Linked List

July 21, 2009 Programming and Data Structure 1

 Introduction

• A linked list is a data structure which can

change during execution.
– Successive elements are connected by pointers.
– Last element points to NULL.
– It can grow or shrink in size during execution of
a program.
– It can be made just as long as required.
head
– It does not waste memory space.

A B C

July 21, 2009 Programming and Data Structure 2

• Keeping track of a linked list:
– Must know the pointer to the first element of
the list (called start, head, etc.).

• Linked lists provide flexibility in allowing

the items to be rearranged efficiently.
– Insert an element.
– Delete an element.

July 21, 2009 Programming and Data Structure 3

 Illustration: Insertion

A B C

Item to be
X inserted

A B C

July 21, 2009 Programming and Data Structure 4

 Illustration: Deletion
Item to be deleted
A B C

A B C

July 21, 2009 Programming and Data Structure 5

 In essence ...

• For insertion:
– A record is created holding the new item.
– The next pointer of the new record is set to link
it to the item which is to follow it in the list.
– The next pointer of the item which is to precede
it must be modified to point to the new item.
• For deletion:
– The next pointer of the item immediately
preceding the one to be deleted is altered, and
made to point to the item following the deleted
item.
July 21, 2009 Programming and Data Structure 6
 Array versus Linked Lists

• Arrays are suitable for:

– Inserting/deleting an element at the end.
– Randomly accessing any element.
– Searching the list for a particular value.
• Linked lists are suitable for:
– Inserting an element.
– Deleting an element.
– Applications where sequential access is required.
– In situations where the number of elements
cannot be predicted beforehand.

July 21, 2009 Programming and Data Structure 7

 Types of Lists

• Depending on the way in which the links

are used to maintain adjacency, several
different types of linked lists are possible.

– Linear singly-linked list (or simply linear list)

• One we have discussed so far.
head

A B C

July 21, 2009 Programming and Data Structure 8

 – Circular linked list
• The pointer from the last element in the list points
back to the first element.

head

A B C

July 21, 2009 Programming and Data Structure 9

 – Doubly linked list
• Pointers exist between adjacent nodes in both
directions.
• The list can be traversed either forward or backward.
• Usually two pointers are maintained to keep track of
the list, head and tail.
head tail

A B C

July 21, 2009 Programming and Data Structure 10

 Basic Operations on a List

• Creating a list
• Traversing the list
• Inserting an item in the list
• Deleting an item from the list
• Concatenating two lists into one

July 21, 2009 Programming and Data Structure 11

 List is an Abstract Data Type

• What is an abstract data type?

– It is a data type defined by the user.
– Typically more complex than simple data types
like int, float, etc.
• Why abstract?
– Because details of the implementation are
hidden.
– When you do some operation on the list, say
insert an element, you just call a function.
– Details of how the list is implemented or how the
insert function is written is no longer required.
July 21, 2009 Programming and Data Structure 12
 Conceptual Idea

Insert
List
implementation
Delete
and the
related functions
Traverse

July 21, 2009 Programming and Data Structure 13

 Example: Working with linked list
• Consider the structure of a node as
follows:
struct stud {
int roll;
char name[25];
int age;
struct stud *next;
};

/* A user-defined data type called “node” */

typedef struct stud node;
node *head;

July 21, 2009 Programming and Data Structure 14

 Creating a List

July 21, 2009 Programming and Data Structure 15

 How to begin?
• To start with, we have to create a node (the
first node), and make head point to it.
head = (node *) malloc(sizeof(node));

head
roll

name next

age

July 21, 2009 Programming and Data Structure 16

 Contd.

• If there are n number of nodes in the initial

linked list:
– Allocate n records, one by one.
– Read in the fields of the records.
– Modify the links of the records so that the
chain is formed.
head

A B C

July 21, 2009 Programming and Data Structure 17

node *create_list()
{
int k, n;
node *p, *head;
printf ("\n How many elements to enter?");
scanf ("%d", &n);
for (k=0; k<n; k++)
{
if (k == 0) {
head = (node *) malloc(sizeof(node));
p = head;
}
else {
p->next = (node *) malloc(sizeof(node));
p = p->next;
}
scanf ("%d %s %d", &p->roll, p->name, &p->age);
}
p->next = NULL;
return (head);
}
July 21, 2009 Programming and Data Structure 18
• To be called from main() function as:

node *head;
………
head = create_list();

July 21, 2009 Programming and Data Structure 19

 Traversing the List

July 21, 2009 Programming and Data Structure 20

 What is to be done?

