Implement a stack using singly linked list

Difficulty Level : Easy
Last Updated : 21 Jul, 2021

Implement a stack using single linked list concept. all the single linked list operations perform based on Stack operations LIFO(last in first out) and with the help of that knowledge we are going to implement a stack using single linked list. using single linked lists so how to implement here it is linked list means what we are storing the information in the form of nodes and we need to follow the stack rules and we need to implement using single linked list nodes so what are the rules we need to follow in the implementation of a stack a simple rule that is last in first out and all the operations we should perform so with the help of a top variable only with the help of top variables are how to insert the elements let’s see

A stack can be easily implemented through the linked list. In stack Implementation, a stack contains a top pointer. which is “head” of the stack where pushing and popping items happens at the head of the list. first node have null in link field and second node link have first node address in link field and so on and last node address in “top” pointer.
The main advantage of using linked list over an arrays is that it is possible to implements a stack that can shrink or grow as much as needed. In using array will put a restriction to the maximum capacity of the array which can lead to stack overflow. Here each new node will be dynamically allocate. so overflow is not possible.
Stack Operations:

push() : Insert the element into linked list nothing but which is the top node of Stack.
pop() : Return top element from the Stack and move the top pointer to the second node of linked list or Stack.
peek(): Return the top element.
display(): Print all element of Stack.

Below is the implementation of the above approach:

C++

// C++ program to Implement a stack
//using singly linked list
#include <bits/stdc++.h>
using namespace std;
 
// Declare linked list node
 
struct Node
{
    int data;
    struct Node* link;
};
 
struct Node* top;
 
// Utility function to add an element
// data in the stack insert at the beginning
void push(int data)
{
     
    // Create new node temp and allocate memory
    struct Node* temp;
    temp = new Node();
 
    // Check if stack (heap) is full.
    // Then inserting an element would
    // lead to stack overflow
    if (!temp)
    {
        cout << "\nHeap Overflow";
        exit(1);
    }
 
    // Initialize data into temp data field
    temp->data = data;
 
    // Put top pointer reference into temp link
    temp->link = top;
 
    // Make temp as top of Stack
    top = temp;
}
 
// Utility function to check if
// the stack is empty or not
int isEmpty()
{
    return top == NULL;
}
 
// Utility function to return top element in a stack
int peek()
{
     
    // Check for empty stack
    if (!isEmpty())
        return top->data;
    else
        exit(1);
}
 
// Utility function to pop top
// element from the stack
void pop()
{
    struct Node* temp;
 
    // Check for stack underflow
    if (top == NULL)
    {
        cout << "\nStack Underflow" << endl;
        exit(1);
    }
    else
    {
         
        // Top assign into temp
        temp = top;
 
        // Assign second node to top
        top = top->link;
 
        // Destroy connection between
        // first and second
        temp->link = NULL;
 
        // Release memory of top node
        free(temp);
    }
}
 
// Function to print all the
// elements of the stack
void display()
{
    struct Node* temp;
 
    // Check for stack underflow
    if (top == NULL)
    {
        cout << "\nStack Underflow";
        exit(1);
    }
    else
    {
        temp = top;
        while (temp != NULL)
        {
 
            // Print node data
            cout << temp->data << "-> ";
 
            // Assign temp link to temp
            temp = temp->link;
        }
    }
}
 
// Driver Code
int main()
{
     
    // Push the elements of stack
    push(11);
    push(22);
    push(33);
    push(44);
 
    // Display stack elements
    display();
 
    // Print top element of stack
    cout << "\nTop element is "
         << peek() << endl;
 
    // Delete top elements of stack
    pop();
    pop();
 
    // Display stack elements
    display();
 
    // Print top element of stack
    cout << "\nTop element is "
         << peek() << endl;
          
    return 0;
}
 
// This code is contributed by Striver

Java

// Java program to Implement a stack
// using singly linked list
// import package
import static java.lang.System.exit;
 
// Create Stack Using Linked list
class StackUsingLinkedlist {
 
    // A linked list node
    private class Node {
 
        int data; // integer data
        Node link; // reference variable Node type
    }
    // create global top reference variable global
    Node top;
    // Constructor
    StackUsingLinkedlist()
    {
        this.top = null;
    }
 
    // Utility function to add an element x in the stack
    public void push(int x) // insert at the beginning
    {
        // create new node temp and allocate memory
        Node temp = new Node();
 
        // check if stack (heap) is full. Then inserting an
        //  element would lead to stack overflow
        if (temp == null) {
            System.out.print("\nHeap Overflow");
            return;
        }
 
