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| 1 | +# Coupon Code Validator (Easy) |
| 2 | + |
| 3 | +**Problem ID:** 3606 |
| 4 | +**Date:** 2025-12-13 |
| 5 | +**Link:** https://leetcode.com/problems/coupon-code-validator/ |
| 6 | + |
| 7 | +## Approach |
| 8 | + |
| 9 | +To solve the "Coupon Code Validator" problem, we can follow a structured approach that involves filtering and sorting the coupons based on the given criteria. |
| 10 | + |
| 11 | +### Main Idea: |
| 12 | +1. **Validation**: We need to check each coupon against three conditions: |
| 13 | + - The `code` must be non-empty and contain only alphanumeric characters and underscores. |
| 14 | + - The `businessLine` must be one of the specified valid categories: "electronics", "grocery", "pharmacy", or "restaurant". |
| 15 | + - The `isActive` status must be `true`. |
| 16 | + |
| 17 | +2. **Sorting**: After identifying valid coupons, we need to sort them first by their `businessLine` in a specified order and then by their `code` in lexicographical order. |
| 18 | + |
| 19 | +### Steps: |
| 20 | +1. **Iterate through the coupons**: Using a loop, we can check each coupon's properties based on the three validation criteria outlined above. For this, we can use a helper function to validate the `code`. |
| 21 | + |
| 22 | +2. **Store valid coupons**: For each coupon that meets all the criteria, we can store its `code` in a list. |
| 23 | + |
| 24 | +3. **Sorting**: Once we have the list of valid coupon codes, we will sort this list. To facilitate the custom sorting of the `businessLine`, we can create a mapping of business categories to their respective order, which will help in sorting the coupons based on their `businessLine` first. |
| 25 | + |
| 26 | +### Data Structures: |
| 27 | +- **List**: To hold the valid coupon codes. |
| 28 | +- **Dictionary**: To map the business categories to their respective sort order for efficient sorting. |
| 29 | + |
| 30 | +### Complexity: |
| 31 | +- **Time Complexity**: The overall time complexity is O(n log n) due to the sorting step, where n is the number of coupons. The validation step runs in O(n), making the sorting the most time-consuming operation. |
| 32 | +- **Space Complexity**: O(n) is required to store the valid coupon codes. |
| 33 | + |
| 34 | +By following this approach, we ensure that we efficiently validate and sort the coupons according to the specified requirements, leading to a clear and concise solution. |
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