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🤝 Contributing to MAANG Interview Preparation

Thank you for contributing to this open-source interview preparation resource! Every contribution helps developers worldwide prepare for their MAANG interviews.

📋 Ways to Contribute

  • Add a new problem with full documentation and C++ solution
  • Improve an existing explanation — make it clearer or more beginner-friendly
  • Fix a bug in a C++ solution
  • Add an alternative approach with different time/space trade-offs
  • Improve test cases in .cpp files
  • Report issues — wrong complexity, incorrect edge cases, etc.

🗂️ Problem README Format

Every problem in a section's README.md must follow this exact template:

---

## Problem N: Problem Name
> **LeetCode**: [#ID - Name](link) | **Difficulty**: Easy/Medium/Hard | **Pattern**: PatternName

### 📝 Problem Statement
[Full problem description]

**Example:**

Input: ... Output: ... Explanation: ...


### 💡 Intuition & Approach
[Plain English explanation of the key insight — WHY this approach works]

### 🔍 Hint
> [1-2 line hint that guides without spoiling — try solving before reading this!]

### 🗂️ Pseudocode

[Language-agnostic pseudocode]


### ✅ C++ Solution
```cpp
[Clean, well-commented C++ code]

📊 Complexity Analysis

Complexity Explanation
Time O(...) Reason
Space O(...) Reason

⚠️ Edge Cases

  • Edge case 1
  • Edge case 2

🚫 Common Mistakes

  • Mistake 1 and why it fails
  • Mistake 2 and why it fails

🎯 Interview Tips

  • What to say when explaining your approach
  • Follow-up questions interviewers might ask
  • Variations to be aware of

---

## 💻 C++ Solution File Format

Every `.cpp` file must:

1. **Include standard headers** at the top
2. **Be self-contained** — no external dependencies
3. **Have a `main()` function** with multiple test cases
4. **Print expected vs actual output** for verification
5. **Include complexity comment** near the solution

### Template

```cpp
/**
 * Problem: [Problem Name]
 * LeetCode: #[ID]
 * Difficulty: Easy/Medium/Hard
 * Pattern: [Pattern Name]
 *
 * Approach: [Brief description]
 * Time Complexity: O(...)
 * Space Complexity: O(...)
 */

#include <bits/stdc++.h>
using namespace std;

class Solution {
public:
    // [function signature] {
    //     [implementation]
    // }
};

// ─── Test Harness ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

int main() {
    Solution sol;
    
    // Test Case 1
    // ...
    
    // Test Case 2 (edge case)
    // ...
    
    cout << "All tests passed!" << endl;
    return 0;
}

🔄 Pull Request Process

  1. Fork the repository
  2. Create a branch: git checkout -b add/topic-problem-name
  3. Add your changes following the formats above
  4. Compile your C++ file: g++ -std=c++17 -Wall your_file.cpp && ./a.out
  5. Commit with a clear message: git commit -m "Add: Rotate Array (Arrays) with O(n) approach"
  6. Push and open a PR — describe what you added and why

✅ PR Checklist

Before submitting, verify:

  • README entry follows the exact template format
  • C++ file is self-contained and compiles with g++ -std=c++17
  • Test cases cover normal case + at least 2 edge cases
  • Time and Space complexity are correct and explained
  • Common mistakes section is filled in
  • Interview tips are practical and actionable
  • No Python code — this repo is C++ only

📐 Code Style

  • Use camelCase for variables and functions
  • Use PascalCase for class names
  • Prefer descriptive names over single letters (left, right over l, r)
  • Comment non-obvious logic inline
  • Keep functions focused and short

🐛 Reporting Issues

Use GitHub Issues with the following tags:

  • bug — incorrect solution or complexity
  • improvement — better explanation needed
  • new-problem — request to add a problem
  • typo — documentation error

📜 Code of Conduct

  • Be respectful and constructive in all discussions
  • Focus on the quality of the contribution, not the contributor
  • Beginners are welcome — we all start somewhere

Thank you for making this resource better for the entire developer community! 🌍