Data Structures: Queues & ADT

Queues

• Definition of a Queue
• Examples of Queues
• Design of a Queue Class
• Different Implementations of the
Queue Class
 Introduction to Queues
• A queue is a waiting line

• It’s in daily life:

– A line of persons waiting to check out at a
supermarket
– A line of persons waiting to purchase a ticket for a
film
– A line of planes waiting to take off at an airport
– A line of vehicles at a toll booth
 Definition of a Queue
• A queue is a data structure that models/enforces the
first--‐come first-‐‐serve order, or equivalently the first-‐‐
in first--‐out (FIFO) order.
• That is, the element that is inserted first into the
queue will be the element that will deleted first, and
the element that is inserted last is deleted last.
• A waiting line is a good real--‐life example of a queue.
(In fact, the British word for “line” is “queue”.)
 Queues
• Unlike stacks in which elements are popped and
pushed only at the ends of the list

Collection of data elements:

• items are removed from a queue at one end,
called the FRONT of the queue;
• and elements are added at the other end, called
the BACK
 Introduction to Queues
• Difference between Stack and Queues:

– Stack exhibits last-in-first-out (LIFO)

– Queue exhibits first-in-first-out (FIFO)

 The Queue Operations

❒ A queue is like a line

of people waiting for a
bank teller. The queue
has a front and a rear.
$ $

Front
Rear
 The Queue Operations

❒ New people must enter the queue at

the rear. This is called an enqueue
operation.
$ $

Front
Rear
 The Queue Operations

❒ When an item is taken from the

queue, it always comes from the front.
This is called a dequeue operation.
$ $

Front
Rear
 Queue Abstract Data Type
• Basic operations
– Construct a queue
– Check if empty
– Enqueue (add element to back)
– Front (retrieve value of element from front)
– Dequeue (remove element from front)
 A Graphic Model of a Queue

Head:
Tail:
All items are
All new items
deleted from
are added on this end
this end
 Operations on Queues
• Insert(item): (also called enqueue)
– It adds a new item to the tail of the queue
• Remove( ): (also called delete or dequeue)
– It deletes the head item of the queue, and returns to the caller. If the queue is
already empty, this operation returns NULL
• getHead( ):
– Returns the value in the head element of the queue
• getTail( ):
– Returns the value in the tail element of the queue
• isEmpty( )
– Returns true if the queue has no items
• size( )
– Returns the number of items in the queue
 Queue as a Class
• Much like stacks and linked lists were
designed and implemented as classes, a
queue can be conveniently packaged as a class
• It seems natural to think of a queue as similar
to a linked list, but with more basic
operations, to enforce the FIFO order of
insertion and deletion
 Designing and Building a Queue Class
Array-Based
• Consider an array in which to store a
queue

• Note additional variables needed

– myFront, myBack
• Picture a queue
object like this
 Queue Operation
• Empty Queue

Enqueue(70)
 Queue Operation
• Enqueue(80)

• Enqueue(50)
 Queue Operation
• Dequeue()

• Dequeue()
 Queue Operation
• Enqueue(90)

• Enqueue(60)
 Circular Queue

• Problems
– We quickly "walk off the end" of the array
• Possible solutions
– Shift array elements
– Use a circular queue

– Note that both empty

and full queue
gives myBack == myFront
 Array Implementation

• A queue can be implemented with an array, as

shown here. For example, this queue contains the
integers 4 (at the front), 8 and 6 (at the rear).

[0] [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] ...

4 8 6

An array of integers
to implement a We don't care what's in
queue of integers this part of the array.
 Array Implementation

• The easiest implementation also keeps 3 size

track of the number of items in the
queue and the index of the first 0 first
element (at the front of the queue), the
last element (at the rear).
2 last

[0] [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] ...

4 8 6
 A Dequeue Operation

• When an element leaves the queue, 2 size

size is decremented, and first changes,
too. 1 first

2 last

[0] [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] ...

4 8 6
 An Enqueue Operation

• When an element enters the queue, 3 size

size is incremented, and last changes,
too. 1 first

3 last

[0] [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] ...

8 6 2
 At the End of the Array

• There is special behavior at the end of 3 size

the array. For example, suppose we
want to add a new element to this 3 first
queue, where the last index is [5]:
5 last

[0] [1] [2] [3] [4] [5]

2 6 1
 At the End of the Array

• The new element goes at the front of 4 size

the array (if that spot isn’t already
used): 3 first

0 last

[0] [1] [2] [3] [4] [5]

4 2 6 1
 Array Implementation

• Easy to implement 3 size

• But it has a limited capacity with a fixed array
• Or you must use a dynamic array for an 0 first
unbounded capacity
• Special behavior is needed when the rear reaches
the end of the array. 2 last

[0] [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] ...

4 8 6
 Linked List Implementation

• A queue can also be implemented

with a linked list with both a
head and a tail pointer. 13

15

10

7
null
head_ptr
tail_ptr
 Linked List Implementation

• Which end do you think is the

front of the queue? Why?
13

15

10

7
null
head_ptr
tail_ptr
 Linked List Implementation

• The head_ptr points to the front

of the list.
• Because it is harder to remove Front
13
items from the tail of the list.
15

10

7
null
head_ptr
tail_ptr
Rear
 Abstract Data Type
• Abstract Data Type as a design tool
• Concerns only on the important concept or
model
• No concern on implementation details.
• Stack & Queue is an example of ADT
• An array is not ADT.
 What is the difference?
• Stack & Queue vs. Array
– Arrays are data storage structures while stacks and queues
are specialized DS and used as programmer’s tools.
• Stack – a container that allows push and pop
• Queue -‐‐ a container that allows enqueue and
dequeue
• No concern on implementation details.
• In an array any item can be accessed, while in these
data structures access is restricted.
• They are more abstract than arrays.
 Questions?
• Array is not ADT
• Is Linked list ADT?