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Linked List and Pointer

This document discusses linked lists and their implementation using pointers. It explains that linked lists use nodes that contain a data element and a pointer to the next node. This allows lists to grow dynamically as opposed to array-based implementations that have a fixed size. Operations like insertion and deletion are simpler in linked lists compared to arrays. The document provides examples of declaring node structures, allocating nodes dynamically, and traversing linked lists by iterating through nodes using next pointers.

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70 views21 pages

Linked List and Pointer

This document discusses linked lists and their implementation using pointers. It explains that linked lists use nodes that contain a data element and a pointer to the next node. This allows lists to grow dynamically as opposed to array-based implementations that have a fixed size. Operations like insertion and deletion are simpler in linked lists compared to arrays. The document provides examples of declaring node structures, allocating nodes dynamically, and traversing linked lists by iterating through nodes using next pointers.

Uploaded by

Melat
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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3/28/2018 Compiled by worku w.

2
 A structure with a pointer to itself as a member
 Used for linked lists, queues, stacks and trees
struct node
{
int data; data next
node *next;
}; node
node *p , *q ; 3 next next
p data q data
10
p = new node;
q = new node;
p -> data = 3;
q -> data = 10; q
p -> next = q;
p 3
data next data next
q -> next = NULL; 10
q = NULL;
 Array-based Implementation
 Fixed Size
 Items Have A Physical Ordering
 Costly Insertions and Deletions
 Constant Access Time

 Pointer-based Implementation
 Able to Grow as Needed
 Items have a Logical Ordering
 Insertions and Deletions are Simple
 Time to Access the Ith Node Depends on I
 Flexible space use
 Dynamically allocate space for each element as
needed
 Include a pointer to the next item
 Each node could be a structure
 Linked list
 Each node of the list contains
 the data item
 a pointer to the next node
Data Next
 How to Represent
 End of the List (node whose next is NULL)
 Beginning of the List (node pointed to, by Head)
 Add first item
 Allocate space for node
 Set Next to NULL
 Set Head to point to new node

Head
5 8

Data Next Data Next


Figure 4-1
(a) A linked list of integers; (b) insertion; (c) deletion
Figure 4-2
A pointer to an integer
Figure 4-3a
(a) Declaring pointer variables; (b) pointing to statically allocated memory; (c)
assigning a value
Figure 4-3b
(d) Allocating memory dynamically; (e) assigning a value; (f) copying a pointer
Figure 4-3c
(g) Allocating memory dynamically and assigning a value; (h) assigning NULL to a
pointer variable; (i) deallocating memory
Figure 4-4
An incorrect pointer to a deallocated node
Figure 4-5a
Programming with pointer variables and dynamically allocated memory
Figure 4-5b
Programming with pointer variables and dynamically allocated memory
Figure 4-5c
Programming with pointer variables and dynamically allocated memory
Figure 4-5d
Programming with pointer variables and dynamically allocated memory
 A node in a linked list is usually a struct
struct Node{
int item;
Node *next; Figure 4.6 A node
};

 A node is dynamically allocated


Node *p;
p = new Node;

Compiled by worku w.
Figure 4-6
A node
 The head pointer points to the first node in a linked list

Figure 4.7 A head pointer to a list

 If head is NULL, the linked list is empty


Figure 4.8 A lost cell

Compiled by worku w.
 Reference a node member with the -> operator
p->item;
 A traverse operation visits each node in the linked
list
A pointer variable cur keeps track of the current node

for (Node *cur = head; cur != NULL;


cur = cur->next)
cout << cur->item << endl;

Compiled by worku w.
Figure 4.9
The effect of the assignment cur = cur->next

Compiled by worku w.

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