Linked Lists in Action

 Chapter 5 introduces the often-

used data structure of linked lists.
 This presentation shows how to
implement the most common
operations on linked lists.

CHAPTER 5
Data Structures and Other Objects
Declarations for Linked Lists

 For this presentation, nodes in a

linked list are objects, as shown here.
15 data_field
class node
{
link_field
public:
10 data_field
typedef double value_type;
...
private link_field 7 data_field
value_type data_field;
null
node *link_field;
link_field
};
Declarations for Linked Lists

 The data_field of each node is a type called

value_type, defined by a typedef.
15 data_field
class node
{
link_field
public:
10 data_field
typedef int value_type;
...
private link_field 7 data_field
value_type data_field;
null
node *link_field;
link_field
};
Declarations for Linked Lists

 Each node also contains a link_field

which is a pointer to another node.
15 data_field
class node
{
link_field
public:
10 data_field
typedef int value_type;
...
private link_field 7 data_field
value_type data_field;
null
node *link_field;
link_field
};
 Declarations for Linked Lists

 A program can keep track of the front

node by using a pointer variable such
as head_ptr in this example. 15 data_field

 Notice that head_ptr is not a node -- it

is a pointer to a node. link_field
10 data_field

link_field 7 data_field

head_ptr
null
link_field
Declarations for Linked Lists

 A program can keep track of the front

node by using a pointer variable such
as head_ptr.
 Notice that head_ptr is not a node -- it
is a pointer to a node.
 We represent the empty list by storing
null in the head pointer.

null
head_ptr
Inserting a Node at the Front

void list_head_insert(node*& head_ptr, const node::value_type& entry);

We want to add a new entry, 13,

to the front of the linked list
shown here.
15

10

7
13
null
entry
head_ptr
Inserting a Node at the Front

void list_head_insert(node*& head_ptr, const node::value_type& entry);

 Create a new node, pointed to

by a local variable insert_ptr. insert_ptr

15

10

7
13
null
entry
head_ptr
Inserting a Node at the Front

void list_head_insert(node*& head_ptr, const node::value_type& entry);

insert_ptr = new node;

insert_ptr

15

10

7
13
null
entry
head_ptr
Inserting a Node at the Front

void list_head_insert(node*& head_ptr, const node::value_type& entry);

insert_ptr = new node;

insert_ptr
Place the data in the new node's 13
data_field.
15

10

7
13
null
entry
head_ptr
Inserting a Node at the Front

void list_head_insert(node*& head_ptr, const node::value_type& entry);

insert_ptr = new node;

insert_ptr
Place the data in the new node's 13
data_field.
15
Connect the new node to the
front of the list. 10

7
13
null
entry
head_ptr
Inserting a Node at the Front

void list_head_insert(node*& head_ptr, const node::value_type& entry);

insert_ptr = new node(entry, head_ptr);

insert_ptr
13
The correct new node
can be completely 15
created in one step by
calling an appropriate 10
node constructor.
7
13
null
entry
head_ptr
Inserting a Node at the Front

void list_head_insert(node*& head_ptr, const node::value_type& entry);

insert_ptr = new node(entry, head_ptr);

insert_ptr
Make the old head pointer 13
point to the new node.
15

10

7
13
null
entry
head_ptr
Inserting a Node at the Front

void list_head_insert(node*& head_ptr, const node::value_type& entry);

insert_ptr = new node(entry, head_ptr);

insert_ptr
head_ptr = insert_ptr; 13

15

10

7
13
null
entry
head_ptr
Inserting a Node at the Front

void list_head_insert(node*& head_ptr, const node::value_type& entry);

insert_ptr = new node(entry, head_ptr);

head_ptr = insert_ptr; 13

15
When the function returns, the
linked list has a new node at the 10

front. 7
null
head_ptr
Inserting a Node at the Front

void list_head_insert(node*& head_ptr, const node::value_type& entry)

{
node *insert_ptr;

insert_ptr = new node(entry, head_ptr);

head_ptr = insert_ptr;
}
Inserting a Node at the Front

void list_head_insert(node*& head_ptr, const node::value_type& entry)

{
node *insert_ptr;

insert_ptr = new node(entry, head_ptr);

head_ptr = insert_ptr;
}
Does the function work
correctly for the empty
list ?
Inserting a Node at the Front

void list_head_insert(node*& head_ptr, const node::value_type& entry)

{
node *insert_ptr;

insert_ptr = new node(entry, head_ptr);

head_ptr = insert_ptr;
}
Does the function work
correctly for the empty
list ?
13 null
entry
head_ptr
Inserting a Node at the Front

void list_head_insert(node*& head_ptr, const node::value_type& entry)

{
node *insert_ptr;

insert_ptr = new node(entry, head_ptr);

head_ptr = insert_ptr;
}

insert_ptr
13 null 13
entry null
head_ptr
Inserting a Node at the Front

void list_head_insert(node*& head_ptr, const node::value_type& entry)

{
node *insert_ptr;

insert_ptr = new node(entry, head_ptr);

head_ptr = insert_ptr;
}

insert_ptr
13 13
entry null
head_ptr
Inserting a Node at the Front

void list_head_insert(node*& head_ptr, const node::value_type& entry)

{
node *insert_ptr;

insert_ptr = new node(entry, head_ptr);

head_ptr = insert_ptr;
When the function
}
returns, the linked list
has one node.

13

head_ptr null
Caution!

 Always make sure that

your linked list
functions work
correctly with an
empty list.

