Implement iterators and write tests in Java
Company: Coinbase
Role: Software Engineer
Category: Coding & Algorithms
Difficulty: medium
Interview Round: Onsite
In Java, write everything from scratch (no IDE scaffolding):
1) Define a generic Iterator<T> interface with hasNext() and next().
2) Implement ArrayIterator<T> over a fixed array.
3) Implement PeekingIterator<T> that wraps any Iterator<T> and adds peek() without advancing.
4) Provide minimal unit tests that compile and run, covering empty input, single element, multiple elements, and calling next() when no elements remain. Analyze time/space complexity and edge cases.
Quick Answer: Implement iterators and write tests in Java evaluates algorithm design, data structures, correctness, complexity, edge cases, and implementation details in a realistic interview setting. A strong answer states assumptions, handles edge cases, explains trade-offs, and shows how to validate the result clearly.
Solution
# Solution Alignment
The prompt asks for an implementation-level answer. The safest way to present it is to define the state, maintain clear invariants, then walk through complexity and tests.
## Problem Restatement
In Java, write everything from scratch (no IDE scaffolding): 1) Define a generic Iterator<T> interface with hasNext() and next(). 2) Implement ArrayIterator<T> over a fixed array. 3) Implement PeekingIterator<T> that wraps any Iterator<T> and adds peek() without advancing. 4) Provide minimal unit tests that compile and run, covering empty input, single element, multiple elements, and calling next() when no elements remain. Analyze time/space complexity and edge cases.
## Recommended Approach
Start with a brute-force baseline to confirm correctness, then identify the repeated work or ordering property that enables a better data structure such as a hash map, heap, stack, queue, two pointers, prefix sums, BFS/DFS, or dynamic programming. Write the implementation around a small invariant and test that invariant directly.
## Correctness
The implementation should maintain an invariant after each loop or operation that directly matches the problem statement. At termination, that invariant implies the returned value has considered every valid candidate exactly once, or has preserved the required data-structure state after every API call.
## Complexity
State the baseline complexity and the optimized complexity. For most interview constraints, justify why the optimized approach meets the expected input size.
## Edge Cases and Tests
Empty and singleton inputs, duplicates, ties, invalid inputs, boundary values, and tests that exercise the main invariant.