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What does "depth-first search" mean in programming?
depth-first search is one of the most common terms in software development. This guide explains what it means, how it is used in practice, and why it matters, with real examples from the developer world.
Definition
A graph traversal algorithm that explores as far as possible along a branch before backtracking. Can be implemented recursively or with an explicit stack. DFS is used for topological sorting, cycle detection, and maze solving.
Example
"DFS on a file system visits every file in a directory before moving to the next sibling directory."
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