        // initialize data into temp data field
        temp.data = x;
 
        // put top reference into temp link
        temp.link = top;
 
        // update top reference
        top = temp;
    }
 
    // Utility function to check if the stack is empty or not
    public boolean isEmpty()
    {
        return top == null;
    }
 
    // Utility function to return top element in a stack
    public int peek()
    {
        // check for empty stack
        if (!isEmpty()) {
            return top.data;
        }
        else {
            System.out.println("Stack is empty");
            return -1;
        }
    }
 
    // Utility function to pop top element from the stack
    public void pop() // remove at the beginning
    {
        // check for stack underflow
        if (top == null) {
            System.out.print("\nStack Underflow");
            return;
        }
 
        // update the top pointer to point to the next node
        top = (top).link;
    }
 
    public void display()
    {
        // check for stack underflow
        if (top == null) {
            System.out.printf("\nStack Underflow");
            exit(1);
        }
        else {
            Node temp = top;
            while (temp != null) {
 
                // print node data
                System.out.printf("%d->", temp.data);
 
                // assign temp link to temp
                temp = temp.link;
            }
        }
    }
}
// main class
public class GFG {
    public static void main(String[] args)
    {
        // create Object of Implementing class
        StackUsingLinkedlist obj = new StackUsingLinkedlist();
        // insert Stack value
        obj.push(11);
        obj.push(22);
        obj.push(33);
        obj.push(44);
 
        // print Stack elements
        obj.display();
 
        // print Top element of Stack
        System.out.printf("\nTop element is %d\n", obj.peek());
 
        // Delete top element of Stack
        obj.pop();
        obj.pop();
 
        // print Stack elements
        obj.display();
 
        // print Top element of Stack
        System.out.printf("\nTop element is %d\n", obj.peek());
    }
}

Python3

'''Python supports automatic garbage collection so deallocation of memory
is done implicitly. However to force it to deallocate each node after use,
add the following code:
 
    import gc         #added at the start of program
    gc.collect()     #to be added wherever memory is to be deallocated
'''
 
class Node:
     
    # Class to create nodes of linked list
    # constructor initializes node automatically
    def __init__(self,data):
        self.data = data
        self.next = None
     
class Stack:
     
    # head is default NULL
    def __init__(self):
        self.head = None
     
    # Checks if stack is empty
    def isempty(self):
        if self.head == None:
            return True
        else:
            return False
     
    # Method to add data to the stack
    # adds to the start of the stack
    def push(self,data):
         
        if self.head == None:
            self.head=Node(data)
             
        else:
            newnode = Node(data)
            newnode.next = self.head
            self.head = newnode
     
    # Remove element that is the current head (start of the stack)
    def pop(self):
         
        if self.isempty():
            return None
             
        else:
            # Removes the head node and makes
            #the preceeding one the new head
            poppednode = self.head
            self.head = self.head.next
            poppednode.next = None
            return poppednode.data
     
    # Returns the head node data
    def peek(self):
         
        if self.isempty():
            return None
             
        else:
            return self.head.data
     
    # Prints out the stack    
    def display(self):
         
        iternode = self.head
        if self.isempty():
            print("Stack Underflow")
         
        else:
             
            while(iternode != None):
                 
                print(iternode.data,"->",end = " ")
                iternode = iternode.next
            return
         
# Driver code
MyStack = Stack()
 
MyStack.push(11)
MyStack.push(22)
MyStack.push(33)
MyStack.push(44)
 
# Display stack elements
MyStack.display()
 
# Print top element of stack
print("\nTop element is ",MyStack.peek())
 
# Delete top elements of stack
MyStack.pop()
MyStack.pop()
 
# Display stack elements
MyStack.display()
 
# Print top element of stack
print("\nTop element is ", MyStack.peek())
 
# This code is contributed by Mathew George

C#

// C# program to Implement a stack
// using singly linked list
// import package
using System;
 
// Create Stack Using Linked list
public class StackUsingLinkedlist
{
 
    // A linked list node
    private class Node
    {
        // integer data
        public int data;
         
        // reference variable Node type
        public Node link;
    }
     
    // create global top reference variable
    Node top;
     
    // Constructor
    public StackUsingLinkedlist()
    {
        this.top = null;
    }
 
    // Utility function to add
    // an element x in the stack
    // insert at the beginning
    public void push(int x)
    {
        // create new node temp and allocate memory
        Node temp = new Node();
 
        // check if stack (heap) is full.
        // Then inserting an element
        // would lead to stack overflow
        if (temp == null)
        {
            Console.Write("\nHeap Overflow");
            return;
        }
 
