Code Challenge Instructions

A solved code challenge with instructions.

Cloned repo from https://github.com/qadir0108/CodeChallenge. Solved with Powershell solutions.

Overview

This exercise asks you to write code that reads an input file, manipulates the contents, and produces one or more output files. There are two options to choose from below; pick one or both and write your solution in C#. You have 24 hours the receipt of these instructions to email us your source code.

Input File

Your solution must accept an input file via command line parameter. Each line of this input file will be formatted like so:

<Population, in hundreds of thousands>|<City>|<State>|<Semicolon-delimited list of interstates that run through this city>\n

Example:

4|Raleigh|North Carolina|I-40;I-85;I-95
27|Chicago|Illinois|I-94;I-90;I-88;I-57;I-55
10|San Jose|California|I-5;I-80

You may assume the following:

• The input file is well-formed: each pipe-delimited section will have one or more characters; the interstates section will have at least one interstate; the population number will be an integer; etc.
• All interstates have the “I-” prefix.
• The same city will not appear more than once in the input file.
• Chicago will be in the input file.

There is a sample data set in Page 3 of this assignment.

Option 1

Produce two output files from the input. The first must be named Cities_By_Population.txt and have data in the following format:

<Population>
(newline)
<City>, <State>
Interstates: <Comma-separated list of interstates, sorted by interstate number ascending>
(newline)

Cities must be ordered from highest population to lowest. If there are multiple cities with the same population, group them under a single heading and sort them alphabetically by state and then city.

Example output:

83
New York, New York
Interstates: I-78, I-80, I-87, I-95

27
Chicago, Illinois
Interstates: I-55, I-57, I-88, I-90, I-94

15
Phoenix, Arizona
Interstates: I-8, I-10, I-17

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Interstates: I-76, I-95 

The second output file must be named Interstates_By_City.txt and contain a list of interstates and the number of cities they run through. Each line of the output file must be of the form:

<Interstate> <Number of cities>

Sort the list by interstate number ascending. Example output:

I-5 5
I-10 4
I-19 1
I-20 3 

Option 2

Produce a single output file named Degrees_From_Chicago.txt. Each line of the output file must be of the form:

<Degrees removed from Chicago> <City>, <State>

A city is considered 1 degree removed from Chicago if it shares an interstate with Chicago. A city that is not directly connected to Chicago but is to a city 1 degree removed is considered 2 degrees removed. And so on. Chicago itself is 0 degrees removed, and a city that is not directly or indirectly connected to Chicago has a degree of -1. Cities must only appear once, with the lowest degree of connection.

Sort the output by degree descending and then by city and state ascending.

Example output:

1 Boston, Massachusetts
1 Cleveland, Ohio
1 Seattle, Washington
0 Chicago, Illinois

Sample Cities File

6|Oklahoma City|Oklahoma|I-35;I-44;I-40
6|Boston|Massachusetts|I-90;I-93
8|Columbus|Ohio|I-70;I-71
4|Arlington|Texas|I-30;I-20
5|Long Beach|California|I-10;I-5
4|Bakersfield|California|I-5
27|Chicago|Illinois|I-94;I-90;I-88;I-57;I-55
8|Jacksonville|Florida|I-10;I-95
12|Dallas|Texas|I-35;I-20;I-45;I-30
6|Kansas City|Kansas|I-35;I-70;I-29;I-49
6|Seattle|Washington|I-5;I-90
4|Cleveland|Ohio|I-90;I-71;I-80;I-77
15|Philadelphia|Pennsylvania|I-95;I-76
83|New York|New York|I-78;I-95;I-87;I-80
6|Portland|Oregon|I-5;I-84
6|Nashville|Tennessee|I-24;I-65;I-40
5|Tucson|Arizona|I-10;I-19
4|Atlanta|Georgia|I-86;I-75;I-20
4|Oakland|California|I-80
7|El Paso|Texas|I-10;I-25
10|San Jose|California|I-5;I-80