freeCodeCamp/curriculum/challenges/english/08-coding-interview-prep/data-structures/search-within-a-linked-list.english.md

id, title, challengeType, forumTopicId

id	title	challengeType	forumTopicId
587d8251367417b2b2512c64	Search within a Linked List	1	301715

Description

Let's add a few more useful methods to our linked list class. Wouldn't it be useful if we could tell if our list was empty or not, as with our Stack and Queue classes? We should also be able to find specific elements in our linked list. Traversing through data structures is something you'll want to get a lot of practice with! Let's create an indexOf method that takes an element as an argument, and returns that element's index in the linked list. If the element is not found in the linked list, return -1. Let's also implement a method that does the opposite: an elementAt method that takes an index as an argument and returns the element at the given index. If no element is found, return undefined.

Instructions

Write an isEmpty method that checks if the linked list is empty, an indexOf method that returns the index of a given element, and an elementAt that returns an element at a given index.

Tests

tests:
  - text: Your <code>LinkedList</code> class should have an <code>isEmpty</code> method.
    testString: assert((function(){var test = new LinkedList(); return (typeof test.isEmpty === 'function')}()));
  - text: Your <code>isEmpty</code> method should return <code>false</code> when there is at least one element in linked list.
    testString: assert((function(){var test = new LinkedList(); test.add('cat'); test.add('dog'); test.add('kitten'); return test.isEmpty() === false}()));
  - text: Your <code>isEmpty</code> method should return <code>true</code> when there are no elements in linked list.
    testString: assert((function(){var test = new LinkedList(); return test.isEmpty() === true}()));
  - text: Your <code>LinkedList</code> class should have an <code>indexOf</code> method.
    testString: assert((function(){var test = new LinkedList(); return (typeof test.indexOf === 'function')}()));
  - text: Your <code>indexOf</code> method should return the index of a given element found in linked list.
    testString: assert((function(){var test = new LinkedList(); test.add('cat'); test.add('dog'); test.add('kitten'); return test.indexOf('cat') === 0}()));
  - text: Your <code>indexOf</code> method should return <code>-1</code> if the given element is not found in linked list
    testString: assert((function(){var test = new LinkedList(); test.add('cat'); test.add('dog'); test.add('kitten'); return test.indexOf('pony') === -1}()));
  - text: Your <code>LinkedList</code> class should have an <code>elementAt</code> method.
    testString: assert((function(){var test = new LinkedList(); return (typeof test.elementAt === 'function')}()));
  - text: Your <code>elementAt</code> method should return the element found at a given index in linked list.
    testString: assert((function(){var test = new LinkedList(); test.add('cat'); test.add('dog'); test.add('kitten'); return test.elementAt(1) === 'dog'}()));
  - text: Your <code>elementAt</code> method should return <code>undefined</code> if the given element is not found at a given index in linked list.
    testString: assert((function(){var test = new LinkedList(); test.add('cat'); test.add('dog'); test.add('kitten'); return test.elementAt(5) === undefined}()));

Challenge Seed

function LinkedList() {
  var length = 0;
  var head = null;

  var Node = function(element){ // {1}
    this.element = element;
    this.next = null;
  };

  this.size = function() {
    return length;
  };

  this.head = function(){
    return head;
  };

  this.add = function(element){
    var node = new Node(element);
    if(head === null){
        head = node;
    } else {
        var currentNode = head;

        while(currentNode.next){
            currentNode  = currentNode.next;
        }

        currentNode.next = node;
    }

    length++;
  };

  this.remove = function(element){
    var currentNode = head;
    var previousNode;
    if(currentNode.element === element){
        head = currentNode.next;
    } else {
        while(currentNode.element !== element) {
            previousNode = currentNode;
            currentNode = currentNode.next;
        }

        previousNode.next = currentNode.next;
    }

    length --;
  };

  // Only change code below this line

  // Only change code above this line
}

Solution

function LinkedList() {
  var length = 0;
  var head = null;

  var Node = function(element){ // {1}
    this.element = element;
    this.next = null;
  };

  this.size = function() {
    return length;
  };

  this.head = function(){
    return head;
  };

  this.add = function(element){
    var node = new Node(element);
    if(head === null){
        head = node;
    } else {
        var currentNode = head;

        while(currentNode.next){
            currentNode  = currentNode.next;
        }

        currentNode.next = node;
    }

    length++;
  };

  this.remove = function(element){
    var currentNode = head;
    var previousNode;
    if(currentNode.element === element){
        head = currentNode.next;
    } else {
        while(currentNode.element !== element) {
            previousNode = currentNode;
            currentNode = currentNode.next;
        }

        previousNode.next = currentNode.next;
    }

    length --;
  };

  this.indexOf = function(element) {
    if (head === null) return -1

    let current = head;
    let index = 0;

    while (current.element !== element && current.next !== null) {
      current = current.next;
      index++
    }

    if (current.element !== element && current.next === null) {
      return -1
    }

    return index;
  }

  this.elementAt = function(index) {
    if (head === null) return undefined;

    let current = head;
    let currentIndex = 0;

    while (currentIndex !== index && current.next !== null) {
      current = current.next;
      currentIndex++
    }

    if (currentIndex !== index && current.next === null) {
      return undefined;
    }

    return current.element;
  }

  this.isEmpty = function() {
    return length === 0;
  }
}