Can I use class methods inside factory constructor via Dart - dart

Question

I have the below code that is creating the PriortyQueue structure using Dart. But since I cannot use heapify function inside the Constructor or factory constructor I cannot initialize PQ with an existing set of List. Can somebody guide me and show me how I can use heapify while creating PQ instance so I can initialize it with an existing List? Also If you have any other suggestions against doing something like this please also help me as well. thank you
class PriorityQueue<T extends Comparable<T>> {
List<T?> _tree;
PriorityQueue._(List<T?> tree) : _tree = tree;
factory PriorityQueue([List<T>? array]) {
List<T?> newArray = [null, ...array ?? []];
// ignore: todo
//TODO: missing heapify
return PriorityQueue._(newArray);
}
void insert(T node) {
_tree.add(node);
_swim(_tree.length - 1);
}
T getTop() {
_swap(1, _tree.length - 1);
T top = _tree.removeLast() as T;
_sink(1);
return top;
}
List<T> _heapify(List<T> array) {
int sinkNodeIndex = (array.length - 1) ~/ 2;
while (sinkNodeIndex >= 1) {
_sink(sinkNodeIndex);
sinkNodeIndex--;
}
}
void _sink(int nodeIndex) {
int leftChildIndex = nodeIndex * 2;
int rightChildIndex = leftChildIndex + 1;
int minNodeIndex = leftChildIndex;
// index can be unreachable
T? leftChild =
leftChildIndex >= _tree.length ? null : _tree[leftChildIndex];
T? rightChild =
rightChildIndex >= _tree.length ? null : _tree[rightChildIndex];
if (leftChild == null) {
return;
}
if (rightChild != null && leftChild.compareTo(rightChild) > 0) {
minNodeIndex = rightChildIndex;
}
if ((_tree[minNodeIndex] as T).compareTo(_tree[nodeIndex] as T) < 0) {
_swap(nodeIndex, minNodeIndex);
_sink(minNodeIndex);
}
}
void _swim(int nodeIndex) {
if (nodeIndex <= 1) return;
int parentIndex = nodeIndex ~/ 2;
if ((_tree[nodeIndex] as T).compareTo(_tree[parentIndex] as T) < 0) {
_swap(nodeIndex, parentIndex);
_swim(parentIndex);
}
}
void _swap(int i, int j) {
T temp = _tree[i] as T;
_tree[i] = _tree[j];
_tree[j] = temp;
}
#override
String toString() {
return _tree.toString();
}
}

Answer 1

I would make all the helper functions. _heapify, _sink/_swim, even _swap, be static functions which take the list as argument.
Then you can use them from anywhere, including inside the factory constructor.
Alternatively, you can change the constructor to returning:
return PriorityQueue._(newArray).._heapify();
This creates the PriorityQueue object, and then calls the _heapify method on it, before returning the value.
(I'd also make _tree have type List<T> and not insert the extra null at the beginning. It's more efficient to add/subtract 1 from indices than it is to cast to T.)

Answer 2

I ended up doing like Irn's first suggestion. But when I do functions static they lost Type of the class so I needed to specify for each function. Also, making List<T?> instead of List ended up with me fighting against the compiler.
class PriorityQueue<T extends Comparable<T>> {
List<T?> _tree;
PriorityQueue._(List<T?> tree) : _tree = tree;
factory PriorityQueue([List<T>? array]) {
List<T?> newArray = [null, ...array ?? []];
_heapify(newArray);
return PriorityQueue._(newArray);
}
bool get isNotEmpty {
return _tree.isNotEmpty;
}
void insert(T node) {
_tree.add(node);
_swim(_tree, _tree.length - 1);
}
void insertMultiple(List<T> array) {
for (var element in array) {
insert(element);
}
}
T? removeTop() {
if (_tree.length == 1) return null;
_swap(_tree, 1, _tree.length - 1);
T top = _tree.removeLast() as T;
_sink(_tree, 1);
return top;
}
void removeAll() {
_tree = [null];
}
static void _heapify<T extends Comparable<T>>(List<T?> array) {
int sinkNodeIndex = (array.length - 1) ~/ 2;
while (sinkNodeIndex >= 1) {
_sink(array, sinkNodeIndex);
sinkNodeIndex--;
}
}
static void _sink<T extends Comparable<T>>(List<T?> tree, int nodeIndex) {
int leftChildIndex = nodeIndex * 2;
int rightChildIndex = leftChildIndex + 1;
int minNodeIndex = leftChildIndex;
T? leftChild = leftChildIndex >= tree.length ? null : tree[leftChildIndex];
T? rightChild =
rightChildIndex >= tree.length ? null : tree[rightChildIndex];
if (leftChild == null) {
return;
}
if (rightChild != null && leftChild.compareTo(rightChild) > 0) {
minNodeIndex = rightChildIndex;
}
if ((tree[minNodeIndex] as T).compareTo(tree[nodeIndex] as T) < 0) {
_swap(tree, nodeIndex, minNodeIndex);
_sink(tree, minNodeIndex);
}
}
static void _swim<T extends Comparable<T>>(List<T?> tree, int nodeIndex) {
if (nodeIndex <= 1) return;
int parentIndex = nodeIndex ~/ 2;
if ((tree[nodeIndex] as T).compareTo(tree[parentIndex] as T) < 0) {
_swap(tree, nodeIndex, parentIndex);
_swim(tree, parentIndex);
}
}
static void _swap<T extends Comparable<T>>(List<T?> tree, int i, int j) {
T temp = tree[i] as T;
tree[i] = tree[j];
tree[j] = temp;
}
#override
String toString() {
return _tree.toString();
}
}