Linked List Containers

Linked List Containers

Linked Lists • List consists of multiple listnodes • Each listnode consists of • Data • Pointer to another node • Traditional view of data: Data Data Data

Linked Lists Insertion at a specific point: Get a new node (allocate from memory) Set data pointer Set link of new node to previous node link Set link of previous node link to new node FAT MAT RAT HAT

FAT MAT RAT Linked Lists Deletion at a specific point: Set the link of the previous node to the link of the node to delete. FAT RAT

Linked List Representations • Can locate data in any place in memory, not required to be sequential • No requirements on computing size of list beforehand • No more space than need • No bounds on space • No resizing • Still fairly trivial to manage and understand

Linked Lists in C++ • Need to define a ListNode Class that represents: • Data • Pointer to another ListNode • Need to define a LinkedList Class that provides container operations (Add, Delete, etc), using ListNodes to implement the storage for the container

Linked Lists in C++ • Node definition: class nodeName class ThreeLetterListNode { { private: private: type dataName; char data[3]; nodeName *link; ThreeLetterListNode * link; } }

Linked Lists in C++ • Requirements for LinkedList construct: • Want to preserve encapsulation of nodes and ensure that updating the data and link pointers are only accomplished by the ListNode itself or the LinkedList • Arbitrary and unlimited amount of memory • Characterize the LinkedList as: A LinkedList consists of zero or more objects of type ListNode.

Linked Lists • Linked List definition suggests that the List object actually physically contains lots of ListNodes. • Contains a pointer, called first, to one ListNode, from which the rest of the ListNodes can be found by following links. • All ListNode objects are not physically contained within the LinkedList object • To access private data members of ListNode class, without making the data members public or having public functions to set data and links, • make the LinkedList class a friend of the ListNode class:

Linked Lists class LinkedList; // forward declaration template <class Type> class ListNode { friend class LinkedList<Type>; private: Type data; ListNode *link; }; template<class Type> class LinkedList { public: // manipulation operations private: ListNode<Type> *first; } ListNode.h LinkedList.h

Forward Declarations • Forward Declarations: • Used when defining classes that rely on each other. • Indicates to compiler that the class in the forward declaration is going to be defined later and is a valid class. • Similar to use of function signatures to ensure compiler sees all available functions.

Linked Lists • Linked List Node Constructor • Set Data Value, Set Pointer ListNode<Type>::ListNode<Type>(Type inputData, ListNode<Type>* inputLink) { data = inputData; link = inputLink; }

List Operations • What operations do we want or need for the LinkedList? Constructor Destructor isEmpty() isFull() // doesn’t make sense in this context add() (element?, position?) delete() (element?, position?)

Linked Lists • Linked List Constructor • Creates an empty list • Essence of list is “first” pointer, so that should be set to zero if empty LinkedList<Type>::LinkedList<Type>() { first = 0; }

Linked List Insertion Function Interface: void add(Type & toAdd); Passed in a variable of type Type • 1st step: Generate a new ListNode • Should hold value toAdd of type Type • Should point to nothing

Linked List Insertion • Node Creation: Node<Type> *node = new Node<Type>(toAdd, 0); • Then need to insert in “right” place in list. What is right place? • Depends on problem of interest • Sorted list? First in, first out list? • Let’s look at four cases: • Empty list • Non-empty, Front of list • Non-empty, Back of list • Non-empty, Arbitrary position in middle of list

Insertion into Empty List • Empty List First First value 0 0 void LinkedList:<Type>:Add(Type & toAdd) { ListNode<Type> *node = new ListNode<Type>(toAdd, 0); if (first == 0) first = node; }

Insertion • Non-empty list, insert at front first value1 value2 0 value3 0 node value1 value2 0 first value3

Linked List Insertions • Insert at front method: ListNode<Type> *node = new ListNode<Type>(toAdd, first); first = node;

Insertion • Non-empty list, insert at back first value1 value2 0 value3 0 node first value1 value2 value3 0

Linked List Insertions • Insert at back method: // get to last node ListNode<Type>* current = first; while (current-> link != 0) { current = current->link; } // add ListNode<Type>* node = new ListNode<Type>(toAdd, 0); current->link = node;

Insertion • Non-empty list, insert in middle current first value1 value2 0 value3 0 node value1 value2 0 first value3

Linked List Insertions • Insert at arbitrary place: ListNode<Type>* current = first; while (someExpression holds) // current->value < 5 { // for example current = current-> link; } ListNode<Type>* node = new ListNode<Type>(value, current->link); current->link = node;

Linked List Insertions • Insertion at front, insertion at end usually encapsulated into two linked list methods: • Insert (at front), Append (onto back) • Insertion in middle could be encapsulated as insertAtNth() • Usually seen instead as part of more complicated methods (insertSorted for example)

first value3 value2 0 Linked List: Deletion • How about deleting nodes? • Very similar to addition – 3 cases • Case 1: Delete from front value1 value2 0 first value3

Linked Lists: Deletion • Deletion from front: ListNode<Type>* node = first; first = first->link; delete node;

first value1 value3 0 Linked Lists: Deletion • Case 2: Delete from back current value1 value2 0 first previous value3

Linked Lists: Deletion • Deletion from back: // get to just before last node ListNode<Type>* previous =0; ListNode<Type>* current = first; while (current-> link != 0) { previous = current; current = current->link; } previous->link = 0; delete current;

first value1 value2 0 Linked Lists: Deletion • Case 3: Delete from arbitrary location previous value1 value2 0 first value3 current

Linked Lists: Deletions ListNode<Type>* previous =0; ListNode<Type>* current = first; while (someExpression holds) //current->value != { // value3 for example previous = current; current = current->link; } previous->link = current->link; delete current;

Concatenate Example • Concatenate(LinkedList<Type> listB): Add all of the elements of a second list to the end of the first list • Three cases: • ListA is empty – Set head for listA to head of listB • ListB is empty – No change, nothing to do • Both have data – Set pointer on last node of listA to head for listB • This version of concatenate is: • Easy to implement • Destructive towards listsA and listB – as it potentially changes how listA and listB work from here on out (listA delete will now cause listB nodes to go away as well)

Concatenate Example void LinkedList<Type>::concatenate(const LinkedList<Type> & listB) { // empty list A if (!first) { first = listB.first; return; } else if (listB.first) // if b is empty do nothing { // get to end of my list (listA) ListNode<Type>* current = first; while (current->link != 0) { current = current->link; } current->link = listB.first; } }

Safer Concatenate Example LinkedList& LinkedList<Type>::concatenate(const LinkedList<Type> & listB) { // make a copy of list A using copy constructor LinkedList returnList = *(new LinkedList(*this)); if (listB.first) // if b is empty do nothing, else add to end { ListNode<Type>* current =listB.first; while (current->link != 0) { listA.add(current->value); current = current->link; } return returnList; } } This version returns a new LinkedList which is a copy of listA with copies of listB nodes added to the end. Changes to the new list don’t affect listA or listB.

Linked List Containers