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Sprinter Health·Software Engineer·Technical Phone Screen·Intermediate

Intermediate
May 2026

Summary

Coding question for a Software Engineer role at Sprinter Health. The problem was a formatting challenge, kind of like a stripped-down text justification, which I wasn't expecting from a health tech company.

Questions Asked (1)

Q1

Given an array of integers like [1, 23, 5, 67, 900] and a limit value, format the array as lines of text where each line holds at most 'limit' characters. Numbers on the same line are comma-separated, and there's no trailing comma after the last line.

Algorithms & Data Structures
Author's notes

Spent way too long overthinking the edge cases around when to break to a new line.

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AI HintsAI Generated

Suggested Approach

Clarify the problem constraints (e.g., whether numbers can be split, what happens if a single number exceeds the limit) and then walk through a greedy line-building algorithm. Iterate through the array, appending each number with a comma if it fits within the limit; otherwise, start a new line. Discuss edge cases and complexity.

Pro tip: Explicitly ask about the behavior when a single number's string representation exceeds the limit—this shows attention to detail and prevents incorrect assumptions. Also, mention that you'd write unit tests for edge cases like empty array, exact limit fit, and oversized numbers.

1. Clarify requirements and edge cases

Ask questions to confirm: Can numbers be split? What if a number alone exceeds the limit? Should lines be as full as possible (greedy)? Are there constraints on input size?

2. Outline the greedy algorithm

Explain that you'll iterate through the array, maintaining a current line string. For each number, check if adding it (with a comma if the line is non-empty) keeps the line length ≤ limit. If yes, append; if no, finalize the current line and start a new one with the number.

3. Handle edge cases and oversized numbers

Describe how to handle a number that alone exceeds the limit: either place it on its own line (exceeding limit) or throw an error, depending on requirements. Also handle empty array and single-element array.

4. Analyze complexity and optimize

State that the algorithm is O(n) time and O(1) extra space (excluding output). Mention that string concatenation can be optimized with a list of strings or StringBuilder in languages like Java.

5. Test with examples

Walk through the given example [1, 23, 5, 67, 900] with a limit (e.g., 10) to demonstrate correctness. Also test edge cases like limit=1, limit=0, and numbers with multiple digits.

Key Points to Mention

  • Greedy approach: always try to fit the next number on the current line if possible.
  • Comma placement: only add a comma before a number if the line is not empty.
  • Edge case: a single number longer than the limit—decide whether to allow it on its own line or handle as an error.
  • Time complexity O(n) and space complexity O(1) extra (excluding output).
  • Use of efficient string building (e.g., StringBuilder) to avoid O(n^2) concatenation.
  • Testing: include cases like empty array, exact fit, and oversized numbers.

AI-generated suggestions, not part of the candidate's original notes. May be inaccurate — verify before relying on them.