C# LCP (Longest Common Prefix)

C# LCP is a method used to find the longest common prefix between two or more strings.

How it works

The C# LCP method works by comparing the characters in each string starting from the beginning until two characters do not match. The length of the common prefix is returned.

Example usage

string[] strings = {"flower", "flow", "flight"};
string prefix = LCP(strings);
Console.WriteLine(prefix); // Output: "fl"

Implementation

public static string LCP(string[] strs)
{
    if(strs == null || strs.Length == 0) return "";
    
    for(int i=0; i<strs[0].Length; i++)
    {
        char c = strs[0][i];
        for(int j=1; j<strs.Length; j++)
        {
            if(i == strs[j].Length || strs[j][i] != c)
            {
                return strs[0].Substring(0, i);
            }
        }
    }
    
    return strs[0];
}

Conclusion

The C# LCP method is a simple yet effective method for finding the longest common prefix between two or more strings. It has a linear time complexity and is a useful tool for many programming applications.