449. Serialize and Deserialize BST

Question

Serialization is the process of converting a data structure or object into a sequence of bits so that it can be stored in a file or memory buffer, or transmitted across a network connection link to be reconstructed later in the same or another computer environment.

Design an algorithm to serialize and deserialize a binary search tree. There is no restriction on how your serialization/deserialization algorithm should work. You just need to ensure that a binary search tree can be serialized to a string and this string can be deserialized to the original tree structure.

The encoded string should be as compact as possible.

Note: Do not use class member/global/static variables to store states. Your serialize and deserialize algorithms should be stateless.

Solution:

  • Method 1: dfs ```Java /**
    • Definition for a binary tree node.
    • public class TreeNode {
    • int val;
    • TreeNode left;
    • TreeNode right;
    • TreeNode(int x) { val = x; }
    • } */ public class Codec { private static final String empty = “#”; private static final String split = “,”; // Encodes a tree to a single string. public String serialize(TreeNode root) { StringBuilder sb = new StringBuilder(); serialize(root, sb); return sb.toString(); } private void serialize(TreeNode node, StringBuilder sb){ if(node == null){ sb.append(empty).append(split); }else{ sb.append(node.val).append(split); serialize(node.left, sb); serialize(node.right, sb); } } // Decodes your encoded data to tree. public TreeNode deserialize(String data) { String[] tokens = data.split(split); LinkedList q = new LinkedList<>(); q.addAll(Arrays.asList(tokens)); return deserialize(q); } private TreeNode deserialize(Queue q){ String token = q.poll(); if(token.equals(empty)) return null; else{ TreeNode node = new TreeNode(Integer.parseInt(token)); node.left = deserialize(q); node.right = deserialize(q); return node; } } }

    // Your Codec object will be instantiated and called as such: // Codec codec = new Codec(); // codec.deserialize(codec.serialize(root)); ```

  • Method 2: Use the property of BST ```Java /**
    • Definition for a binary tree node.
    • public class TreeNode {
    • int val;
    • TreeNode left;
    • TreeNode right;
    • TreeNode(int x) { val = x; }
    • } */ public class Codec {

      // Encodes a tree to a single string. public String serialize(TreeNode root) { StringBuilder sb = new StringBuilder(); dfs(root, sb); return sb.toString(); } private void dfs(TreeNode node, StringBuilder sb){ if(node == null) return; else{ sb.append(node.val).append(“,”); dfs(node.left, sb); dfs(node.right, sb); } }

      // Decodes your encoded data to tree. public TreeNode deserialize(String data) { if(data.trim().length() == 0) return null; String[] tokens = data.split(“,”); TreeNode root = new TreeNode(Integer.parseInt(tokens[0])); for(int i = 1; i < tokens.length; i++){ insert(root, Integer.parseInt(tokens[i])); } return root; } private TreeNode insert(TreeNode node, int num){ if(node == null) return new TreeNode(num); else if(num < node.val || node.val == num){ node.left = insert(node.left, num); }else if(num > node.val){ node.right = insert(node.right, num); } return node; } }

    // Your Codec object will be instantiated and called as such: // Codec codec = new Codec(); // codec.deserialize(codec.serialize(root)); ```

Second Time

  • Method 1: recursion ```Java /**
    • Definition for a binary tree node.
    • public class TreeNode {
    • int val;
    • TreeNode left;
    • TreeNode right;
    • TreeNode(int x) { val = x; }
    • } */ public class Codec { private static final char NULL = ‘#’; private static final char split = ‘,’; // Encodes a tree to a single string. public String serialize(TreeNode root) { StringBuilder sb = new StringBuilder(); serialize(root, sb); return sb.toString(); } private void serialize(TreeNode node, StringBuilder sb){ if(node == null){ sb.append(NULL).append(split); return; }else{ sb.append(node.val).append(split); serialize(node.left, sb); serialize(node.right, sb); }

      } // Decodes your encoded data to tree. public TreeNode deserialize(String data) { String[] tokens = data.split(“,”); Queue q = new LinkedList<>(); for(String token : tokens){ q.offer(token); } return deserialize(q); } private TreeNode deserialize(Queue q){ String val = q.poll(); if(val.equals("" + NULL)) return null; else{ TreeNode node = new TreeNode(Integer.parseInt(val)); node.left = deserialize(q); node.right = deserialize(q); return node; } } }

    // Your Codec object will be instantiated and called as such: // Codec codec = new Codec(); // codec.deserialize(codec.serialize(root)); ```

Amazon session

/**
 * Definition for a binary tree node.
 * public class TreeNode {
 *     int val;
 *     TreeNode left;
 *     TreeNode right;
 *     TreeNode(int x) { val = x; }
 * }
 */
public class Codec {
    private static final String NULL = "#";
    private static final String split = ",";
    // Encodes a tree to a single string.
    public String serialize(TreeNode root) {
        StringBuilder sb = new StringBuilder();
        serialize(root, sb);
        return sb.toString();
    }
    private void serialize(TreeNode node, StringBuilder sb){
        if(node == null){
            sb.append(NULL + split);
        }else{
            sb.append(node.val + split);
            serialize(node.left, sb);
            serialize(node.right, sb);
        }
    }

    // Decodes your encoded data to tree.
    public TreeNode deserialize(String data) {
        String[] tokens = data.split(split);
        Queue<String> q = new LinkedList<>();
        for(String token: tokens) q.offer(token);
        return deserialize(q);
    }
    private TreeNode deserialize(Queue<String> q){
        String token = q.poll();
        if(token.equals(NULL)) return null;
        else{
            TreeNode node = new TreeNode(Integer.parseInt(token));
            node.left = deserialize(q);
            node.right = deserialize(q);
            return node;
        }
    }
}

// Your Codec object will be instantiated and called as such:
// Codec codec = new Codec();
// codec.deserialize(codec.serialize(root));