Find the Difference
Understand how to find the index of the extra character present in only one of two given strings using bitwise manipulation. This lesson guides you through recognizing the problem constraints and implementing an efficient solution in JavaScript, enhancing your skill in handling typical coding interview challenges.
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Statement
Given two strings, str1 and str2, find the index of the extra character that is present in only one of the strings.
Note: If multiple instances of the extra character exist, return the index of the first occurrence of the character in the longer string.
Constraints:
-
str1.length,str2.length - Either
str2.lengthstr1.length + 1, or,str1.lengthstr2.length + 1 - The strings consist of lowercase English letters.
Examples
Understand the problem
Let’s take a moment to make sure you’ve correctly understood the problem. The quiz below helps you check if you’re solving the correct problem:
Find the Difference
Find the index of the extra character that is present in only one of the strings.
string 1 = “pqr”
string 2 = “psrq”
0
1
2
3
Figure it out!
We have a game for you to play. Rearrange the logical building blocks to develop a clearer understanding of how to solve this problem.
Try it yourself
Implement your solution in the following coding playground.
export function extraCharacterIndex(str1, str2){// Replace this placeholder return statement with your codereturn -1}