Question

I have implemented a small cycle detection algorithm for a DAG in Scala.
The ‘return’ bothers me – I’d like to have a version without the return…possible?

  def isCyclic() : Boolean = {
    lock.readLock().lock()
    try {
      nodes.foreach(node => node.marker = 1)
      nodes.foreach(node => {if (1 == node.marker && visit(node)) return true})
    } finally {
      lock.readLock().unlock()
    }
    false
  }

  private def visit(node: MyNode): Boolean = {
    node.marker = 3

    val nodeId = node.id
    val children = vertexMap.getChildren(nodeId).toList.map(nodeId => id2nodeMap(nodeId))
    children.foreach(child => {
      if (3 == child.marker || (1 == child.marker && visit(child))) return true
    })

    node.marker = 2

    false
  }

Answer 1

I think the problem can be solved without changing the state of the node with the marker field. The following is a rough code of what i think the isCyclic should look like. I am currently storing the node objects which are visited instead you can store the node ids if the node doesnt have equality based on node id.

def isCyclic() : Boolean = nodes.exists(hasCycle(_, HashSet()))

def hasCycle(node:Node, visited:Seq[Node]) = visited.contains(node) || children(node).exists(hasCycle(_,  node +: visited))


def children(node:Node) = vertexMap.getChildren(node.id).toList.map(nodeId => id2nodeMap(nodeId))