• Once the linked list has been constructed

and head points to the first node of the
list,
– Follow the pointers.
– Display the contents of the nodes as they are
traversed.
– Stop when the next pointer points to NULL.

July 21, 2009 Programming and Data Structure 21

void display (node *head)
{
int count = 1;
node *p;

p = head;
while (p != NULL)
{
printf ("\nNode %d: %d %s %d", count,
p->roll, p->name, p->age);
count++;
p = p->next;
}
printf ("\n");
}

July 21, 2009 Programming and Data Structure 22

• To be called from main() function as:

node *head;
………
display (head);

July 21, 2009 Programming and Data Structure 23

 Inserting a Node in a List

July 21, 2009 Programming and Data Structure 24

 How to do?

• The problem is to insert a node before a

specified node.
– Specified means some value is given for the
node (called key).
– In this example, we consider it to be roll.
• Convention followed:
– If the value of roll is given as negative, the
node will be inserted at the end of the list.

July 21, 2009 Programming and Data Structure 25

 Contd.
• When a node is added at the beginning,
– Only one next pointer needs to be modified.
• head is made to point to the new node.
• New node points to the previously first element.
• When a node is added at the end,
– Two next pointers need to be modified.
• Last node now points to the new node.
• New node points to NULL.
• When a node is added in the middle,
– Two next pointers need to be modified.
• Previous node now points to the new node.
• New node points to the next node.

July 21, 2009 Programming and Data Structure 26

void insert (node **head)
{
int k = 0, rno;
node *p, *q, *new;

new = (node *) malloc(sizeof(node));

printf ("\nData to be inserted: ");

scanf ("%d %s %d", &new->roll, new->name, &new->age);
printf ("\nInsert before roll (-ve for end):");
scanf ("%d", &rno);

p = *head;

if (p->roll == rno) /* At the beginning */

{
new->next = p;
*head = new;
}

July 21, 2009 Programming and Data Structure 27

 else
{
while ((p != NULL) && (p->roll != rno))
{
q = p;
p = p->next;
}
The pointers
if (p == NULL) /* At the end */ q and p
{ always point
q->next = new; to consecutive
new->next = NULL; nodes.
}
else if (p->roll == rno)
/* In the middle */
{
q->next = new;
new->next = p;
}
}
}
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• To be called from main() function as:

node *head;
………
insert (&head);

July 21, 2009 Programming and Data Structure 29

 Deleting a node from the list

July 21, 2009 Programming and Data Structure 30

 What is to be done?

• Here also we are required to delete a

specified node.
– Say, the node whose roll field is given.
• Here also three conditions arise:
– Deleting the first node.
– Deleting the last node.
– Deleting an intermediate node.

July 21, 2009 Programming and Data Structure 31

 void delete (node **head)
{
int rno;
node *p, *q;

printf ("\nDelete for roll :");

scanf ("%d", &rno);

p = *head;
if (p->roll == rno)
/* Delete the first element */
{
*head = p->next;
free (p);
}

July 21, 2009 Programming and Data Structure 32

 else
{
while ((p != NULL) && (p->roll != rno))
{
q = p;
p = p->next;
}

if (p == NULL) /* Element not found */

printf ("\nNo match :: deletion failed");

else if (p->roll == rno)

/* Delete any other element */
{
q->next = p->next;
free (p);
}
}
}

July 21, 2009 Programming and Data Structure 33

 Few Exercises to Try Out
• Write a function to:
– Concatenate two given list into one big list.
node *concatenate (node *head1, node *head2);
– Insert an element in a linked list in sorted order.
The function will be called for every element to be
inserted.
void insert_sorted (node **head, node *element);
– Always insert elements at one end, and delete
elements from the other end (first-in first-out
QUEUE).
void insert_q (node **head, node *element)
node *delete_q (node **head) /* Return the deleted node */

