About the Complete Guide to Linked List
Welcome to the Complete Guide to Linked Lists! This guide provides an in-depth discussion of one of the most fundamental data structures in computer science that is linked list. We'll show you different types of linked lists, how they work, why they're useful, and where you can use them. It doesn't matter if you're new to programming or already know a lot, this guide will help you understand how to use linked lists to work with data more easily.
Basic terminologies of Linked list
While learning about Linked list Data Structures in this Complete Guide on Linked list, you will come across some common terms that will be used multiple times. Some of these terms are:
- Node: Each element in a linked list is called a node. A node contains two main parts: data (the value of the node) and a pointer/reference to the next node in the sequence.
- Head: The first node in a linked list. It serves as the entry point to the list.
- Tail: The last node in a linked list. The tail node's next pointer typically points to null, indicating the end of the list.
- Next Pointer: The pointer within a node that points to the next node in the sequence.
- Previous Pointer: In a doubly linked list, the pointer within a node that points to the previous node in the sequence.
- Null Pointer: A special pointer value that indicates the absence of a valid reference. In linked lists, a null pointer is often used to signify the end of the list.
Why Linked List Data Structures is needed?
Linked list data structures are necessary for managing flexible data sizes efficiently. They are very useful in dynamic memory allocation, enabling easy insertions and deletions. Linked lists avoid memory wastage, making them ideal for changing data quantities. They're especially useful when frequent insertions and deletions are required, and they allow non-contiguous memory usage.