Microsoft Interview Question for Software Engineer in Tests






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int a[4][4] = { {1,2,3,4 },
{5,6,7,8},
{9,10,11,12},
{13,14,15,16} };

int _tmain(int argc, _TCHAR* argv[])
{
int i = 0;
int j =0;

int totalElems = 4*4;
enum Direction{l2r,t2b,r2l,b2t};
int numFlips[4] = {0,0,0,0};
Direction d = l2r;
while(totalElems--)
{
std::cout<<a[i][j]<<" , ";
switch(d)
{
case l2r:
{
if ( j == 3 - numFlips[d])
{
++numFlips[d];
d = t2b;
i++;
std::cout<<"\n";

}
else
j++;
} break;
case t2b:
{
if ( i == 3 - numFlips[d])
{
++numFlips[d];
d = r2l;
--j;
std::cout<<"\n";

}
else
i++;
} break;
case r2l:
{
if ( j == numFlips[d])
{
++numFlips[d];
d = b2t;
--i;

std::cout<<"\n";
}
else
--j;
} break;
case b2t:
{
if ( i == numFlips[d] + 1)
{
++numFlips[d];
d = l2r;
j++;

std::cout<<"\n";
}
else
--i;
} break;
}
};

return 0;
}

- manoj gupta June 15, 2010 | Flag Reply
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of 0 votes

This is not working for non-square matrix

- erappy July 07, 2010 | Flag
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The below seems to be nice:
technicalinterviewquestions.net/2009/03/print-2d-array-matrix-spiral-order.html

- csk June 19, 2010 | Flag Reply
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public static void PrintMatrixClockwise(int[,] a, int columns, int rows )
    {
        int sri = 0, eri = rows-1;
        int sci = 0, eci = columns-1;

        for (int i = sri, j= sci; j <= eci;j++ )
        {
            Console.Write(a[i,j] + " ");
        }
        for (int j = eci, i = sri + 1; i <= eri - 1; i++)
        {
            Console.Write(a[i, j] + " ");
        }

        for (int j = eci, i = eci ; j >= sci - 1 && j !=0; --j)
        {
            Console.Write(a[i, j] + " ");
        }
        for (int i = eri, j = sci; i >= sci-1 && i != 0 ; --i)
        {
            Console.Write(a[i, j] + " ");
        }
    }

- Anonymous July 18, 2010 | Flag Reply
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The problem with 5 for loops (4 inside 1) is that it either will print the center cell more than once or not at all in case of odd square matrix. The odd square is just an example, the case can be extended for uneven rectagles too.

- Ram August 23, 2010 | Flag Reply
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static void printmatrixspirally(int[,] a, int rows, int cols)
{
int currRow = 0, currCol = 0;
int rowMax = rows - 1;
int colMax = cols - 1;
while(!(currRow <0 || currRow>rowMax || currCol <0 || currCol > colMax))
{
for (; currCol <= colMax; currCol++)
Console.WriteLine(a[currRow, currCol]);
for (currCol--, currRow++; currRow <= rowMax; currRow++)
Console.WriteLine(a[currRow, currCol]);
currRow--;
currCol--;
if (currRow > (rows - 1) - rowMax && currCol >= (cols - 1) - colMax)
{
for (; currCol >= (cols - 1) - colMax; currCol--)
Console.WriteLine(a[currRow, currCol]);
for (currCol++, currRow--; currRow > (rows - 1) - rowMax; currRow--)
Console.WriteLine(a[currRow, currCol]);
}
currRow++;
currCol++;
rowMax--;
colMax--;
}
}

- c# August 25, 2010 | Flag Reply
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//adding some comments with some correction...I have checked with wide variety of inputs, this is in c#, please let me know if this is failing for any input..

static void printmatrixspirally(int[,] a, int rows, int cols)
{
int currRow = 0, currCol = 0;
int rowMax = rows - 1;
int colMax = cols - 1;
//loop until currRow or currCol is out of last visited boundary saved in rowMax and colMax
while(!(currRow <0 || currRow>rowMax || currCol <0 || currCol > colMax))
{
//loop to get the elements in top row
for (; currCol <= colMax; currCol++)
Console.WriteLine(a[currRow, currCol]);
//loop to get teh elements in right column
for (currCol--, currRow++; currRow <= rowMax; currRow++)
Console.WriteLine(a[currRow, currCol]);
currRow--;
currCol--;

