Sorted Positions of a Target Value
Company: Google
Role: Software Engineer
Category: Coding & Algorithms
Difficulty: easy
Interview Round: Other
### Problem
Given `nums` and a value `target`, consider the array in nondecreasing sorted order. Return every zero-based position occupied by `target` in that sorted array. The returned positions must be in increasing order. If `target` is absent, return an empty vector; return sorted-array positions rather than positions in the original input.
```cpp
class Solution {
public:
vector<int> targetIndices(vector<int>& nums, int target);
};
```
### Examples
**Example 1:**
```text
nums = [4,1,4,2], target = 4
Output: [2,3]
Explanation: Sorting gives [1,2,4,4].
```
**Example 2:**
```text
nums = [3,1], target = 2
Output: []
Explanation: Neither sorted entry equals 2.
```
### Constraints
- `1 <= nums.length <= 100`.
- `1 <= nums[i],target <= 100`.
### Clarifying Questions
The result contains sorted-array positions, not original positions. Output order is specified and must not be treated as any-order freedom.
```hint Inspect the structure
How many values necessarily precede the first target in sorted order?
```
### Reasoning checkpoints
- Identify exactly the target's positions in nondecreasing order, including every duplicate.
- Return positions in increasing order and distinguish them from original input indices.
- Handle an absent target and targets at the beginning or end of the sorted array.
### Optional extensions
How could you answer the query efficiently if nums were already sorted?
Overview: Sorted Positions of a Target Value. Return all zero-based indices occupied by target after nums is sorted in nondecreasing order. The returned indices must be increasing. If target is absent, return an empty vector.