smallest-string-starting-from-leaf.py

# Definition for a binary tree node.
# class TreeNode:
#     def __init__(self, x):
#         self.val = x
#         self.left = None
#         self.right = None

class Solution:
    def smallestFromLeaf(self, root):
            def dfs(node, path):
                if not node: return
                path.append(chr(ord('a')+node.val))
                if not node.left and not node.right:
                    res[0] = min(res[0], ''.join(path)[::-1])
                else:
                    dfs(node.left, path)
                    dfs(node.right, path)
                del path[-1]

            res = [str(chr(ord('z') + 1))]
            dfs(root, [])
            return res[0]