PrettyPrint

A C# utility method to print binary trees.

Made for CAB301 Assessment 2 in Semester 1, 2023.

Usage

Place this extension class in your project, then call the print method on any collection.

IMovieCollection collection = new();

// Populate tree
...

// Print tree
string tree = collection.PrettyPrint(int nodeSpacing = 1, int nodeLabelWidth = 1, bool overflow = false, bool optimise = true);
Console.WriteLine(tree);

The first two parameters nodeSpacing and nodeLabelWidth define dimensions for the deepest nodes in the tree. Both arguments must be greater than 0.

If you use a small nodeLabelWidth, you may want to enable the overflow flag to allow some node labels to overflow any unoccupied whitespace to the right of the node.

The optimise parameter reduces the overall width of a tree. This is particularly useful when printing deep sparse trees that do not need to be spaced uniformally.

Examples

Below are example trees made up of nodes with labels: "AAAA", "BBBB", "CCCC", "DDDD", etc.

MWE:

IMovieCollection collection = new MovieCollection();

collection.Insert(new Movie("BBBB"));
collection.Insert(new Movie("IIII"));
collection.Insert(new Movie("KKKK"));
collection.Insert(new Movie("DDDD"));
collection.Insert(new Movie("JJJJ"));
collection.Insert(new Movie("CCCC"));
collection.Insert(new Movie("AAAA"));
collection.Insert(new Movie("GGGG"));
collection.Insert(new Movie("FFFF"));
collection.Insert(new Movie("HHHH"));
collection.Insert(new Movie("EEEE"));

// using default arguments (1, 1, false, true)
string tree = collectionPrettyPrint();
Console.WriteLine(tree);

 B
╭╰──────╮
A       I
   ╭────╰─╮
   D      K
  ╭╰──╮  ╭╯
  C   G  J
     ╭╰╮
     F H
    ╭╯
    E

Examples with various arguments:

1. (1, 1, true, false)

                   BBBB
   ╭───────────────╰───────────────╮
   AAAA                            IIII
                           ╭───────╰───────╮
                           DDDD            KKKK
                       ╭───╰───╮       ╭───╯
                       CCCC    GGGG    JJJJ
                             ╭─╰─╮
                             FFF HHHH
                            ╭╯
                            EEEE

2. (1, 2, false, true)

     BB
   ╭─╯╰────────╮
   AA         II
         ╭────╯╰─────╮
         DD         KK
       ╭─╯╰────╮  ╭─╯
       CC     GG  JJ
            ╭─╯╰─╮
            FF  HH
           ╭╯
           EE

3. (2, 1, false, false)

                                   B
   ╭───────────────────────────────╰───────────────╮
   A                                               I
                                   ╭───────────────╰───────╮
                                   D                       K
                           ╭───────╰───╮           ╭───────╯
                           C           G           J
                                   ╭───╰─╮
                                   F     H
                                 ╭─╯
                                 E