July 21, 2009 Programming and Data Structure 34

 A First-in First-out (FIFO) List

Out
In

A
B
C B A

Also called a QUEUE

July 21, 2009 Programming and Data Structure 35

 A Last-in First-out (LIFO) List

In Out

C B A B C

Also called a
STACK

July 21, 2009 Programming and Data Structure 36

 Abstract Data Types

July 21, 2009 Programming and Data Structure 37

 Example 1 :: Complex numbers
struct cplx {
float re;
Structure
float im;
}
definition
typedef struct cplx complex;

complex *add (complex a, complex b);

complex *sub (complex a, complex b);
complex *mul (complex a, complex b); Function
complex *div (complex a, complex b);
prototypes
complex *read();
void print (complex a);

July 21, 2009 Programming and Data Structure 38

 add

sub

mul Complex
Number
div

read

print
July 21, 2009 Programming and Data Structure 39
 Example 2 :: Set manipulation
struct node {
int element;
Structure
struct node *next;
}
definition
typedef struct node set;

set *union (set a, set b);

set *intersect (set a, set b);
set *minus (set a, set b); Function
void insert (set a, int x); prototypes
void delete (set a, int x);
int size (set a);

July 21, 2009 Programming and Data Structure 40

 union

intersect

minus
Set
insert

delete

size
July 21, 2009 Programming and Data Structure 41
 Example 3 :: Last-In-First-Out STACK

Assume:: stack contains integer elements

void push (stack *s, int element);

/* Insert an element in the stack */
int pop (stack *s);
/* Remove and return the top element */
void create (stack *s);
/* Create a new stack */
int isempty (stack *s);
/* Check if stack is empty */
int isfull (stack *s);
/* Check if stack is full */

July 21, 2009 Programming and Data Structure 42

 push

pop

create
STACK
isempty

isfull

July 21, 2009 Programming and Data Structure 43

 Contd.

• We shall look into two different ways of

implementing stack:
– Using arrays
– Using linked list

July 21, 2009 Programming and Data Structure 44

 Example 4 :: First-In-First-Out QUEUE

Assume:: queue contains integer elements

void enqueue (queue *q, int element);

/* Insert an element in the queue */
int dequeue (queue *q);
/* Remove an element from the queue */
queue *create();
/* Create a new queue */
int isempty (queue *q);
/* Check if queue is empty */
int size (queue *q);
/* Return the no. of elements in queue */

July 21, 2009 Programming and Data Structure 45

 enqueue

dequeue

create
QUEUE
isempty

size

July 21, 2009 Programming and Data Structure 46

 Stack Implementations: Using Array
and Linked List

July 21, 2009 Programming and Data Structure 47

 STACK USING ARRAY

PUSH

top
top

July 21, 2009 Programming and Data Structure 48

 STACK USING ARRAY

POP

top
top

July 21, 2009 Programming and Data Structure 49

 Stack: Linked List Structure

PUSH OPERATION

top

July 21, 2009 Programming and Data Structure 50

 Stack: Linked List Structure

POP OPERATION

top

July 21, 2009 Programming and Data Structure 51

 Basic Idea

• In the array implementation, we would:

– Declare an array of fixed size (which determines the
maximum size of the stack).
– Keep a variable which always points to the “top” of the
stack.
• Contains the array index of the “top” element.
• In the linked list implementation, we would:
– Maintain the stack as a linked list.
– A pointer variable top points to the start of the list.
– The first element of the linked list is considered as the
stack top.

July 21, 2009 Programming and Data Structure 52

 Declaration
#define MAXSIZE 100 struct lifo
{
struct lifo int value;
{ struct lifo *next;
int st[MAXSIZE]; };
int top; typedef struct lifo
}; stack;
typedef struct lifo
stack; stack *top;
stack s;

ARRAY LINKED LIST

July 21, 2009 Programming and Data Structure 53

 Stack Creation
void create (stack *s) void create (stack **top)
{ {
s->top = -1; *top = NULL;

/* s->top points to /* top points to NULL,

last element indicating empty
pushed in; stack */
initially -1 */ }
}
LINKED LIST
ARRAY

July 21, 2009 Programming and Data Structure 54

 Pushing an element into the stack
void push (stack *s, int element)
{
if (s->top == (MAXSIZE-1))
{
printf (“\n Stack overflow”);
exit(-1);
}
else
{
s->top ++;
s->st[s->top] = element;
}
}

