append method in linked list c++ - c++

Question

I'm learning data structures and I created a linked list with an append method as follows:
#include<iostream>
class List{
public:
using value_type = double;
using reference = value_type&;
using const_reference = value_type const &;
List()
: head_(nullptr)
, tail_(nullptr)
{}
void append(const_reference data){
Node* node = new Node;
node->data = data;
node->next = nullptr;
if(head_ == nullptr){
head_ = node;
return;
}
if(tail_ == nullptr){
tail_ = node;
head_->next = tail_;
return;
}
tail_->next = node;
Node* temporary = tail_;
tail_ = node;
node = temporary;
}
void print(){
Node* temporary = head_;
while(temporary != nullptr){
std::cout << temporary->data << '-';
temporary = temporary->next;
}
}
struct Node{
value_type data;
Node* next;
};
Node* head_;
Node* tail_;
};
int main(){
List list;
list.append(1);
list.append(2);
list.append(3);
list.append(4);
list.print();
return 0;
}
But then reading how to it, I find something like this:
void Append (Node* head, int data) {
Node* current = head;
while (current->next != nullptr) {
current = current->next;
}
Node* new_node = new Node(data);
current->next = new_node;
}
I'm not an expert buy I don't think that iterate through all nodes, just to append something in the end is efficient, am I wrong?

Answer 1

Your code works. And although implemented a little bit unorthodox, it is even efficient. Because, it uses the tail pointer to directly append an element at the end.
So, good.
The other code snippet that you have shown, is appropriate for a singly linked list without a tail pointer. And yes, this is, for this use case, a little bit more inefficient. But also, such lists have its uses cases, where they perform very well. In the C++ Std Library such a list is called forward_list.
More often the std::list is used. This is a doubly-linked list. You can easily traverse such a list in both directions, which is also its major advantage. It uses a head and tail pointer, but not as you have implemented it. It uses a sentinel, so a special node that is always present and contains, so to say the head and tail pointers.
So, you are using a hybrid, which will only allow for forward traversal, with your optimization with the tail pointer to directly access the last element. But if you want to do something in the middle of the list, then you have to traverse to it forward from the beginning.
So, a node with a next and previous pointer may be more advisable. But this depends on your use case.
For learning purposes I show you a double linked list below. Maybe you can derive some ideas from it.
#include <iterator>
#include <initializer_list>
#include <algorithm>
#include <iostream>
#include <type_traits>
#include <vector>
// ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
// This would be in a header file -----------------------------------------------------------------
// Type trait helper to identify iterators --------------------------------------------------------
template<typename T, typename = void>
struct is_iterator { static constexpr bool value = false; };
template<typename T>
struct is_iterator<T, typename std::enable_if<!std::is_same<typename std::iterator_traits<T>::value_type, void>::value>::type> {
static constexpr bool value = true;
};
// The List class ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
template <typename T>
class List {
// Sub class for a Node -----------
struct Node {
T data{};
Node* next{};
Node* previous{};
Node() {}
Node(Node* const n, Node* const p) : next(n), previous(p) {}
Node(Node* const n, Node* const p, const T& d) : next(n), previous(p), data(d) {}
};
// Private list data and functions --------
Node* head{};
size_t numberOfElements{};
void init() { head = new Node(); head->next = head; head->previous = head; numberOfElements = 0; }
public:
struct iterator; // Forward declaration
// Constructor --------------------
List() { init(); }
explicit List(const size_t count) { init(); insert(begin(), count); }
explicit List(const size_t count, const T& value) { init(); insert(begin(), count, value); };
template <typename Iter>
List(const Iter& first, const Iter& last) { init(); insert(begin(), first, last); }
List(const List& other) { init(), insert(begin(), other.begin(), other.end()); };
List(List&& other) : head(other.head), numberOfElements(other.numberOfElements) { other.init(); }
List(const std::initializer_list<T>& il) { init(); insert(begin(), il.begin(), il.end()); }
template <int N> List(T(&other)[N]) { init(); insert(begin(), std::begin(other), std::end(other)); }
template <int N> List(const T(&other)[N]) { init(); insert(begin(), std::begin(other), std::end(other)); }
// Assignment ---------------------
List& operator =(const List& other) { clear(); insert(begin(), other.begin(), other.end()); return *this; }
List& operator =(List&& other) { clear(); head = other.head; numberOfElements = other.numberOfElements; other.init(); return *this; }
