Array Recursion Task

array_recursion.js

// Task: Write a function that recursively loops through a multidimensional array and counts the instances of an item

// Le data
var arr = [
	'apples',
	['apples', 'oranges,', 'bananas', ['apples',]]
];

// A quick and dirty nested loop. 
// Will only work if nesting is one level deep
function countItems1 (arr, item) {
	var itemCount = 0;
	for (var i = 0; i < arr.length; i++) {
		if (Array.isArray(arr[i])) {
			for (var k = 0; k < arr[i].length; k++) {
				console.log(arr[i][k]);
				if (arr[i][k] === item ) {
					itemCount++;
				}
			} 
		} else if (arr[i] === item ) {
			itemCount++;
		}
	}
	return itemCount;
};


// Proper recursion. 
// Will work with infinite levels of nesting
function countItems2(arr, item, itemCount) {
	
	itemCount = 0

	for (var i = 0; i < arr.length; i++) {
		if (Array.isArray(arr[i])) {
			var itemCount2 = countItems2(arr[i], item);
			itemCount = itemCount + itemCount2;
		} else if (arr[i] === item ) {
			itemCount++;
		}
	}
	return itemCount;
};