Hard

Quiz

#591 Tag Validator

APPROACH

Given a string representing a code snippet, implement a tag validator to parse the code and return whether it is valid.

A code snippet is valid if all the following rules hold:

- The code must be wrapped in a valid closed tag. Otherwise, the code is invalid.

- A closed tag (not necessarily valid) has exactly the following format : <TAG_NAME>TAG_CONTENT</TAG_NAME>. Among them, <TAG_NAME> is the start tag, and </TAG_NAME> is the end tag. The TAG_NAME in start and end tags should be the same. A closed tag is valid if and only if the TAG_NAME and TAG_CONTENT are valid.

- A valid TAG_NAME only contain upper-case letters, and has length in range [1,9]. Otherwise, the TAG_NAME is invalid.

- A valid TAG_CONTENT may contain other valid closed tags, cdata and any characters (see note1) EXCEPT unmatched <, unmatched start and end tag, and unmatched or closed tags with invalid TAG_NAME. Otherwise, the TAG_CONTENT is invalid.

- A start tag is unmatched if no end tag exists with the same TAG_NAME, and vice versa. However, you also need to consider the issue of unbalanced when tags are nested.

- A < is unmatched if you cannot find a subsequent >. And when you find a < or </, all the subsequent characters until the next > should be parsed as TAG_NAME (not necessarily valid).

- The cdata has the following format : <![CDATA[CDATA_CONTENT]]>. The range of CDATA_CONTENT is defined as the characters between <![CDATA[ and the first subsequent ]]>.

- CDATA_CONTENT may contain any characters. The function of cdata is to forbid the validator to parse CDATA_CONTENT, so even it has some characters that can be parsed as tag (no matter valid or invalid), you should treat it as regular characters.

Example 1:

Input: code = "<DIV>This is the first line <![CDATA[<div>]]></DIV>"

Output: true

Explanation:

The code is wrapped in a closed tag : <DIV> and </DIV>.

The TAG_NAME is valid, the TAG_CONTENT consists of some characters and cdata.

Although CDATA_CONTENT has an unmatched start tag with invalid TAG_NAME, it should be considered as plain text, not parsed as a tag.

So TAG_CONTENT is valid, and then the code is valid. Thus return true.

Example 2:

Input: code = "<DIV>>> ![cdata[]] <![CDATA[<div>]>]]>]]>>]</DIV>"

Output: true

Explanation:

We first separate the code into : start_tag|tag_content|end_tag.

start_tag -> "<DIV>"

end_tag -> "</DIV>"

tag_content could also be separated into : text1|cdata|text2.

text1 -> ">> ![cdata[]] "

cdata -> "<![CDATA[<div>]>]]>", where the CDATA_CONTENT is "<div>]>"

text2 -> "]]>>]"

The reason why start_tag is NOT "<DIV>>>" is because of the rule 6.

The reason why cdata is NOT "<![CDATA[<div>]>]]>]]>" is because of the rule 7.

Example 3:

Input: code = "<A> <B> </A> </B>"

Output: false

Explanation: Unbalanced. If "<A>" is closed, then "<B>" must be unmatched, and vice versa.

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What is the optimal approach for this problem?