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Apple·Software Engineer·Technical Phone Screen·Intermediate

Intermediate
Apr 2026

Summary

Apple SWE coding question, just one problem about abbreviating an array of strings. Pretty straightforward session, not much else to report.

Questions Asked (1)

Q1

Given an array of strings, write a function to abbreviate each string in the array.

Algorithms & Data Structures
Author's notes

Spent a bit too long trying to figure out what 'abbreviate' even means here before just asking.

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AI HintsAI Generated

Suggested Approach

First, clarify the abbreviation rules (e.g., keep first and last character, replace middle with count, handle short strings). Then, discuss the algorithm: iterate through each string, compute the abbreviation, and return the new array. Analyze time and space complexity, and consider edge cases.

Pro tip: At Apple, interviewers value attention to detail and user experience. Proactively mention how you'd handle edge cases like empty strings, single-character strings, and strings with spaces or special characters, and discuss potential optimizations for large inputs.

1. Clarify Requirements

Ask clarifying questions to define what 'abbreviate' means: e.g., keep first and last character, replace middle with count, or use a fixed length. Confirm handling of short strings and special characters.

2. Design Algorithm

Outline a step-by-step approach: for each string, if length <= 2, return as is; else, return first char + (length-2) + last char. Consider using a helper function for clarity.

3. Analyze Complexity

State that the solution runs in O(n) time where n is total characters, and O(n) space for the output array. Mention that it's optimal since each character must be read at least once.

4. Handle Edge Cases

Discuss edge cases: empty strings, strings of length 1 or 2, strings with spaces, and non-ASCII characters. Explain how your code handles them.

5. Implement and Test

Write clean code with meaningful variable names. Walk through a test case (e.g., ['internationalization', 'hello', 'a']) to verify correctness.

Key Points to Mention

  • Definition of abbreviation: typically first letter + count of middle characters + last letter.
  • Time complexity: O(n) where n is total number of characters across all strings.
  • Space complexity: O(n) for the output array (or O(1) extra if modifying in place).
  • Edge cases: empty string, length 1, length 2, strings with spaces or punctuation.
  • Potential variations: abbreviate to a fixed length, or use a different pattern (e.g., first two and last two).
  • Code readability: use helper function, descriptive names, and comments.

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