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Problem Statement for "Arrows"

Problem Statement

In this problem, a left single arrow is defined as a "less than" character ('<') immediately followed by zero or more consecutive hyphen characters ('-'). A left double arrow is a "less than" character ('<') immediately followed by zero or more consecutive equals characters ('='). A right single arrow is zero or more hyphen characters ('-') immediately followed by a "greater than" character ('>'). A right double arrow is zero or more equals characters ('=') immediately followed by a "greater than" character ('>'). For example, the following are arrows (quotes for clarity only): "==>", "<-", "<", "<===", "--->", ">". The length of an arrow is the number of characters it contains.

You will be given a String s. Return the length of the longest arrow in s, or -1 if it does not contain any arrows.

Definition

Class:
Arrows
Method:
longestArrow
Parameters:
String
Returns:
int
Method signature:
int longestArrow(String s)
(be sure your method is public)

Notes

  • Arrows may overlap. See examples for further clarifications.

Constraints

  • s will contain between 1 and 50 characters, inclusive.
  • Each character in s will be one of '<', '>', '-' or '='.

Examples

  1. "<--->--==>"

    Returns: 4

    The arrows contained in s in this case are, by order of appearance: "<", "<-", "<--", "<---", "--->", "-->", "->", ">", "==>", "=>" and ">". Note that many of these arrows, including some pairs with one left arrow and one right arrow, are overlapping.

  2. "<<<<<<<<<<"

    Returns: 1

    All arrows are of length 1. Note that "<" is both a left single arrow and a left double arrow according to the definition.

  3. "----==-"

    Returns: -1

    No arrows contained.

  4. "<----=====>"

    Returns: 6

  5. ">----=====<"

    Returns: 1

  6. "=========>"

    Returns: 10

    s is an arrow itself. There are several other arrows, but everyone is of course smaller.

  7. "<---"

    Returns: 4

  8. "<=============================="

    Returns: 31

  9. "---------------------------------------->"

    Returns: 41

  10. "<-==>"

    Returns: 3

  11. "<=-->"

    Returns: 3

  12. "->==>"

    Returns: 3

  13. "=>-->---------------------"

    Returns: 3

  14. "=><--"

    Returns: 3

  15. "=><==->------<-======->====<-==="

    Returns: 3

  16. "-><--<<<<>----------==================<=->"

    Returns: 3

  17. "-><==-------------------------=>"

    Returns: 3

  18. "<=<--<><><<<<<<<-><<<<<<-<->"

    Returns: 3

  19. "<-<--<<<<<<<->>>>>>>>>>"

    Returns: 3

  20. "<-<==<>>>>>>>>>>"

    Returns: 3

  21. "<=<==<<<<<<<<<<"

    Returns: 3

  22. "-"

    Returns: -1

  23. "="

    Returns: -1

  24. "<"

    Returns: 1

  25. ">"

    Returns: 1

  26. "-=-<-<=><>=>=>>==->><>>-<>=>==-<=->=<<-->--><<-<=="

    Returns: 3

  27. "<-<->--=-<=<<--===--<-=-=->>><<-<=<>==>>>=>>>-<--<"

    Returns: 3

  28. ">=<"

    Returns: 1

  29. "->----=-<===->>=<=>--<-="

    Returns: 4

  30. ">==--=><=-><><<>==-=>=<=<>>=>=<---<=><--=-==<==>-"

    Returns: 4

  31. "-<-><-<=<<<><=<----><-=><-=->-==<<=-<-<"

    Returns: 5

  32. "<<-<><->=-=-======>=<<<>>-<=<>"

    Returns: 7

  33. "<-<==<=->>>>><<--<<<<<--===<<<<>>=<->--><-<><---<>"

    Returns: 4

  34. "<-<-->>---><<=<>=<->>-<<-<>>>><>>-=="

    Returns: 4

  35. "<->>-->>->=-<=-<=-<<-<<>==<=-==<<-->=<"

    Returns: 3

  36. "=<>--=<<><><<--=--->-<-<=<->>---->=<<<<--->-<<<=-"

    Returns: 5

  37. "==>>===-<-<---<==<-=-=->==---->->==-=>---===-==->>"

    Returns: 5

  38. "<--=<>-=<--<--=->=-=---==-=<--->><==-===>="

    Returns: 4

  39. "=-==---======-><=-==<--=<=--=-====>===->"

    Returns: 5

  40. "-==>-<--=<=---<>---=<=<=-=-<--=<-====-=---=>>=-=>"

    Returns: 3

  41. "-=-===<=<=-<<>--->=<><=-=<-=--=->="

    Returns: 4

  42. "==<>>==<->--===->>=>-=<-====<=>><><<====><>===<=>>"

    Returns: 5

  43. "===-<="