ARRAY
July 21, 2009 Programming and Data Structure 55
 void push (stack **top, int element)
{
stack *new;
new = (stack *) malloc(sizeof(stack));
if (new == NULL)
{
printf (“\n Stack is full”);
exit(-1);
}
new->value = element;
new->next = *top;
*top = new;
}

LINKED LIST
July 21, 2009 Programming and Data Structure 56
 Popping an element from the stack

int pop (stack *s)

{
if (s->top == -1)
{
printf (“\n Stack underflow”);
exit(-1);
}
else
{
return (s->st[s->top--]);
}
}

ARRAY
July 21, 2009 Programming and Data Structure 57
 int pop (stack **top)
{
int t;
stack *p;
if (*top == NULL)
{
printf (“\n Stack is empty”);
exit(-1); LINKED LIST
}
else
{
t = (*top)->value;
p = *top;
*top = (*top)->next;
free (p);
return t;
}
}
July 21, 2009 Programming and Data Structure 58
 Checking for stack empty
int isempty (stack *s) int isempty (stack *top)
{ {
if (s->top == -1) if (top == NULL)
return 1; return (1);
else else
return (0); return (0);
} }

ARRAY LINKED LIST

July 21, 2009 Programming and Data Structure 59

 Checking for stack full

int isfull (stack *s) • Not required for linked list

{ implementation.
if (s->top == • In the push() function, we
(MAXSIZE–1)) can check the return value
return 1; of malloc().
else – If -1, then memory cannot
return (0); be allocated.
}

ARRAY LINKED LIST

July 21, 2009 Programming and Data Structure 60

 Example main function :: array
#include <stdio.h> push(&A,30);
#define MAXSIZE 100 push(&B,100); push(&B,5);
struct lifo printf (“%d %d”, pop(&A),
{ pop(&B));
int st[MAXSIZE];
int top; push (&A, pop(&B));
}; if (isempty(&B))
typedef struct lifo stack; printf (“\n B is empty”);
main() }
{
stack A, B;
create(&A); create(&B);
push(&A,10);
push(&A,20);

July 21, 2009 Programming and Data Structure 61

 Example main function :: linked list
#include <stdio.h> push(&A,30);
struct lifo push(&B,100);
{ push(&B,5);
int value;
printf (“%d %d”,
struct lifo *next;
pop(&A), pop(&B));
};
typedef struct lifo stack; push (&A, pop(&B));

main() if (isempty(B))
{ printf (“\n B is
stack *A, *B; empty”);
create(&A); create(&B); }
push(&A,10);
push(&A,20);

July 21, 2009 Programming and Data Structure 62

 Queue Implementation using Linked
List

July 21, 2009 Programming and Data Structure 63

 Basic Idea

• Basic idea:
– Create a linked list to which items would be
added to one end and deleted from the other
end.
– Two pointers will be maintained:
• One pointing to the beginning of the list (point from
where elements will be deleted).
Rear
• Another pointing to the end of the list (point where
new elements will be inserted).

Front DELETION INSERTION

July 21, 2009 Programming and Data Structure 64
 QUEUE: LINKED LIST STRUCTURE

ENQUEUE

front rear

July 21, 2009 Programming and Data Structure 65

 QUEUE: LINKED LIST STRUCTURE

DEQUEUE

front rear

July 21, 2009 Programming and Data Structure 66

 QUEUE using Linked List
#include <stdio.h>
#include <stdlib.h>
#include <string.h>

struct node{
char name[30];
struct node *next;
};

typedef struct node _QNODE;

typedef struct {
_QNODE *queue_front, *queue_rear;
} _QUEUE;
July 21, 2009 Programming and Data Structure 67
_QNODE *enqueue (_QUEUE *q, char x[])
{
if(q->queue_rear==NULL)
_QNODE *temp;
{
temp= (_QNODE *)
q->queue_rear=temp;
malloc (sizeof(_QNODE));
q->queue_front=
if (temp==NULL){
q->queue_rear;
printf(“Bad allocation \n");
}
return NULL;
else
}
{
strcpy(temp->name,x);
q->queue_rear->next=temp;
temp->next=NULL;
q->queue_rear=temp;
}
return(q->queue_rear);
July 21, 2009
}
Programming and Data Structure 68
char *dequeue(_QUEUE *q,char x[])
{ else{
_QNODE *temp_pnt; strcpy(x,q->queue_front->name);
temp_pnt=q->queue_front;
if(q->queue_front==NULL){ q->queue_front=
q->queue_rear=NULL; q->queue_front->next;
printf("Queue is empty \n"); free(temp_pnt);
return(NULL); if(q->queue_front==NULL)
} q->queue_rear=NULL;
return(x);
}
}

