Project Assignment: How to Implement Binary Search

Objective:

The objective of this project is to understand and implement the binary search algorithm in Java. Binary search is a highly efficient algorithm for finding an item from a sorted list of items. It works by repeatedly dividing the search interval in half until the value is found or the interval is empty.

Project Steps:

1. Introduction to Binary Search

   • Explain what binary search is.
   • Discuss its efficiency compared to linear search.
   • Outline the algorithm steps.

2. Setting Up the Environment

   • Install Java Development Kit (JDK) if not already installed.
   • Set up your Integrated Development Environment (IDE), such as IntelliJ IDEA, Eclipse, or NetBeans.

3. Creating the Binary Search Class

   • Create a new Java project in your IDE.
   • Define a class named BinarySearch.

4. Implementing the Binary Search Method

   • Implement a method called search in the BinarySearch class that performs the binary search algorithm.
   • Ensure the list of integers is sorted before performing the search.

5. Testing the Binary Search with User Input

   • Write a main method to test the binary search implementation.
   • Prompt the user to enter the element they want to search for.
   • Display the result indicating whether the element was found and its position.

6. Documenting the Code

   • Add comments and documentation to your code to explain the purpose of each part.
   • Include a README file explaining how to run the program.

7. Full Code Example

   • Provide a complete and well-documented example of the binary search implementation.

8. Conclusion

   • Summarize what you have learned.
   • Discuss potential improvements or alternative implementations.