List& operator =(const std::initializer_list<T>& il) { clear(); insert(begin(), il.begin(), il.end()); return *this; }
template <int N> List& operator =(const T(&other)[N]) { clear(); insert(begin(), std::begin(other), std::end(other)); return *this; }
template <int N> List& operator =(T(&other)[N]) { clear(); insert(begin(), std::begin(other), std::end(other)); return *this; }
template <typename Iter> void assign(const Iter& first, const Iter& last) { clear(); insert(begin(), first, last); }
template <int N> void assign(const T(&other)[N]) { clear(); insert(begin(), std::begin(other), std::end(other)); return *this; }
template <int N> void assign(T(&other)[N]) { clear(); insert(begin(), std::begin(other), std::end(other)); return *this; }
void assign(const size_t count, const T& value) { clear(); insert(begin(), count, value); }
void assign(const std::initializer_list<T>& il) { clear(); insert(begin(), il.begin(), il.end()); }
// Destructor ---------------------
~List() { clear(); }
// Element Access -----------------
T& front() { return *begin(); }
T& back() { return *(--end()); }
// Iterators ----------------------
iterator begin() const { return iterator(head->next, head); }
iterator end() const { return iterator(head, head); }
// Capacity -----------------------
size_t size() const { return numberOfElements; }
bool empty() { return size() == 0; }
// Modifiers ----------------------
void clear();
iterator insert(const iterator& insertBeforePosition, const T& value);
iterator insert(const iterator& insertBeforePosition);
template <class Iter, std::enable_if_t<is_iterator<Iter>::value, bool> = true>
iterator insert(const iterator& insertBeforePosition, const Iter& first, const Iter& last);
iterator insert(const iterator& insertBeforePosition, const size_t& count, const T& value);
iterator insert(const iterator& insertBeforePosition, const std::initializer_list<T>& il);
iterator erase(const iterator& posToDelete);
iterator erase(const iterator& first, const iterator& last);
void pop_front() { erase(begin()); };
void push_front(const T& d) { insert(begin(), d); }
void pop_back() { erase(--end()); };
void push_back(const T& d) { insert(end(), d); }
void resize(size_t count, const T& value);
void resize(size_t count);
void swap(List& other) { std::swap(head, other.head); std::swap(numberOfElements, other.numberOfElements); }
// Operations --------------------
void reverse();
// Non standard inefficient functions --------------------------
T& operator[](const size_t index) const { return begin()[index]; }
// ------------------------------------------------------------------------
// Define iterator capability ---------------------------------------------
struct iterator {
// Definitions ----------------
using iterator_category = std::bidirectional_iterator_tag;
using difference_type = std::ptrdiff_t;
using value_type = T;
using pointer = T*;
using reference = T&;
// Data -----------------------
Node* iter{};
Node* head{};
// Constructor ----------------
iterator(Node* const node, Node* const h) : iter(node), head(h) {};
iterator() {};
// Dereferencing --------------
reference operator*() const { return iter->data; }
reference operator->() const { return &**this; }
// Arithmetic operations ------
iterator operator++() { iter = iter->next; return *this; }
iterator operator--() { iter = iter->previous; return *this; }
iterator operator++(int) { iterator tmp = *this; ++* this; return tmp; }
iterator operator--(int) { iterator tmp = *this; --* this; return tmp; }
iterator operator +(const difference_type& n) const {
iterator temp{ *this }; difference_type k{ n }; if (k > 0) while (k--)++temp; else while (k++)--temp; return temp;
}
iterator operator +=(const difference_type& n) {
difference_type k{ n }; if (k > 0) while (k--)++* this; else while (k++)--* this; return *this;
};
iterator operator -(const difference_type& n) const {
iterator temp{ *this }; difference_type k{ n }; if (k > 0) while (k--)--temp; else while (k++)++temp; return temp;
}
iterator operator -=(const difference_type& n) {
difference_type k{ n }; if (k > 0) while (k--)--* this; else while (k++)++* this; return *this;
};
// Comparison ----------------- (typical space ship implementation)
bool operator ==(const iterator& other) const { return iter == other.iter; };
bool operator !=(const iterator& other) const { return iter != other.iter; };
bool operator < (const iterator& other) const { return other.iter - iter < 0; };
bool operator <= (const iterator& other) const { return other.iter - iter <= 0; };
bool operator > (const iterator& other) const { return other.iter - iter > 0; };
bool operator >= (const iterator& other) const { return other.iter - iter >= 0; };
// Special non standard functions -----------------
difference_type operator-(const iterator& other) const;
reference operator[] (const size_t index);
};
};
// ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