        // initialize data into temp data field
        temp.data = x;
 
        // put top reference into temp link
        temp.link = top;
 
        // update top reference
        top = temp;
    }
 
    // Utility function to check if
    // the stack is empty or not
    public bool isEmpty()
    {
        return top == null;
    }
 
    // Utility function to return
    // top element in a stack
    public int peek()
    {
        // check for empty stack
        if (!isEmpty())
        {
            return top.data;
        }
        else
        {
            Console.WriteLine("Stack is empty");
            return -1;
        }
    }
 
    // Utility function to pop top element from the stack
    public void pop() // remove at the beginning
    {
        // check for stack underflow
        if (top == null)
        {
            Console.Write("\nStack Underflow");
            return;
        }
 
        // update the top pointer to
        // point to the next node
        top = (top).link;
    }
 
    public void display()
    {
        // check for stack underflow
        if (top == null)
        {
            Console.Write("\nStack Underflow");
            return;
        }
        else
        {
            Node temp = top;
            while (temp != null)
            {
 
                // print node data
                Console.Write("{0}->", temp.data);
 
                // assign temp link to temp
                temp = temp.link;
            }
        }
    }
}
 
// Driver code
public class GFG
{
    public static void Main(String[] args)
    {
        // create Object of Implementing class
        StackUsingLinkedlist obj = new StackUsingLinkedlist();
         
        // insert Stack value
        obj.push(11);
        obj.push(22);
        obj.push(33);
        obj.push(44);
 
        // print Stack elements
        obj.display();
 
        // print Top element of Stack
        Console.Write("\nTop element is {0}\n", obj.peek());
 
        // Delete top element of Stack
        obj.pop();
        obj.pop();
 
        // print Stack elements
        obj.display();
 
        // print Top element of Stack
        Console.Write("\nTop element is {0}\n", obj.peek());
    }
}
 
// This code is contributed by 29AjayKumar

Javascript

<script>
// Javascript program to Implement a stack
// using singly linked list
// import package
 
// A linked list node
class Node
{
    constructor()
    {
        this.data=0;
        this.link=null;
    }
}
 
// Create Stack Using Linked list
class StackUsingLinkedlist
{
    constructor()
    {
        this.top=null;
    }
     
    // Utility function to add an element x in the stack
    push(x)
    {
        // create new node temp and allocate memory
        let temp = new Node();
  
        // check if stack (heap) is full. Then inserting an
        //  element would lead to stack overflow
        if (temp == null) {
            document.write("<br>Heap Overflow");
            return;
        }
  
        // initialize data into temp data field
        temp.data = x;
  
        // put top reference into temp link
        temp.link = this.top;
  
        // update top reference
        this.top = temp;
    }
     
     // Utility function to check if the stack is empty or not
    isEmpty()
    {
         return this.top == null;
    }
     
    // Utility function to return top element in a stack   
    peek()
    {
        // check for empty stack
        if (!this.isEmpty()) {
            return this.top.data;
        }
        else {
            document.write("Stack is empty<br>");
            return -1;
        }
    }
     
    // Utility function to pop top element from the stack
    pop() // remove at the beginning
    {
        // check for stack underflow
        if (this.top == null) {
            document.write("<br>Stack Underflow");
            return;
        }
  
        // update the top pointer to point to the next node
        this.top = this.top.link;
    }
     
    display()
    {
        // check for stack underflow
        if (this.top == null) {
            document.write("<br>Stack Underflow");
             
        }
        else {
            let temp = this.top;
            while (temp != null) {
  
                // print node data
                document.write(temp.data+"->");
  
                // assign temp link to temp
                temp = temp.link;
            }
        }
    }
}
 
// main class
 
// create Object of Implementing class
let obj = new StackUsingLinkedlist();
// insert Stack value
obj.push(11);
obj.push(22);
obj.push(33);
obj.push(44);
 
// print Stack elements
obj.display();
 
// print Top element of Stack
document.write("<br>Top element is ", obj.peek()+"<br>");
 
// Delete top element of Stack
obj.pop();
obj.pop();
 
// print Stack elements
obj.display();
 
// print Top element of Stack
document.write("<br>Top element is ", obj.peek()+"<br>");
 
// This code is contributed by rag2127
</script>

Output:

44->33->22->11->
Top element is 44
22->11->
Top element is 22

Time Complexity:

The time complexity for all push(), pop(), and peek() operations is O(1) as we are not performing any kind of traversal over the list. We perform all the operations through the current pointer only.

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