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HLDsystem_design~10 mins

Product catalog design in HLD - Interactive Code Practice

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Practice - 5 Tasks
Answer the questions below
1fill in blank
easy

Complete the code to define the main component of a product catalog system.

HLD
class [1]:
    def __init__(self):
        self.products = []
Drag options to blanks, or click blank then click option'
APaymentGateway
BUserProfile
COrderManager
DProductCatalog
Attempts:
3 left
💡 Hint
Common Mistakes
Choosing unrelated class names like UserProfile or PaymentGateway.
2fill in blank
medium

Complete the code to add a product to the catalog.

HLD
def add_product(self, product):
    self.products.[1](product)
Drag options to blanks, or click blank then click option'
Aappend
Bclear
Cremove
Dpop
Attempts:
3 left
💡 Hint
Common Mistakes
Using remove or pop which delete items instead of adding.
3fill in blank
hard

Fix the error in the method to find a product by ID.

HLD
def find_product(self, product_id):
    for product in self.products:
        if product.id == [1]:
            return product
    return None
Drag options to blanks, or click blank then click option'
Aproduct_id
Bproduct
Cself
Did
Attempts:
3 left
💡 Hint
Common Mistakes
Comparing product.id with product or self which are incorrect.
4fill in blank
hard

Fill both blanks to create a dictionary comprehension for product names and prices where price is above 100.

HLD
{product.name: product.[1] for product in products if product.[2] > 100}
Drag options to blanks, or click blank then click option'
Aprice
Bname
Did
Attempts:
3 left
💡 Hint
Common Mistakes
Using name instead of price for the value or condition.
5fill in blank
hard

Fill all three blanks to create a filtered dictionary of product IDs and names for products in stock.

HLD
{product.[1]: product.[2] for product in products if product.[3] > 0}
Drag options to blanks, or click blank then click option'
Aid
Bname
Cstock
Dprice
Attempts:
3 left
💡 Hint
Common Mistakes
Using price instead of stock for filtering or wrong attributes for keys/values.

Practice

(1/5)
1.

What is the primary purpose of a product catalog in an e-commerce system?

easy
A. To organize products into categories for easy browsing
B. To process payments securely
C. To manage user login sessions
D. To handle shipping and delivery logistics

Solution

  1. Step 1: Understand the role of a product catalog

    A product catalog groups products logically so users can browse easily.
  2. Step 2: Differentiate from other system components

    Payment, user sessions, and shipping are separate concerns from product organization.
  3. Final Answer:

    To organize products into categories for easy browsing -> Option A
  4. Quick Check:

    Product catalog = Organize products [OK]
Hint: Catalog = product organization, not payments or shipping [OK]
Common Mistakes:
  • Confusing catalog with payment processing
  • Mixing catalog with user authentication
  • Thinking catalog manages shipping
2.

Which data structure is most suitable to represent categories and subcategories in a product catalog?

A. Array
B. Linked List
C. Tree
D. Hash Map

easy
A. Array
B. Linked List
C. Hash Map
D. Tree

Solution

  1. Step 1: Analyze category relationships

    Categories have parent-child relationships, forming a hierarchy.
  2. Step 2: Choose data structure for hierarchy

    A tree structure naturally represents hierarchical data with branches and leaves.
  3. Final Answer:

    Tree -> Option D
  4. Quick Check:

    Hierarchy = Tree [OK]
Hint: Hierarchies = Trees, not flat lists or arrays [OK]
Common Mistakes:
  • Using arrays which are flat and unordered
  • Choosing linked lists which are linear
  • Hash maps don't represent hierarchy well
3.

Consider a product catalog system that uses an inverted index for search. What is the main benefit of using an inverted index?

medium
A. It manages user reviews and ratings
B. It stores product images efficiently
C. It speeds up product search by mapping keywords to product IDs
D. It handles payment transactions securely

Solution

  1. Step 1: Understand inverted index purpose

    An inverted index maps keywords to the list of documents or products containing them.
  2. Step 2: Apply to product search

    This mapping allows fast lookup of products matching search terms, improving speed.
  3. Final Answer:

    It speeds up product search by mapping keywords to product IDs -> Option C
  4. Quick Check:

    Inverted index = fast keyword search [OK]
Hint: Inverted index = keyword to product map for fast search [OK]
Common Mistakes:
  • Thinking it stores images
  • Confusing with user review storage
  • Mixing with payment processing
4.

A product catalog system caches product details but users report seeing outdated information. What is the likely cause?

medium
A. Cache invalidation is not handled properly after product updates
B. The database schema is incorrect
C. User authentication is failing
D. The product images are missing

Solution

  1. Step 1: Identify caching issue

    Outdated info usually means cache still holds old data after updates.
  2. Step 2: Understand cache invalidation

    Proper cache invalidation removes or refreshes cached data when products change.
  3. Final Answer:

    Cache invalidation is not handled properly after product updates -> Option A
  4. Quick Check:

    Outdated cache = invalidation problem [OK]
Hint: Outdated data? Check cache invalidation first [OK]
Common Mistakes:
  • Blaming database schema without evidence
  • Confusing with authentication issues
  • Assuming missing images cause outdated text
5.

You are designing a product catalog for a global e-commerce platform with millions of products and frequent updates. Which design choice best supports scalability and fast search?

A. Use a distributed NoSQL database with indexing and cache layers
B. Store all products in a single relational database without caching
C. Use flat files to store product data and search sequentially
D. Keep product data only in application memory without persistence

hard
A. Store all products in a single relational database without caching
B. Use a distributed NoSQL database with indexing and cache layers
C. Use flat files to store product data and search sequentially
D. Keep product data only in application memory without persistence

Solution

  1. Step 1: Consider scalability needs

    Millions of products and frequent updates require a scalable, distributed system.
  2. Step 2: Evaluate design options

    A distributed NoSQL database supports horizontal scaling; indexing enables fast search; caching improves response time.
  3. Step 3: Reject unsuitable options

    Single DB limits scale; flat files are slow; in-memory only risks data loss.
  4. Final Answer:

    Use a distributed NoSQL database with indexing and cache layers -> Option B
  5. Quick Check:

    Scalable + fast search = distributed NoSQL + index + cache [OK]
Hint: Scale needs distributed DB + index + cache, not flat files [OK]
Common Mistakes:
  • Choosing single DB without caching for large scale
  • Using flat files causing slow search
  • Relying on memory only risking data loss