Start by clarifying requirements and edge cases, then outline a recursive component design with local state for expansion. Walk through the implementation, explaining how you handle invalid JSON and maintain per-node state, and finally discuss tradeoffs like performance and state management.
Pro tip: Mention that you'd use a Map or Set to track expanded node paths for O(1) lookups, and consider memoization to prevent unnecessary re-renders in deep trees.
Ask about expected input size, performance constraints, and whether the tree should be fully expanded by default. Confirm handling of invalid JSON and non-object values.
Propose a recursive TreeNode component that receives node data and a path identifier. Use a single state object (e.g., a Set of expanded paths) in the parent to control expansion.
Use try/catch around JSON.parse to gracefully handle invalid input, rendering an error message. Ensure the component works for any JSON value, not just objects.
For each node, render a toggle button if it's an object or array, and conditionally render children based on expanded state. Use unique paths (e.g., dot-separated keys) to identify nodes.
Talk about time/space complexity, potential performance issues with deep trees, and optimizations like memoization, virtualization, or lazy expansion.
AI-generated suggestions, not part of the candidate's original notes. May be inaccurate — verify before relying on them.