//make sure currRow and currCol have not already been visited.
if (currRow > (rows - 1) - rowMax && currCol >= (cols - 1) - colMax)
{
for (; currCol >= (cols - 1) - colMax; currCol--)
Console.WriteLine(a[currRow, currCol]);
for (currCol++, currRow--; currRow > (rows - 1) - rowMax; currRow--)
Console.WriteLine(a[currRow, currCol]);
currRow++;
currCol++;
}
//modify the last visited row and column.
rowMax--;
colMax--;
}
}

- Anonymous August 25, 2010 | Flag Reply
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tested with few cases.
base idea is: we have 4 loops within a big loop; each time we print a row/column, we shrink the matrix (by left boundary, right, up or down: it depends) by 1. <-- in this way we gradually narrow down our matrix...

void print_matrix_spirally(int **m, int r, int c){
	int left=0,right=c-1,top=0,down=r-1;
	while(left<=right&&top<=down){
		bool sw1=false,sw2=false,sw3=false,sw4=false;
		for(int i=left;i<=right;i++){
			cout<<m[top][i]<<" ";
			if(!sw1)
				sw1=true;
		}
		if(sw1)
			top++;
		for(int i=top;i<=down;i++){
			cout<<m[i][right]<<" ";
			if(!sw2)
				sw2=true;
		}
		if(sw2)
			right--;
		for(int i=right;i>=left;i--){
			cout<<m[down][i]<<" ";
			if(!sw3)
				sw3=true;
		}
		if(sw3)
			down--;
		for(int i=down;i>=top;i--){
			cout<<m[i][left]<<" ";
			if(!sw4)
				sw4=true;
		}
		if(sw4)
			left++;
	}
}

- Yimin October 07, 2010 | Flag Reply
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0
of 0 votes

Very easy readable code, thank you!

- Numa August 14, 2011 | Flag
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0
of 0 votes

The same question was asked in microsoft interview again. Here is the java code and some test runs:

public class PrintMatrixSpiral {

	public static void main(String[] args) {
		int a[][] = { { 1 ,2,3}, { 4,5,6 }, { 7,8,9 }, {10,11,12} };

		printSpiral(a, 4, 3);		
		
		int b[][] = { { 1 ,2,3,4}, { 4,5,6,7 }, { 8,9,10,11 }, {12,13,14,15} };
		printSpiral(b, 4, 4);

		int c[][] = { { 1 ,2,3,4}};
		printSpiral(c, 1, 4);

		int d[][] = { { 1} ,{2},{3},{4}};
		printSpiral(d, 4, 1);
		
		int e[][] = { {1}};
		printSpiral(e, 1, 1);
		
	}

	private static void printSpiral(int[][] a, int m, int n) {

		int x = 0;
		int y = 0;

		int i = 0;
		int j = 0;
		while (x <= m / 2) {
			// step1: print the row
			i = 0 + x;
			for (j = 0 + y; j <= (n - 1) - y; j++) {
				System.out.print(a[i][j] + " ");
			}

			// step 2: print the right column
			j = (n - 1) - y;
			for (i = x + 1; i <= (m - 1) - (x + 1); i++) {
				System.out.print(a[i][j] + " ");
			}

			// step3: print bottom row
			i = m - 1 - x;
			if (i > 0 + x) {
				for (j = (n - 1) - y; j >= (0 + y); j--) {
					System.out.print(a[i][j] + " ");
				}
			}

			// step 4: print left column
			j = (0 + y);
			if (j < (n - 1) - y) {
				for (i = (m - 1) - (x + 1); i >= (x + 1); i--) {
					System.out.print(a[i][j] + " ");
				}
			}

			x++;
			y++;
		}

		System.out.println();
	}
}

- sriniatiisc February 20, 2012 | Flag
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of 0 vote

//Print the martix clockwise using direction of navigation.

enum dir {
left, right, down, up
};

public static void printSpirally(int a[][], int row, int col) {
int rowTop = 0, colTop = 0;
dir d = dir.right;

for (int k = 0, i = rowTop, j = colTop; k < row / 2; k++) {
do {
System.out.print(a[i][j]);
switch (d) {
case right:
if (j < col - 1) {
j++;
} else {
i++;
d = dir.down;
}

break;
case down:
if (i < row - 1) {
i++;
} else {
j--;
d = dir.left;
}

break;
case up:
if (j > 0) {
j--;
} else {
i--;
d = dir.up;
}
break;
default:
if (i > 0) {
i--;
}
break;

}

} while (i != rowTop && j != colTop);
System.out.println();
i += 1;
j += 1;
}

}

- Naresh April 04, 2012 | Flag Reply


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