// Implementation of list functions. This would normally go into a TCC file -----------------------
// List class functions ---------------
template <typename T>
void List<T>::clear() {
for (Node* nextNode{}, * currentNode(head->next); currentNode != head; currentNode = nextNode) {
nextNode = currentNode->next;
delete currentNode;
}
init();
}
template <typename T>
typename List<T>::iterator List<T>::insert(const List<T>::iterator& insertBeforePosition, const T& value)
{
Node* nodeInsertBeforePosition = insertBeforePosition.iter;
Node* newNode = new Node(nodeInsertBeforePosition, nodeInsertBeforePosition->previous, value);
nodeInsertBeforePosition->previous = newNode;
(newNode->previous)->next = newNode;
++numberOfElements;
return iterator(newNode, head);
}
template <typename T>
typename List<T>::iterator List<T>::insert(const List<T>::iterator& insertBeforePosition)
{
Node* nodeInsertBeforePosition = insertBeforePosition.iter;
Node* newNode = new Node(nodeInsertBeforePosition, nodeInsertBeforePosition->previous);
nodeInsertBeforePosition->previous = newNode;
(newNode->previous)->next = newNode;
++numberOfElements;
return iterator(newNode, head);
}
template <typename T>
template <class Iter, std::enable_if_t<is_iterator<Iter>::value, bool>>
typename List<T>::iterator List<T>::insert(const List<T>::iterator& insertBeforePosition, const Iter& first, const Iter& last) {
iterator result(insertBeforePosition.iter, head);
if (first != last) {
result = insert(insertBeforePosition, *first);
Iter i(first);
for (++i; i != last; ++i)
insert(insertBeforePosition, *i);
}
return result;
}
template <typename T>
typename List<T>::iterator List<T>::insert(const List<T>::iterator& insertBeforePosition, const size_t& count, const T& value) {
iterator result(insertBeforePosition.iter, head);
if (count != 0u) {
result = insert(insertBeforePosition, value);
for (size_t i{ 1u }; i < count; ++i)
insert(insertBeforePosition, value);
}
return result;
}
template <typename T>
typename List<T>::iterator List<T>::insert(const List<T>::iterator& insertBeforePosition, const std::initializer_list<T>& il) {
return insert(insertBeforePosition, il.begin(), il.end());
}
template <typename T>
typename List<T>::iterator List<T>::erase(const List<T>::iterator& posToDelete) {
iterator result = posToDelete;
++result;
Node* nodeToDelete = posToDelete.iter;
if (nodeToDelete != head) {
nodeToDelete->previous->next = nodeToDelete->next;
nodeToDelete->next->previous = nodeToDelete->previous;
delete nodeToDelete;
--numberOfElements;
}
return result;
}
template <typename T>
typename List<T>::iterator List<T>::erase(const List<T>::iterator& first, const List<T>::iterator& last) {
iterator result{ end() };
if (first == begin() && last == end())
clear();
else {
while (first != last)
first = erase(first);
result = last;
}
return result;
}
template <typename T>
void List<T>::resize(size_t count) {
if (numberOfElements < count)
for (size_t i{ numberOfElements }; i < count; ++i)
insert(end());
else
while (count--)
pop_back();
}
template <typename T>
void List<T>::resize(size_t count, const T& value) {
if (numberOfElements < count)
for (size_t i{ numberOfElements }; i < count; ++i)
insert(end(), value);
else
while (count--)
pop_back();
}
template <typename T>
void List<T>::reverse() {
const Node* oldHead = head;
for (Node* nptr = head; ; nptr = nptr->previous) {
std::swap(nptr->next, nptr->previous);
if (nptr->previous == oldHead) // Previous was the original next
break;
}
}
// ------------------------------------
// Iterator functions -----------------
template <typename T>
typename List<T>::iterator::difference_type List<T>::iterator::operator-(const iterator& other) const {
difference_type result{};
Node* nptr = head;
int indexThis{ -1 }, indexOther{ -1 }, index{};
do {
nptr = nptr->next;
if (nptr == iter)
indexThis = index;
if (nptr == other.iter)
indexOther = index;
++index;
} while (nptr != head);
if (indexThis >= 0 and indexOther >= 0)
result = indexThis - indexOther;
return result;
}
template <typename T>
typename List<T>::iterator::reference List<T>::iterator::operator[] (const size_t index) {
Node* nptr = head->next;
for (size_t i{}; i < index and nptr != head; ++i, nptr = nptr->next)
;
return nptr->data;
}
// ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
// This would be in a cpp file --------------------------------------------------------------------
int main() {
List<int> list3{ 10,20 };
List<int>::iterator l3 = list3.end();
for (int k = 0; k < 10; ++k) {
std::cout << *l3 << ' ';
--l3;
}
std::cout << '\n';
// Custom list
List<int> list2{ 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 };
for (int i : list2)
std::cout << i << ' '; std::cout << '\n';
// Delta works
std::cout << list2.begin() - list2.end() << '\n';
std::cout << list2.end() - list2.begin() << '\n';
// Hopp Count works
List<int>::iterator i = list2.end();
while (i-- != list2.begin())
std::cout << *i << ' '; std::cout << '\n';
}