I'm wondering if there's an existing word to describe a process that I'm currently using. I want to call it "flattening a tree" but I feel like there must be a better word or phrase.
input:
|--D
--B
| |--C
|
A-E
|
| |--G
--F
|--H
output:
[ [A, B, D]
[A, B, C]
[A, E]
[A, F, G]
[A, F, H] ]
Is there an established name for this process?
You need a depth first search to capture every path from the root to a leaf.
Pseudo code:
global allPaths = []
R = root
currentPath = []
findPaths(R, currentPath)
findPaths(R, currentPath){
if R has no children,
allPaths.add( currentPath )
else
for each child C in R:
findPaths(C, currentPath + R)
}
I'd say you're just traversing the tree, while keeping a path to the current node. As you visit a leaf, you print the complete path to the leaf.
I don't think there's a specific name, but it is not much different from a very simple traversal.
How about 'Hydrating' (or DeHydrating) depending on the situation ?
De-Normalisation would seem to be best. Because indeed, if you notice your new structure you have redundant data, and it would appear to map directly to the conceptual idea.
Path enumeration?
DFS traversal?
or my favourite
Tree arrayfication!
If the input is the tree and the output is the list of lists you quote, you are not actually looking for a phrase for the process, you're looking for a name for the subroutine you call. And the name of such a subroutine should be a description of what it returns.
How about RootPathsOfLeaves ? or some rearrangement thereof...