EMPTY LIST
Pseudocode for Inserting Nodes
 Nodes are often inserted at places other than the
front of a linked list.
 There is a general pseudocode that you can follow
for any insertion function. . .
Pseudocode for Inserting Nodes

 Determine whether the new node will be the first node in

the linked list. If so, then there is only one step:
list_head_insert(head_ptr, entry);
Pseudocode for Inserting Nodes

 Determine whether the new node will be the first node in

the linked list. If so, then there is only one step:
list_head_insert(head_ptr, entry);
e
yw n
ro t
ead tio
alr unc
w e he f
T
Pseudocode for Inserting Nodes

 Determine whether the new node will be the first node in

the linked list. If so, then there is only one step:
list_head_insert(head_ptr, entry);

A pointer
to the
head of
the list
Pseudocode for Inserting Nodes

 Determine whether the new node will be the first node in

the linked list. If so, then there is only one step:
list_head_insert(head_ptr, entry);

Th
in e d
th a t
en a
ew t o p
no ut
de
Pseudocode for Inserting Nodes
 Otherwise (if the new node will not be first):
 Start by setting a pointer named previous_ptr to point to the
node which is just before the new node's position.
Pseudocode for Inserting Nodes
 Otherwise (if the new node will not be first):
 Start by setting a pointer named previous_ptr to point to the
node which is just before the new node's position.

In this example, the 10

previous_ptr
new node will be
the second node 15

7
null
head_ptr
Pseudocode for Inserting Nodes
 Otherwise (if the new node will not be first):
 Start by setting a pointer named previous_ptr to point to the
node which is just before the new node's position

Look at the pointer 10

previous_ptr
which is in the node
*previous_ptr 15

7
What is the name of
null
this orange pointer ? head_ptr
Pseudocode for Inserting Nodes
 Otherwise (if the new node will not be first):
 Start by setting a pointer named previous_ptr to point to the
node which is just before the new node's position

This pointer is called

previous_ptr->link_field 10
(although this name may previous_ptr

be private to the node) 15

7
What is the name of
null
this orange pointer ? head_ptr
Pseudocode for Inserting Nodes
 Otherwise (if the new node will not be first):
 Start by setting a pointer named previous_ptr to point to the
node which is just before the new node's position

previous_ptr->link_field
10
points to the head previous_ptr
of a small linked
list, with 10 and 7 15

7
null
head_ptr
Pseudocode for Inserting Nodes
 Otherwise (if the new node will not be first):
 Start by setting a pointer named previous_ptr to point to the
node which is just before the new node's position.
13

The new node must

10
be inserted at the previous_ptr
front of this small
linked list. 15

7
Write one C++ statement
null
which will do the insertion. head_ptr
Pseudocode for Inserting Nodes
 Otherwise (if the new node will not be first):
 Start by setting a pointer named previous_ptr to point to the
node which is just before the new node's position.
13

10
list_head_insert(previous_ptr->link_field, entry); previous_ptr

15

7
What might cause this
statement to fail to compile? null
head_ptr
Pseudocode for Inserting Nodes
 Otherwise (if the new node will not be first):
 Start by setting a pointer named previous_ptr to point to the
node which is just before the new node's position.
13

10
list_head_insert(previous_ptr->link( ), entry); previous_ptr

15

7
Use a node member function
to get the link field if needed. null
head_ptr
Pseudocode for Inserting Nodes

 Determine whether the new node will be the first node in

the linked list. If so, then there is only one step:
list_head_insert(head_ptr, entry);

 Otherwise (if the new node will not be first):

 Set a pointer named previous_ptr to point to the node
which is just before the new node's position.
 Make the function call:
list_head_insert(previous_ptr->link( ), entry);
Pseudocode for Inserting Nodes

 The process of adding a new node in the middle

of a list can also be incorporated as a separate
function. This function is called list_insert in the
linked list toolkit of Section 5.2.
Pseudocode for Removing Nodes
 Nodes often need to be removed from a linked list.
 As with insertion, there is a technique for removing
a node from the front of a list, and a technique for
removing a node from elsewhere.
 We’ll look at the pseudocode for removing a node
from the front of a linked list.
Removing the Head Node

 Start by setting up a temporary pointer named remove_ptr to

the head node.

remove_ptr

13 10 15 7
null
head_ptr
Removing the Head Node

 Set up remove_ptr.
 head_ptr = remove_ptr->link( );

Draw the change that this

statement will make to the
linked list.
remove_ptr

13 10 15 7
null
head_ptr
Removing the Head Node

 Set up remove_ptr.
 head_ptr = remove_ptr->link( );

remove_ptr

13 10 15 7
null
head_ptr
Removing the Head Node

 Set up remove_ptr.
 head_ptr = remove_ptr->link( );
 delete remove_ptr; // Return the node's memory to heap.

remove_ptr

13 10 15 7
null
head_ptr
Removing the Head Node

Here’s what the linked list looks like after the removal finishes.

10 15 7
null
head_ptr
Summary

 It is easy to insert a node at the front of a list.

 The linked list toolkit also provides a function for
inserting a new node elsewhere
 It is easy to remove a node at the front of a list.
 The linked list toolkit also provides a function for
removing a node elsewhere--you should read
about this function and the other functions of the
toolkit.
Presentation copyright 2010, Addison Wesley Longman,
For use with Data Structures and Other Objects Using C++
by Michael Main and Walter Savitch.

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THE END