How to return recursive method value in java

Question

I have java class that will call recursive method for string replace. The method will return the string after replacing all required character one by one. But this not working as expected. Please find the code below.

public class TestingRecursion {
    private static String startRecursion(String value){
        value = value.replaceFirst("a", "b");
        if(value.contains("a"))
            startRecursion(value);
        return value;   
    }

    public static void main(String[] args) {
        String value = "1a 2a 3a 4a";

        String afterRecursion = startRecursion(value);
        System.out.println(afterRecursion);
    }
}

Expected output - "1b 2b 3b 4b" Actual output - "1b 2a 3a 4a".

Michael D · Accepted Answer · 2015-09-19 15:58:20Z

5

You're not using the return value from startRecursion.

Line 5 should be:

    value = startRecursion(value);

answered Sep 19, 2015 at 15:58

Michael D

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Comments

Subhrajyoti Majumder · Accepted Answer · 2015-09-19 16:08:39Z

4

With the existing linear recursion logic, what you have missed is -

if(value.contains("a"))
    return startRecursion(value);

It will return the value back.

edited Sep 19, 2015 at 16:08

answered Sep 19, 2015 at 16:00

Subhrajyoti Majumder

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