Build an Ordered Latest-Quote Container
Company: Chicago
Role: Software Engineer
Category: Coding & Algorithms
Difficulty: medium
Interview Round: Technical Screen
# Build an Ordered Latest-Quote Container
Implement a top-level operation runner for incoming stock quotes. At most one quote per symbol may be present.
```python
def run_quote_container(operations: list[list]) -> list:
...
```
Operations are encoded as:
- `["push", symbol, bid, ask]`: insert or update a quote and append `None` to results.
- `["pop"]`: remove the oldest remaining symbol and append its latest `[symbol, bid, ask]`, or append `None` when empty.
- `["size"]`: append the current number of symbols.
Malformed or unknown operations append the string `"ValueError"` and leave state unchanged. The first valid push of a symbol establishes its position in insertion order. A later valid push for that symbol replaces its bid and ask **without changing that position**. Every valid operation must run in expected `O(1)` time.
### Example
```text
Input operations:
[
["push", "AAPL", 95, 97],
["push", "GOOG", 500, 540],
["push", "MSFT", 30, 34],
["push", "GOOG", 501, 520],
["push", "AAPL", 94, 98],
["size"], ["pop"],
["push", "MSFT", 32, 35],
["pop"], ["pop"], ["pop"]
]
Output:
[
None, None, None, None, None,
3, ["AAPL", 94, 98], None,
["GOOG", 501, 520], ["MSFT", 32, 35], None
]
```
### Constraints
- Symbols are nonempty case-sensitive strings.
- Bid and ask are integers.
- The container may hold up to `200_000` distinct symbols.
- Operation records must have exactly the shapes defined above.
### Clarifications
- This practice version follows the example: updating a symbol does not make it newest in the ordering.
- After a symbol is popped, a later push of that symbol is a new first arrival and appends it to the back.
### Hints
- One requirement concerns order; another requires direct access by symbol.
- Choose representations that let a replacement update the exact ordered element without scanning.
Quick Answer: Build an insertion-ordered container that stores only the latest quote for each stock symbol. Support expected O(1) push, pop, and size operations while updating bid and ask values without changing a symbol's original position and safely rejecting malformed commands.
Maintain at most one latest quote per symbol while retaining each symbol's first-arrival order. Push inserts or replaces without moving an existing symbol; pop removes the oldest symbol; size reports the count. Malformed operations append the literal string ValueError and leave state unchanged.
Constraints
- Symbols are nonempty case-sensitive strings.
- Bid and ask are non-Boolean integers.
- The container may hold at most 200,000 symbols.
- Valid push, pop, and size operations run in expected O(1) time.
Examples
Input: ([['push','AAPL',95,97],['push','GOOG',500,540],['push','MSFT',30,34],['push','GOOG',501,520],['push','AAPL',94,98],['size'],['pop'],['push','MSFT',32,35],['pop'],['pop'],['pop']],)
Expected Output: [None, None, None, None, None, 3, ['AAPL', 94, 98], None, ['GOOG', 501, 520], ['MSFT', 32, 35], None]
Explanation: The supplied sequence exercises replacement and order.
Input: ([['pop'],['size']],)
Expected Output: [None, 0]
Explanation: Pop on an empty container returns None.
Hints
- An ordered dictionary supports direct replacement and oldest-item removal.
- After a symbol is popped, a later push is a fresh arrival at the back.