Linear Search

What It Does

Performs a linear search on an array to find the index of a target value. It goes through each element in the array one by one, comparing it to the target value, and returns the index of the first matching element.

Inputs

Name	Description	Type	Required
array	The array to search through	List	Yes
target	The value to search for	Any	Yes

Outputs

Name	Description	Type
index	The index of the target value (-1 if not found)	Number
found	Whether the target value was found	Yes/No

Linear Search Example

How to Use It

1. Drag the Linear Search node into your graph.

2. Connect any array (like [10, "hello", true, {key: "value"}]) to the "array" input.

3. Set the value you want to find (like "hello") to the "target" input.

4. Run the graph—with the example inputs, your output will be: index: 1, found: true.

Tips

• Linear Search works with any data type, including objects and nested structures.

• The comparison is done using a deep equality check, so objects with the same properties will match even if they're different instances.

• For large arrays, consider using more optimized search nodes if your data is sorted.

See Also

• Find First Match: For comparison-based searching (greater than, less than).

• Array Find: For more complex finding conditions using an inner graph.

Use Cases

• Data Retrieval: Find specific items in unsorted lists or arrays of mixed types.

• User Input Validation: Check if a submitted value exists in a list of allowed values.

• Simple Lookups: When working with small arrays where performance isn't critical.