Help with recursion for search function.

[monstur]

I have a linkedList search function given and I am having a little trouble getting it to work. I've made a few attempts with no success. Any help would be appreciated.

Given normal search code:

template <class Type>
bool orderedLinkedList<Type>::search(const Type& searchItem) const
{
    bool found = false;
    nodeType<Type> *current; //pointer to traverse the list

    current = first;  //start the search at the first node

    while (current != NULL && !found)
        if (current->info >= searchItem)
            found = true;
        else
            current = current->link;
 
    if (found)
       found = (current->info == searchItem); //test for equality

    return found;
}//end search 

My attempt to make it a recursive search:

template <class Type>
bool orderedLinkedList<Type>::search(const Type& searchItem) const
{
	//bool found = false;
	nodeType<Type> *current; //pointer to traverse the list
	current = first; //start the search at the first node
	if (first == NULL)
		return false;
	else if (current->info == searchItem)
		return true;
	else
	{
		current = current->link;
		return search(searchItem);
	}
}//end search 

[MiiNiPaa]

When you calling search inside your function, you didn't pass it anything other that searcItem, so any changes to current will be lost (it will always starts witg current = first).
Possible solution: create another private search function, which takes searcItem and currentItem, and make your public search function call it. Like:

bool orderedLinkedList<Type>::search(const Type& searchItem) const
{
	
	nodeType<Type> *current;
	current = first;
        return private_search(searchItem, current);
}

[thejman250]

- If anything, a recursive search function would just pass the address of the next node into the function and have a base case for if it reaches the end of the list and nothing has been found, and a base case for if the item was found.

- It seems pretty straightforward in my opinion.

[monstur]

Thank you for the advice MiiNiPaa, I am able to get it to work now.