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 |
How to Use It
- Drag the Linear Search node into your graph.
- Connect any array (like
[10, "hello", true, {key: "value"}]) to the "array" input. - Set the value you want to find (like
"hello") to the "target" input. - 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.