If the Composite pattern iterator is extended to allow reusing leaf components multiple times during traversal (e.g., shared leaves), which modification is necessary to ensure correct iteration without infinite loops?

hard🎤 Interviewer Follow-up Q15 of Q15

OOP & Design Patterns - Iterator & Composite Pattern - Traversal Abstractions

ANo change needed; the existing iterator handles reuse naturally.

BModify the iterator to push children in original order instead of reversed order.

CAdd a visited set to track and skip already visited components during iteration.

DConvert the iterator to a recursive traversal to handle reuse correctly.

Step-by-Step Solution

Step 1: Understand reuse implications
Reusing leaves means the same component can appear multiple times, risking infinite loops.
Step 2: Identify solution to prevent infinite loops
Tracking visited components prevents revisiting the same node repeatedly during iteration.
Final Answer:
Option C -> Option C
Quick Check:
Visited set avoids infinite loops with shared components [OK]

Quick Trick: Track visited nodes to handle shared components safely [OK]

Common Mistakes:

MISTAKES

Assuming no changes needed
Changing push order does not fix reuse loops

Trap Explanation:

PITFALL

Candidates often overlook infinite loops caused by shared nodes without visited tracking.

Interviewer Note:

CONTEXT

Tests candidate's depth in handling iterator extensions and edge cases.

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If the Composite pattern iterator is extended to allow reusing leaf components multiple times during traversal (e.g., shared leaves), which modification is necessary to ensure correct iteration without infinite loops?

Step 1: Understand reuse implications

Step 2: Identify solution to prevent infinite loops

Final Answer:

Quick Check:

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