July 21, 2009 Programming and Data Structure 69

 void init_queue(_QUEUE *q)
{
q->queue_front= q->queue_rear=NULL;
}

int isEmpty(_QUEUE *q)

{
if(q==NULL) return 1;
else return 0;
}

July 21, 2009 Programming and Data Structure 70

main()
{
int i,j;
char command[5],val[30];
_QUEUE q;

init_queue(&q);

command[0]='\0';
printf("For entering a name use 'enter <name>'\n");
printf("For deleting use 'delete' \n");
printf("To end the session use 'bye' \n");
while(strcmp(command,"bye")){
scanf("%s",command);
July 21, 2009 Programming and Data Structure 71
if(!strcmp(command,"enter")) {
scanf("%s",val);
if((enqueue(&q,val)==NULL))
printf("No more pushing please \n");
else printf("Name entered %s \n",val);
}
if(!strcmp(command,"delete")) {
if(!isEmpty(&q))
printf("%s \n",dequeue(&q,val));
else printf("Name deleted %s \n",val);
}
} /* while */
printf("End session \n");
July 21, 2009
}
Programming and Data Structure 72
 Problem With Array Implementation

ENQUEUE DEQUEUE

Effective queuing storage area of array gets reduced.

0 N

front
front rearrear

Use of circular array indexing

July 21, 2009 Programming and Data Structure 73
 Queue: Example with Array Implementation
#define MAX_SIZE 100

typedef struct { char name[30];

} _ELEMENT;

typedef struct {
_ELEMENT q_elem[MAX_SIZE];
int rear;
int front;
int full,empty;
} _QUEUE;

July 21, 2009 Programming and Data Structure 74

 Queue Example: Contd.

void init_queue(_QUEUE *q)

{q->rear= q->front= 0;
q->full=0; q->empty=1;
}

int IsFull(_QUEUE *q)

{return(q->full);}

int IsEmpty(_QUEUE *q)

{return(q->empty);}

July 21, 2009 Programming and Data Structure 75

 Queue Example: Contd.

void AddQ(_QUEUE *q, _ELEMENT ob)

{
if(IsFull(q)) {printf("Queue is Full \n"); return;}

q->rear=(q->rear+1)%(MAX_SIZE);
q->q_elem[q->rear]=ob;

if(q->front==q->rear) q->full=1; else q->full=0;

q->empty=0;

return;
}

July 21, 2009 Programming and Data Structure 76

 Queue Example: Contd.
_ELEMENT DeleteQ(_QUEUE *q)
{
_ELEMENT temp;
temp.name[0]='\0';

if(IsEmpty(q)) {printf("Queue is EMPTY\n");return(temp);}

q->front=(q->front+1)%(MAX_SIZE);
temp=q->q_elem[q->front];

if(q->rear==q->front) q->empty=1; else q->empty=0;

q->full=0;

return(temp);
}July 21, 2009 Programming and Data Structure 77
 Queue Example: Contd.
main() #include <stdio.h>
{ #include <stdlib.h>
int i,j; #include <string.h>
char command[5];
_ELEMENT ob;
_QUEUE A;

init_queue(&A);

command[0]='\0';
printf("For adding a name use 'add [name]'\n");
printf("For deleting use 'delete' \n");
printf("To end the session use 'bye' \n");
July 21, 2009 Programming and Data Structure 78
 Queue Example: Contd.

while (strcmp(command,"bye")!=0){
scanf("%s",command);

if(strcmp(command,"add")==0) {
scanf("%s",ob.name);
if (IsFull(&A))
printf("No more insertion please \n");
else {
AddQ(&A,ob);
printf("Name inserted %s \n",ob.name);
}
}

July 21, 2009 Programming and Data Structure 79

 Queue Example: Contd.

if (strcmp(command,"delete")==0) {
if (IsEmpty(&A))
printf("Queue is empty \n");
else {
ob=DeleteQ(&A);
printf("Name deleted %s \n",ob.name);
}
}
} /* End of while */
printf("End session \n");
}

July 21, 2009 Programming and Data Structure 80