Strings · Coding problem
Find the Index of the First Occurrence in a String
A free coding problem from the Naive Substring Search skill. Read it here, then solve it in the app in Java or Python.
- Easy
- Coding problem
- Free
- Java and Python
The problem
Return the position where needle first appears inside haystack, or -1 if it never does.
Example
Input: haystack = "banana", needle = "nan"
Output: 2
Constraints
1 <= haystack.length, needle.length <= 2 * 10^5- Both consist of lowercase English letters
How it's graded
- Run checks your code against the examples. Submit also runs a hidden suite in four groups - basic cases, edge cases, random inputs and performance tests at the size limit - and shows which groups pass, never the hidden inputs.
- Stuck? Hints come in four steps, from a nudge to a code skeleton, each costing part of the points.
- Once you pass, you see the approaches from brute force to optimal, and where your solution lands among them.
More problems in Naive Substring Search
Solve it Find the Index of the First Occurrence in a String free
No card needed. Lessons, practice questions and easy problems are free forever.
Free plan, no card · 7-day Pro trial · Cancel anytime