How to Build a Linked List?

Build a linked list is a data structure that consists of a sequence of elements, each containing a reference (link) to the next element in the list. Linked lists are useful for situations where the size of the data set is not known in advance and for situations where items are frequently added or removed from the list. In this article, we will discuss the basics of linked lists and the steps required to build one in depth.

Understanding the structure of a linked list

A linked list is made up of a series of nodes, where each node contains two fields: data and a reference (link) to the next node in the list. The first node in the list is called the head, and the last node in the list is called the tail. The tail’s link is set to null, indicating the end of the list.

Creating a Node class

To build a linked list, we first need to create a Node class that will represent each element in the list. The Node class should have at least two fields: data and a reference to the next node. The data field will store the value of the element, and the reference field will store the link to the next node. We can also add additional fields to the Node class, such as a reference to the previous node, if we need to implement a doubly linked list.

Implementing the LinkedList class

The next step is to create a LinkedList class that will hold the head and tail of the list, and provide methods for adding, removing, and searching for elements in the list. The LinkedList class should have a constructor that initializes the head and tail to null and methods such as add, remove, and search to perform operations on the list.

Adding elements to the list

To add elements to the list, we need to create a new node, set its data and link fields, and update the head and tail references as necessary. When adding to an empty list, we need to update both the head and tail to the new node. When adding to a non-empty list, we need to update the tail’s link to the new node and the tail reference to the new node.

Removing elements from the list

Removing elements from the list is a bit more complex than adding elements. To remove a node from the list, we need to find the node that precedes the one we want to remove, update its link to point to the node that follows the one we want to remove, and update the head or tail reference as necessary.

Searching for elements in the list

Searching for elements in the list can be done by iterating through the list, starting at the head, and comparing each node’s data field to the value we are searching for. If we find a match, we return the node, otherwise, we return null.

Traversing the list

Traversing the list means iterating through all the elements in the list and performing some operation on each element. To traverse the list, we start at the head and follow the links until we reach the tail.

Advantages of linked list

Linked lists have several advantages over other data structures such as arrays. The main advantage is their dynamic size, which allows elements to be easily added or removed from the list. Linked lists also use less memory than arrays because they do not need to reserve space for all the elements in advance. Additionally, linked lists can be implemented with a small amount of memory overhead, making them a good choice for situations where memory is a concern.

In conclusion, linked lists are a powerful data structure that can be used in a wide range of applications. Understanding the structure of a linked list and the methods used to add, remove, and search for elements is essential for building and working with linked lists.

By creating a Node class to represent each element in the list and a LinkedList class to hold the head and tail of the list, we can easily implement a functional linked list. The flexibility and dynamic nature of linked lists make them a valuable tool for developers to have in their toolbox. With the knowledge provided in this article, you should now have a solid understanding of how to build a linked list.