How to create linked list?

A linked list is a dynamic data structure that consists of nodes. Each node contains two fields: one for storing data and the other for storing the address of the next node in the list.

Here’s how you can create a linked list:

Step 1: Define the Node Structure

First, we need to define the structure of a node in the linked list. Each node will contain some data and a pointer to the next node.

C++
struct Node {
    int data; // The data stored in the node
    Node* next; // Pointer to the next node
};
Java
class Node {
    int data; // The data stored in the node
    Node next; // Pointer to the next node
}
Python
class Node:
    def __init__(self, data):
        self.data = data  # The data stored in the node
        self.next = None   # Pointer to the next node
JavaScript
class Node {
    constructor(data) {
        this.data = data;  // The data stored in the node
        this.next = null;  // Pointer to the next node
    }
}

Step 2: Initialize the Head of the List

The head of the list is the first node in the list. Initially, the list is empty, so the head is a null pointer.

C++
Node* head = nullptr;
Java
Node head = null;
Python
head = None
JavaScript
let head = null;

Step 3: Create New Nodes

To add elements to the list, we create new nodes. Each new node should be dynamically allocated using the new keyword.

C++
Node* newNode = new Node();
Java
Node newNode = new Node();
Python
newNode = Node()
JavaScript
let newNode = new Node();


After creating a new node, we can set the data field and initialize the next pointer to null.

C++
newNode->data = 1; // Replace 1 with the actual data
newNode->next = nullptr;
Java
newNode.data = 1; // Replace 1 with the actual data
newNode.next = null;
Python
newNode.data = 1  # Replace 1 with the actual data
newNode.next = None
JavaScript
newNode.data = 1;  // Replace 1 with the actual data
newNode.next = null;

Step 4: Link the Nodes

If the list is not empty, we need to traverse the list to find the last node and update its next pointer.

C++
if (head == nullptr) {
    // The list is empty, so the new node is the head of the list
    head = newNode;
} else {
    // The list is not empty, traverse the list to find the last node
    Node* temp = head;
    while (temp->next != nullptr) {
        temp = temp->next;
    }
    // Now temp points to the last node, link the new node
    temp->next = newNode;
}
Java
if (head == null) {
    // The list is empty, so the new node is the head of the list
    head = newNode;
} else {
    // The list is not empty, traverse the list to find the last node
    Node temp = head;
    while (temp.next != null) {
        temp = temp.next;
    }
    // Now temp points to the last node, link the new node
    temp.next = newNode;
}
Python
if head is None:
    # The list is empty, so the new node is the head of the list
    head = newNode
else:
    # The list is not empty, traverse the list to find the last node
    temp = head
    while temp.next is not None:
        temp = temp.next
    # Now temp points to the last node, link the new node
    temp.next = newNode
#this code ios cpntributed by MOnu.
JavaScript
if (head === null) {
    // The list is empty, so the new node is the head of the list
    head = newNode;
} else {
    // The list is not empty, traverse the list to find the last node
    let temp = head;
    while (temp.next !== null) {
        temp = temp.next;
    }
    // Now temp points to the last node, link the new node
    temp.next = newNode;
}

How to create linked list?

In this article, we will explore the process of creating a linked list. A linked list consists of nodes, each containing data and a reference to the next node. We will walk through the steps of defining the node structure, initializing the head of the list, creating new nodes, and linking these nodes to form the list. By the end of this article, you will have a clear understanding of how to implement a linked list.

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LinkedList Structure

A LinkedList is a linear data structure where each element is a separate object called a node. Each node contains two fields: one for data and one for the reference to the next node. The first node is called the head. If the LinkedList is empty, the head is a null reference....

How to create linked list?

A linked list is a dynamic data structure that consists of nodes. Each node contains two fields: one for storing data and the other for storing the address of the next node in the list....

Complete Implemenatation LinkedList:

C++ #include using namespace std; // Define the Node structure struct Node { int data; // The data stored in the node Node* next; // Pointer to the next node }; int main() { // Initialize the head of the list Node* head = nullptr; // Create new nodes and add them to the list for (int i = 1; i <= 5; i++) { Node* newNode = new Node(); newNode->data = i; // Replace i with the actual data newNode->next = nullptr; // Link the nodes if (head == nullptr) { // The list is empty, so the new node is the // head of the list head = newNode; } else { // The list is not empty, traverse the list to // find the last node Node* temp = head; while (temp->next != nullptr) { temp = temp->next; } // Now temp points to the last node, link the // new node temp->next = newNode; } } // Print the list Node* temp = head; while (temp != nullptr) { cout << temp->data << " "; temp = temp->next; } cout << endl; // Free up the memory while (head != nullptr) { Node* temp = head; head = head->next; delete temp; } return 0; } Java // Import necessary libraries import java.util.*; // Define the Node class class Node { int data; // The data stored in the node Node next; // Reference to the next node // Node constructor public Node(int data) { this.data = data; this.next = null; } } public class Main { public static void main(String[] args) { // Initialize the head of the list Node head = null; // Create new nodes and add them to the list for (int i = 1; i <= 5; i++) { Node newNode = new Node(i); // Replace i with the actual data // Link the nodes if (head == null) { // The list is empty, so the new node is the // head of the list head = newNode; } else { // The list is not empty, traverse the list to // find the last node Node temp = head; while (temp.next != null) { temp = temp.next; } // Now temp points to the last node, link the // new node temp.next = newNode; } } // Print the list Node temp = head; while (temp != null) { System.out.print(temp.data + " "); temp = temp.next; } System.out.println(); // No explicit memory deallocation is needed in Java // The Java Garbage Collector will automatically free up the memory } } Python # Define the Node class class Node: def __init__(self, data=None): self.data = data # The data stored in the node self.next = None # Pointer to the next node # Initialize the head of the list head = None # Create new nodes and add them to the list for i in range(1, 6): new_node = Node(i) # Replace i with the actual data # Link the nodes if head is None: # The list is empty, so the new node is the # head of the list head = new_node else: # The list is not empty, traverse the list to # find the last node temp = head while temp.next is not None: temp = temp.next # Now temp points to the last node, link the # new node temp.next = new_node # Print the list temp = head while temp is not None: print(temp.data, end=" ") temp = temp.next print() JavaScript // Define the Node class class Node { constructor(data) { this.data = data; // The data stored in the node this.next = null; // Pointer to the next node } } // Main function function main() { // Initialize the head of the list let head = null; // Create new nodes and add them to the list for (let i = 1; i <= 5; i++) { let newNode = new Node(i); // Replace i with the actual data // Link the nodes if (head === null) { // The list is empty, so the new node is the head of the list head = newNode; } else { // The list is not empty, traverse the list to find the last node let temp = head; while (temp.next !== null) { temp = temp.next; } // Now temp points to the last node, link the new node temp.next = newNode; } } // Print the list let temp = head; let listStr = ""; while (temp !== null) { listStr += temp.data + " "; temp = temp.next; } console.log(listStr.trim()); // Free up the memory while (head !== null) { let temp = head; head = head.next; temp = null; } } // Call the main function main();...

Conclusion

Creating a LinkedList involves several steps: defining the Node structure, initializing the LinkedList, and implementing methods to add and traverse nodes. While the implementation can vary depending on the programming language, the fundamental concepts remain the same. Understanding these steps is crucial for anyone learning data structures and algorithms....