}else{
return null
}
}
}
}
Found this question in the realm of needing a general solution to check if an object contains a specific value anywhere in its hierarchy (regardless of the key), which can include arrays of course. So the following does not answer OPs question directly or improve upon other solutions but it might help others looking for the same thing I did and finding this post:
function hasValue(object, value) {
return Object.values(object).some(function(val) {
if (val === value) {
return true;
}
if (val && typeof val === 'object') {
return hasValue(val, value);
}
if (val && val.isArray()) {
return val.some((obj) => {
return hasValue(obj, value);
})
}
});
}
it is of course inspired by #Nina Scholz 's solution!
An answer depends a on how complex you want to get. For example a JSON parsed array doesn't contain functions - and I'm fairly certain it won't contain property value set to a parent node in object tree.
This version returns the property value of the first property name found whilst searching the object tree. undefined is returned if either the named property was not found or has a value of undefined. Some modifications would be needed to tell the difference. It does not re-search parent nodes already being searched, nor try to scan null objects!
let util = {};
util.findVal = (object, propName, searched=[]) => {
searched.push( object)
for (let key in object) {
if (key === propName) {
return object[key]
}
else {
let obj = object[ key]
if( obj && (typeof obj == "object" || typeof obj == "function")) {
if( searched.indexOf(obj) >=0) {
continue
}
let found = util.findVal(obj, propName, searched)
if( found != searched) {
return found
}
}
}
}
searched.pop();
// not in object:
return searched.length ? searched : undefined
}
I ended up writing this function.
It is a refactor of a function found here: Recursively looping through an object to build a property list
added a depth parameter to avoid stack overflow in chrome devtools.
function iterate(obj, context, search, depth) {
for (var property in obj) {
if (Object.prototype.hasOwnProperty.call(obj, property)) {
if(typeof obj[property] == 'function') continue;
if( property == search ){
console.log(context+property);
return;
}
if (typeof obj[property] == "object" && depth < 7) {
//console.log('--- going in: ' + context+property);
iterate(obj[property], context+property+'.', search, depth+1);
}
/*else {
console.log(context+property);
}*/
}
}
}
Returns the value of the field with the specified name.
data is the root node/object.
keyName is a string name of the field/member.
If keyName specifies a field that is itself an object, then that object is returned.
function find (data, keyName) {
for (const key in data) {
const entry = data[key]
if (key === keyName)
return entry
if (typeof entry === 'object') {
const found = find(entry, keyName)
if (found)
return found
}
}
}
The for loop goes through each field and if that field is an object then it will recurse into that object.
Here is a piece of code which find the key you are looking for in your rootObj tree. And add it to the root object. So by the end you will have access to you key like this rootObj[key].
findKeyVal(object, key, rootObj) {
if(object instanceof Object) {
let keys = Object.keys(object);
if(keys.includes(key) && !isNullOrUndefined(object[key])) {
rootObj[key] = object[key];
return;
}
else {
keys.filter(k => object[k] instanceof Object).forEach( k => {
this.findKeyVal(object[k], key, rootObj);
})
}
}
}
Old question, but to check if the property exists anywhere in the hierarchy of an object, try this simple option
var obj = {
firstOperand: {
firstOperand: {
firstOperand: {
sweptArea: 5
}
}
}
};
function doesPropertyExists ( inputObj, prop )
{
return JSON.stringify(obj).indexOf( "\""+ prop +"\":" ) != -1;
};
console.log( doesPropertyExists( obj, "sweptArea" ) );
console.log( doesPropertyExists( obj, "firstOperand" ) );
console.log( doesPropertyExists( obj, "firstOperand22" ) );

Make Javascript local variable to global for recursive loops

I have a recursive function which has a local variable.
It calls itself on specific condition.
The local variable needs to be updated, but every call it creates a new local variable specific to the current function scope.
How can i reach the local variable for access all recursive loop and not to create a new one?
Something like __Callee.varname?
The code is:
var addAttribute = function(object,elem)
{
var attributes = [];
// only attribute without values
if ( object instanceof Array )
{
for ( var value in object )
{
attributes.push(object[value]);
}
}
// attribute with values
else if ( object instanceof Object )
{
for ( var key in object )
{
if ( object[key] instanceof Array )
{
addAttribute(object[key],elem);
}
else
{
attributes.push(key+'=\''+object[key]+'\'');
}
}
}
// Only one attribute
else if ( typeof object === 'string' )
{
attributes.push('\''+object+'\'');
}
// Invalid parameter
else
{
console.log('Invalid parameter: '+typeof object);
}
console.log('<'+elem+' '+attributes.join(' ').toString()+' />');
}
I do not want to make variable to global because of using this name in other functions and global scope already.
Use a closure
function fn() {
function recursiveFunction() {
// do something with x
recursiveFunction();
}
var x = 0;
recursiveFunction();
}
The usual thing is to pass it into the function, possibly optionally:
var addAttribute = function(object,elem, attributes) {
attributes = attributes || [];
// ....
Then when calling it recursively, pass in the third argument:
addAttribute(object[key], value, attributes);
Here's a much simplified example demonstrating:
function foo(num, array) {
array = array || [];
array.push(num);
console.log("Pushed " + num + ", array = " + JSON.stringify(array));
if (num < 5) {
foo(num + 1, array);
}
}
foo(1);

How can I create a recursive function along maintaining the history of the local variables?

Below is a function that basically takes a multi-dimensional array and converts it into a single-dimensional array. I am using recursion to solve this. Also, there is one constraint - I cannot use a global variable, so no variables can be defined outside of the function.
Here is the function.
function flattenArray(someArr) {
var results = [];
if(isArrayLike(someArr)) {
for(var i = 0; i != someArr.length; i++) {
flattenArray(someArr[i])
}
} else {
results.push(someArr);
}
return results;
}
Here, the function will always return a blank array, since every time the function recurs, it clears the array. So, how can you avoid this without using a global variable?
Assume: isArrayLike() function returns true or false.
You can pass the accumulator along:
function flattenArray(someArr, acc) {
acc = acc || [];
if (isArrayLike(someArr)) {
for(var i = 0; i != someArr.length; i++) {
flattenArray(someArr[i], acc)
}
} else {
acc.push(someArr);
}
return acc;
}
Or without loops, using reduce and the builtin Array.isArray:
function flatten(xs) {
return xs.reduce(function(acc, x) {
return acc.concat(Array.isArray(x) ? flatten(x) : x)
},[])
}
why not try passing a array as second argument to function , initially blank array ie
flattenArray(someArr,result) and than passing updated and latest result array every time you recurse

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