Peeking Iterator
Source
Given an Iterator class interface with methods: next() and hasNext(), design
and implement a PeekingIterator that support the peek() operation -- it
essentially peek() at the element that will be returned by the next call to
next().
Here is an example. Assume that the iterator is initialized to the beginning of
the list: [1, 2, 3].
Call next() gets you 1, the first element in the list.
Now you call peek() and it returns 2, the next element. Calling next() after
that still return 2.
You call next() the final time and it returns 3, the last element. Calling
hasNext() after that should return false.
Hint:
Think of "looking ahead". You want to cache the next element.
Is one variable sufficient? Why or why not?
Test your design with call order of peek() before next() vs next() before
peek().
For a clean implementation, check out Google's guava library source code.
Follow up: How would you extend your design to be generic and work with all
types, not just integer?
Java
class PeekingIterator implements Iterator<Integer> {
Integer n = null;
Iterator<Integer> iterator;
public PeekingIterator(Iterator<Integer> iterator) {
this.iterator=iterator;
}
public Integer peek() {
if(n==null){
n = iterator.next();
}
return n;
}
@Override
public Integer next() {
if(n!=null){
Integer tmp = n;
n = null;
return tmp;
}
return iterator.next();
}
@Override
public boolean hasNext() {
if(n!=null){
return true;
}
return iterator.hasNext();
}
}