    Returns: 2

  44. "<-=<=>>>->>==>=<===><===>==-==><==-=<>-=>===-="

    Returns: 4

  45. "<=>==<====--<=>=>>-=>==>===-=<====-==-<>-<=<====<"

    Returns: 5

  46. "-<==><>="

    Returns: 3

  47. ">>--<-<-----=-=-=--<>->--==>-<-<--<------<------<>"

    Returns: 7

  48. "-=-<==-->>=<--><-<-<-==->--"

    Returns: 3

  49. "--=->--=----<-=-<-"

    Returns: 2

  50. "---<->>=----=-->=>-<=---->->=-<>-=><-->=--->>----"

    Returns: 5

  51. "=----=<--<=-<-"

    Returns: 3

  52. "============================================>===>-"

    Returns: 45

  53. "----=<=>-><-------=>======><-"

    Returns: 8

  54. "==>><="

    Returns: 3

  55. "===========================================<===--"

    Returns: 4

  56. "-------------->->=====----------<=========<>"

    Returns: 15

  57. "--------========<---<-------=-<----<---<<=---<===<"

    Returns: 8

  58. "<====<-="

    Returns: 5

  59. "=======>>---><"

    Returns: 8

  60. "<===================================>==<-----<>=<"

    Returns: 36

  61. "---------<--<--------<==>"

    Returns: 9

  62. "====================>--------->==================="

    Returns: 21

  63. "=====>----"

    Returns: 6

  64. "========"

    Returns: -1

  65. "<==============================================<<"

    Returns: 47

  66. "<==========================<>===="

    Returns: 27

  67. "-------------"

    Returns: -1

  68. "----------------------=========================---"

    Returns: -1

  69. "-----===------------=================--==---"

    Returns: -1

  70. "================---------------------------===="

    Returns: -1

  71. "------------------==========================-===-"

    Returns: -1

  72. "===---=--"

    Returns: -1

  73. "<<<>>>><><<<<>><<>><<<<>><>>><<<>>>><><<<<<>>><>>>"

    Returns: 1

  74. "><<><<<<><>><>>><<<>><>><><><><<>><<<<<<><<><><><>"

    Returns: 1

  75. "=================================================>"

    Returns: 50

  76. "<================================================="

    Returns: 50

  77. "------------------------------------------------->"

    Returns: 50

  78. "<-------------------------------------------------"

    Returns: 50

  79. "<"

    Returns: 1

  80. ">-"

    Returns: 1

  81. "-"

    Returns: -1

  82. ">"

    Returns: 1

  83. "-<==="

    Returns: 4

  84. "<------------"

    Returns: 13

  85. "---<--"

    Returns: 3

  86. ">>"

    Returns: 1

  87. "---------------<--"

    Returns: 3

  88. "<-->--------"

    Returns: 3

  89. "<-"

    Returns: 2

  90. "<---->--"

    Returns: 5

  91. "<-------------------------"

    Returns: 26

  92. "<<-"

    Returns: 2

  93. "<>-"

    Returns: 1

  94. ">====="

    Returns: 1

  95. "<--==------"

    Returns: 3

  96. "=><---------"

    Returns: 10

  97. ">--"

    Returns: 1

  98. "<=<==<===<====<=====<======<=======<=============="

    Returns: 15

  99. "----==-"

    Returns: -1

  100. "<>===="

    Returns: 1

  101. "--<"

    Returns: 1

  102. "----<"

    Returns: 1

  103. "=============->"

    Returns: 2

  104. "<>"

    Returns: 1

  105. "<------"

    Returns: 7

  106. "<-----------------------------------------"

    Returns: 42

  107. "<---<"

    Returns: 4

  108. "<<<<<<<<<<"

    Returns: 1

  109. "<--"

    Returns: 3

  110. ">---"

    Returns: 1

  111. "<-======"

    Returns: 2

  112. "----------------<"

    Returns: 1

  113. "-<===---==--==->=======------------============-="

    Returns: 4

  114. "-->"

    Returns: 3

  115. "<--=>"

    Returns: 3

  116. "---<"

    Returns: 1

  117. "=>"

    Returns: 2

  118. ">-------"

    Returns: 1

  119. "<<<----==--===--->><<<--<<--<<-->>>"

    Returns: 5

  120. "<><-><---><-=--><<>><><-<->--<<-<-"

    Returns: 4

  121. ">========="

    Returns: 1

  122. ">-----"

    Returns: 1

  123. "<>>>>"

    Returns: 1

  124. "<==========="

    Returns: 12

  125. "<-=-=-=-=-=-=--=-=-="

    Returns: 2

  126. "<======"

    Returns: 7

  127. "-----<"

    Returns: 1

  128. "<=="

    Returns: 3

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