Finding the Intersection Between Two Ranges in JavaScript

Discover how to effectively filter items based on price ranges in JavaScript, ensuring that you grasp the concept of intersecting ranges in arrays with this easy-to-follow guide.
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How to Find the Intersection Between Two Ranges in JavaScript

When working with pricing data, it’s not uncommon to face the challenge of filtering items based on specific price ranges. For instance, imagine you have an array of goods, each with a defined price range, and you want to identify which items fall within the specified range. This task can be daunting, especially when some of the price limits are undefined (represented by null). However, with a clear understanding and effective coding techniques, this problem can be resolved elegantly.

The Problem

You have an array of goods with varying price ranges:

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You need to filter these items based on certain input price ranges, where null indicates an unspecified price boundary. Here are some examples of the required ranges you might work with:

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The Initial Approach

The basic idea is to create a filtering function to determine whether the price range of each good intersects with the required range. Here’s a potential initial solution, albeit a bit rigid and hard-coded:

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While this method works, it could certainly benefit from a more elegant design.

A More Elegant Solution

Instead of the complex conditions in the first solution, you can utilize a cleaner approach with a dedicated function to check if the ranges intersect. Here's how you can refactor your code:

Step 1: Create a Function for Range Intersection

First, define a simple function called doRangesIntersect that checks if two ranges intersect:

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Step 2: Refactor the Filtering Function

Next, refactor your filterCourses function to use the intersection logic:

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Conclusion

By breaking down the problem into smaller, manageable pieces, you can effectively filter goods based on their price ranges using JavaScript. The key takeaway is to use a utility function to determine range intersections, simplifying your filtering logic substantially. This structured approach not only makes your code easier to read and maintain but also enhances its performance, making it a win-win for any developer.

Try implementing this elegant solution in your projects and see how it simplifies your code while improving functionality!