Serialize and Deserialize Binary Tree

Serialization is the process of converting a data structure or object into a sequence of bits so that it can be stored in a file or memory buffer, or transmitted across a network connection link to be reconstructed later in the same or another computer environment.

Design an algorithm to serialize and deserialize a binary tree. There is no restriction on how your serialization/deserialization algorithm should work. You just need to ensure that a binary tree can be serialized to a string and this string can be deserialized to the original tree structure.

Example: 

You may serialize the following tree:

    1
   / \
  2   3
     / \
    4   5

as "[1,2,3,null,null,4,5]"

Clarification: The above format is the same as how LeetCode serializes a binary tree. You do not necessarily need to follow this format, so please be creative and come up with different approaches yourself.

Note: Do not use class member/global/static variables to store states. Your serialize and deserialize algorithms should be stateless.

---

 

Approach #1: C++.

/**
 * Definition for a binary tree node.
 * struct TreeNode {
 *     int val;
 *     TreeNode *left;
 *     TreeNode *right;
 *     TreeNode(int x) : val(x), left(NULL), right(NULL) {}
 * };
 */
class Codec {
public:

    // Encodes a tree to a single string.
    string serialize(TreeNode* root) {
        ostringstream out;
        serialize(root, out);
        return out.str();
    }

    // Decodes your encoded data to tree.
    TreeNode* deserialize(string data) {
        istringstream in(data);
        return deserialize(in);
    }
    
private:
    void serialize(TreeNode* root, ostringstream& out) {
        if (!root) {
            out << "# ";
            return ;
        }
        out << root->val << " ";
        serialize(root->left, out);
        serialize(root->right, out);
    }
    
    TreeNode* deserialize(istringstream& in) {
        string val;
        in >> val;
        if (val == "#") return nullptr;
        TreeNode* root = new TreeNode(stoi(val));
        root->left = deserialize(in);
        root->right = deserialize(in);
        return root;
    }
};

// Your Codec object will be instantiated and called as such:
// Codec codec;
// codec.deserialize(codec.serialize(root));　　

 

Approach #2: Java.

/**
 * Definition for a binary tree node.
 * public class TreeNode {
 *     int val;
 *     TreeNode left;
 *     TreeNode right;
 *     TreeNode(int x) { val = x; }
 * }
 */
public class Codec {
    private static final String spliter = ",";
    private static final String NN = "X";

    // Encodes a tree to a single string.
    public String serialize(TreeNode root) {
        StringBuilder sb = new StringBuilder();
        buildString(root, sb);
        return sb.toString();
    }
    
    private void buildString(TreeNode node, StringBuilder sb) {
        if (node == null) sb.append(NN).append(spliter);
        else {
            sb.append(node.val).append(spliter);
            buildString(node.left, sb);
            buildString(node.right, sb);
        }
    }

    // Decodes your encoded data to tree.
    public TreeNode deserialize(String data) {
        Deque<String> nodes = new LinkedList<>();
        nodes.addAll(Arrays.asList(data.split(spliter)));
        return buildTree(nodes);
    }
    
    private TreeNode buildTree(Deque<String> nodes) {
        String val = nodes.remove();
        if (val.equals(NN)) return null;
        else {
            TreeNode node = new TreeNode(Integer.valueOf(val));
            node.left = buildTree(nodes);
            node.right = buildTree(nodes);
            return node;
        }
    }
}

// Your Codec object will be instantiated and called as such:
// Codec codec = new Codec();
// codec.deserialize(codec.serialize(root));

　　

Analysis: 

c++ --------> std::istringstream::str

string str() const;
void str (const string& s);

Get/set content

The first form (1) returns a string object with a copy of the current contents of the stream.

The second form (2) sets str as the contents of the stream, discarding any previous contents. The object preserves its open mode: if this includes ios_base::ate, the writing position is moved to the end of the new sequence.

Internally, the function calls the str member of its internal string buffer object.

example:

// istringstream::str
#include <string>       // std::string
#include <iostream>     // std::cout
#include <sstream>      // std::istringstream

int main () {
  std::istringstream iss;
  std::string strvalues = "32 240 2 1450";

  iss.str (strvalues);

  for (int n=0; n<4; n++)
  {
    int val;
    iss >> val;
    std::cout << val << '\n';
  }
  std::cout << "Finished writing the numbers in: ";
  std::cout << iss.str() << '\n';
  return 0;
}

　　

output:

32
240
2
1450
Finished writing the numbers in: 32 240 2 1450

　　

java---------->BuildString.