Merge pull request #332 from Vedavyasa21/add-deep-merge-exercise

feat: Add Deep-Merge Nested Objects Coding Exercise

Author: sudheerj

coding-exercise/deep-merge-nested-objects/README.md

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+Deep-Merge Two Nested Objects (with Circular References)
+Challenge:
+Implement a deep-merge function that combines two nested JavaScript objects while safely handling circular references. The function must be immutable and able to merge objects, arrays, and nested structures.
+
+Problem Description:
+Deep merging means recursively combining the properties of two objects. When both inputs contain nested objects, arrays, or shared references, this becomes more complex.
+
+Your task is to:
+Merge all properties from both objects
+Recursively merge nested objects
+Merge arrays by index
+Avoid infinite recursion when circular references exist
+Return a new, immutable object
+Ensure values from the second object override the first when conflicts occur
+Real-World Use Case
+State management libraries (Redux, Zustand, Immer)
+Complex configuration merging
+Deep cloning with overrides
+Normalizing API responses
+Merging schema definitions
+
+Example:
+Input
+const a = { 
+    x: 1,
+    y: { z: 2 }
+};
+a.self = a; // circular reference
+
+const b = { 
+    y: { k: 20 },
+    m: 100
+};
+b.loop = b; // circular reference
+
+const result = deepMerge(a, b);
+
+Output
+{
+    x: 1,
+    y: { z: 2, k: 20 },
+    m: 100,
+    self: [circular],
+    loop: [circular]
+}
+
+Requirements:
+Must deep-merge nested objects and arrays
+Must detect and safely handle circular references
+Must not mutate inputs
+When both objects contain the same key:
+If both values are objects → recursively merge
+If both are arrays → merge by index
+Otherwise → value from second object overrides
+Must create a brand-new object as the output
+
+Key Concepts:
+Recursion
+WeakMap to track visited nodes
+Object and array cloning
+Circular reference detection
+Immutability principles

coding-exercise/deep-merge-nested-objects/question.md

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+# Exercise: Deep-Merge Two Nested Objects (with Circular References)
+
+## Problem Statement
+
+Write a function **`deepMerge(objA, objB)`** that deeply merges two JavaScript objects **without mutating** either of them.  
+The function must correctly merge nested structures and safely handle circular references.
+
+---
+
+## Rules
+
+1. If a key exists only in one object → copy that value.
+2. If a key exists in both objects:
+   - If both values are **plain objects**, recursively merge them.
+   - If both values are **arrays**, merge by index (element-wise).
+   - Otherwise, the value from **`objB`** overrides the value from **`objA`**.
+3. Handle **circular references** using a tracking mechanism like **WeakMap**.
+4. Always return a **new**, immutable object.
+5. Must preserve structure even when circular references appear on both inputs.
+
+---
+
+## Example
+
+```js
+const a = {
+    x: { y: 1 },
+    arr: [1, 2]
+};
+a.self = a; // circular
+
+const b = {
+    x: { z: 2 },
+    arr: [3],
+    extra: true
+};
+b.loop = b; // circular
+
+const result = deepMerge(a, b);
+
+/*
+Expected structure:
+
+{
+  x: { y: 1, z: 2 },
+  arr: [1, 3],   // merged by index
+  extra: true,
+  self: <circular>,
+  loop: <circular>
+}
+*/

coding-exercise/deep-merge-nested-objects/solution.js

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+/**
+ * Deeply merges two objects while safely handling circular references.
+ * Returns a new object without mutating the originals.
+ *
+ * @param {Object|Array} obj1
+ * @param {Object|Array} obj2
+ * @returns {Object|Array}
+ */
+function deepMerge(obj1, obj2, visited = new WeakMap()) {
+    // If obj2 is primitive, return it directly
+    if (obj2 === null || typeof obj2 !== "object") {
+        return obj2;
+    }
+
+    // Detect circular reference
+    if (visited.has(obj2)) {
+        return visited.get(obj2);
+    }
+
+    // Determine output type
+    const output = Array.isArray(obj1) ? [...obj1] :
+                   Array.isArray(obj2) ? [...obj2] :
+                   { ...obj1 };
+
+    visited.set(obj2, output);
+
+    for (const key in obj2) {
+        if (!obj2.hasOwnProperty(key)) continue;
+
+        const val1 = obj1 ? obj1[key] : undefined;
+        const val2 = obj2[key];
+
+        if (val1 !== undefined && typeof val1 === "object" && typeof val2 === "object") {
+            output[key] = deepMerge(val1, val2, visited);
+        } else {
+            output[key] = val2;
+        }
+    }
+
+    return output;
+}
+
+// Example usage
+const a = { x: 1, y: { z: 2 } };
+a.self = a;
+
+const b = { y: { k: 20 }, m: 100 };
+b.loop = b;
+
+console.log(deepMerge(a, b));