This is competitive coding question was asked in Goldman Sachs coding round. There were two coding questions which are needed to be solved in two hours.
Basically you can take one hour to solve this question.
Problem Statement: Secure My Conversation by Encryption and Decryption
Person A and B use an encryption-based system for their conversation.
Each conversation message is encrypted from the source and decrypted in the destination using a shared private positive number key known to each other.
The algorithm is illustrated with an example.
Input format with explanation:
Output format with explanation:
Example 1:
Input:
1 Open 123
Output:
Oppeeen
Here, the input message characters are duplicated based on each digit in the key.
Example 2:
Input:
2 Oppeeen 123
Output:
Open
Here, the input message characters are compressed based on each digit in the key.
The conversation message and the private key need NOT be in equal length and the encoding/decoding takes place till the end is reached either conversation message or private key while retaining the rest of the conversation message.
Just don’t read the coding solution. To get the maximum out of it. Try to execute this code in our online compiler and understand the logic implemented.
#!/bin/python3
import math
import os
import random
import re
import sys
# Complete the secureChannel function below.
def secureChannel(operation, message, key):
if len(message)==0 or len(key)==0:
return "-1"
strRet=""
if operation==1:
index=0
for keyVal in key:
nKeyVal=int(keyVal)
if index>=len(message):
return strRet
strRet=strRet+message[index]*nKeyVal
index=index+1
if index < len(message):
strRet=strRet+message[index:]
elif operation==2:
index=0
for keyVal in key:
nKeyVal=int(keyVal)
if index>=len(message):
return strRet
for i in range(0,nKeyVal):
if (index+i)>=len(message):
return "-1"
if message[index] != message[index+i]:
return "-1"
strRet=strRet+message[index]
index=index+nKeyVal
if index < len(message):
strRet=strRet+message[index:]
else:
return "-1"
return strRet
if __name__ == '__main__':
print(secureChannel(1, 'Open', '123'))
print(secureChannel(2, 'Oppeeen', '123'))
To understand this code, you can refer Python Programming tutorial.
(This solution in C++ is shared by the Shivani Singh.)
#include <string>
#include <iostream>
using namespace std;
string encoding( string msg, string key)
{
string ans;
int i=0;//for msg
int j=0;//for key
int keysize = key.size();
int msgsize= msg.size();
if(keysize==0 || msgsize==0)
return "";//to be defined in question
while(j<keysize && i<msgsize)
{
int count= key[j]-'0';
for(int it=0;it<count;it++)
ans.push_back(msg[i]);
j++; i++;
}
while(i< msgsize)
{
ans.push_back(msg[i]);
i++;
}
return ans;
}
string decoding(string msg, string key)
{
string ans;
int i=0;//for msg
int j=0;//for key
int keysize = key.size();
int msgsize= msg.size();
if(keysize==0 || msgsize==0)
return " ";//to be defined in question
while(i<msgsize && j<keysize)
{
ans.push_back(msg[i]);
i=i+(key[j]-'0');
j++;
}
while(i<msgsize)
{
ans.push_back(msg[i]);
i++;
}
return ans;
}
int main()
{
string msg= "open";
string key= "123";
cout<<encoding(msg,key)<<endl;
cout<<decoding("oppeeen","123");
return 0;
}
To understand this code, refer C/C++ programming tutorial.
Output:
Oppeeen Open
(This solution in Java is shared by the Bharath Kalyan S.)
public static String EncryptMessage(String message, String key) {
if (message.length() == 0 || key.length() == 0)
return "";
StringBuilder builder = new StringBuilder();
int i = 0, j = 0;
int messageLength = message.length();
int keyLength = key.length();
while (i < messageLength && j < keyLength) {
char character = message.charAt(i);
int repeat = key.charAt(j) - '0';
for (int k = 0; k < repeat; k++) {
builder.append(character);
}
i++;
j++;
}
if (i != messageLength) {
builder.append(message.substring(i));
}
return builder.toString();
}
public static String DecryptMessage(String encryptedMessage, String key) {
if (encryptedMessage.length() == 0 || key.length() == 0)
return "";
StringBuilder builder = new StringBuilder();
int i = 0, j = 0;
int messageLength = encryptedMessage.length();
int keyLength = key.length();
while (j < keyLength) {
char mainChar = encryptedMessage.charAt(i);
builder.append(mainChar);
i = i + key.charAt(j) - '0';
j++;
}
builder.append(encryptedMessage.substring(i));
return builder.toString();
}
Refer complete Java tutorial.
The program is self-explanatory. If you have any doubt or finding it difficult to understand the code, kindly comment your query below.
You can solve this coding question in any programming language.
For more practice check other competitive coding challenge questions.
hey, I tried solving this question in c++.. but since I can’t test my code anywhere, feedbacks and corrections are welcome.
Hi Shivani, I tested your code and it’s working. Awesome! I have added your code in our article.
This will help many. Thanks for submitting your code.
If you are interested to share your knowledge and contribute to our portal, kindly check here.
Hi, I tried this question and got the solution in python but as I can’t test it, can you please give me a feedback
I’m unable to attach the picture and in the above-shared code the comments section is not considering the syntax of the code.
Hey, I tried this in Java and I am attaching the Snippet!
Hi Bharath, that’s great. Thanks for sharing the Java code. I have added your solution in the tutorial.