package LeetCode_1754 /** * 1754. Largest Merge Of Two Strings * https://leetcode.com/problems/largest-merge-of-two-strings/ * You are given two strings word1 and word2. You want to construct a string merge in the following way: * while either word1 or word2 are non-empty, choose one of the following options: If word1 is non-empty, append the first character in word1 to merge and delete it from word1. For example, if word1 = "abc" and merge = "dv", then after choosing this operation, word1 = "bc" and merge = "dva". If word2 is non-empty, append the first character in word2 to merge and delete it from word2. For example, if word2 = "abc" and merge = "", then after choosing this operation, word2 = "bc" and merge = "a". Return the lexicographically largest merge you can construct. A string a is lexicographically larger than a string b (of the same length) if in the first position where a and b differ, a has a character strictly larger than the corresponding character in b. For example, "abcd" is lexicographically larger than "abcc" because the first position they differ is at the fourth character, and d is greater than c. Example 1: Input: word1 = "cabaa", word2 = "bcaaa" Output: "cbcabaaaaa" Explanation: One way to get the lexicographically largest merge is: - Take from word1: merge = "c", word1 = "abaa", word2 = "bcaaa" - Take from word2: merge = "cb", word1 = "abaa", word2 = "caaa" - Take from word2: merge = "cbc", word1 = "abaa", word2 = "aaa" - Take from word1: merge = "cbca", word1 = "baa", word2 = "aaa" - Take from word1: merge = "cbcab", word1 = "aa", word2 = "aaa" - Append the remaining 5 a's from word1 and word2 at the end of merge. * */ class Solution { /* * solution: merge and compare, * Time:O(l*max(word1.length,word2.length)), Space:O(l), l = word1.length + word2.length * */ fun largestMerge(word1: String, word2: String): String { val sb = StringBuilder() var i = 0 var j = 0 while (i < word1.length && j < word2.length) { /* * if current two chars are equals, compare remaining string after current char * */ if (word1[i] > word2[j] || (word1[i] == word2[j] && word1.substring(i).compareTo(word2.substring(j)) > 0)) { sb.append(word1[i++]) } else { sb.append(word2[j++]) } } while (i < word1.length) { sb.append(word1[i++]) } while (j < word2.length) { sb.append(word2[j++]) } return sb.toString() } }