CO2402: Advanced Programming
with C++ Lecture 10
Introduction to Linked Lists
1. Overview
o A linked list is a data structure consisting of a sequence of
elements, each containing a reference (link) to the next
element in the sequence. This structure allows efficient
insertion and removal of elements.
Consider a system to record student marks where each student
has a varying number of modules. A linked list can dynamically
manage the memory required for storing module data.
2. Types of Linked Lists
o Singly Linked List: Each element points to the next one,
forming a unidirectional chain.
o Doubly Linked List: Each element has pointers to both the
next and previous elements.
o Other Variants: Queue, dequeue, etc.
Why Program Your Own Linked List?
Understanding the underlying data structure helps in grasping more
complex structures like trees and graphs. Implementing a linked list
also helps in appreciating the importance of memory management
and pointer operations.
, The Element Class
1. Class Definition
o The CElement class represents an element in the linked list. It
contains data and a pointer to the next element.
Example:
2. Methods
o Constructor: Initializes the element with data.
o getData(): Returns the data stored in the element.
o getNext(): Returns the pointer to the next element.
o setNext(): Sets the pointer to the next element.
Example:
with C++ Lecture 10
Introduction to Linked Lists
1. Overview
o A linked list is a data structure consisting of a sequence of
elements, each containing a reference (link) to the next
element in the sequence. This structure allows efficient
insertion and removal of elements.
Consider a system to record student marks where each student
has a varying number of modules. A linked list can dynamically
manage the memory required for storing module data.
2. Types of Linked Lists
o Singly Linked List: Each element points to the next one,
forming a unidirectional chain.
o Doubly Linked List: Each element has pointers to both the
next and previous elements.
o Other Variants: Queue, dequeue, etc.
Why Program Your Own Linked List?
Understanding the underlying data structure helps in grasping more
complex structures like trees and graphs. Implementing a linked list
also helps in appreciating the importance of memory management
and pointer operations.
, The Element Class
1. Class Definition
o The CElement class represents an element in the linked list. It
contains data and a pointer to the next element.
Example:
2. Methods
o Constructor: Initializes the element with data.
o getData(): Returns the data stored in the element.
o getNext(): Returns the pointer to the next element.
o setNext(): Sets the pointer to the next element.
Example:
