Segmentation fault in Linked List code, deletion part - c++

Question

I am trying to code for insertion and deletion in linked list.
Here is my code for basic insertion and deletion of nodes in a singly linked list.
There are no errors in the code, but the output on the terminal shows segmentation fault. Can someone explain why am I getting a segmentation fault? And what changes do i make to remove the fault.
I believe the segmentation fault is in the deletion part. Please help.
// class is a type of user defined datatype
class Node {
public:
int data;
Node* next;
//constructor
Node(int data) {
this -> data = data;
this -> next = NULL;
}
// destructor
~Node() {
int value = this -> data;
//memory free krr rhe hain
if(this -> next != NULL){
delete next;
this -> next = NULL;
}
cout << "memory is free for node with data" << value << endl;
}
};
void insertAtHead(Node* &head, int data) {
// creating new node called temp of type Node
Node* temp = new Node(data);
temp -> next = head;
head = temp;
}
void insertAtTail(Node* &head, Node* &tail, int data) {
// //New node create
// Node* temp = new Node(data);
// tail -> next = temp;
// tail = temp;
Node* temp = new Node(data);
if (head == nullptr) { // If this is the first node of the list
head = temp;
} else { // Only when there is already a tail node
tail -> next = temp;
}
tail = temp;
}
void insertAtPosition(Node* &tail, Node* &head, int position, int data) {
// Insert at starting
if(position == 1) {
insertAtHead(head, data);
return;
}
// Code for inserting in middle
Node* temp = head;
int cnt = 1;
while(cnt < position-1) {
temp = temp -> next;
cnt++;
}
// Creating a node for data
Node* nodeToInsert = new Node(data);
nodeToInsert -> next = temp -> next;
temp -> next = nodeToInsert;
// Inserting at last position (tail)
if(temp -> next == NULL) {
insertAtTail(head,tail, data);
return;
}
}
void deleteNode(int position, Node* &head) {
//deleting first or starting node
if(position == 1) {
Node* temp = head;
head = head -> next;
//memory free start node
temp -> next = NULL;
delete temp;
} else {
// deleting any middle node
Node* curr = head;
Node* prev = NULL;
int cnt = 1;
while(cnt <= position) {
prev = curr;
curr = curr -> next;
cnt++;
}
prev -> next = curr -> next;
curr -> next = NULL;
delete curr;
}
}
void print(Node* &head) {
Node* temp = head;
while(temp != NULL) {
cout << temp -> data << " ";
temp = temp -> next;
}
cout << endl;
}
int main() {
Node* head = nullptr; // A list has a head
Node* tail = head; // a tail.
insertAtHead(head, 10); // pass the head
insertAtTail(head, tail, 20);
insertAtTail(head, tail, 30);
insertAtHead(head, 5);
print(head); // Print the whole list
cout << "head" << head -> data << endl;
cout << "tail" << tail -> data << endl;
deleteNode(1, head);
print(head);
}

Answer 1

The problem is not with the delete function since even commenting it out leads to segmentation fault.
The problem is that you are initializing tail = head which is set to nullptr at the start. However, when you insertAtHead, you set the value of head but leave the tail to nullptr. You need to do tail = head when adding the first node (when head == nullptr).
Refer below for working code:
// Online C++ compiler to run C++ program online
#include <iostream>
using namespace std;
// class is a type of user defined datatype
class Node {
public:
int data;
Node* next;
//constructor
Node(int data) {
this -> data = data;
this -> next = NULL;
}
// destructor
~Node() {
int value = this -> data;
//memory free krr rhe hain
if(this -> next != NULL){
delete next;
this -> next = NULL;
}
cout << "memory is free for node with data" << value << endl;
}
};
void insertAtHead(Node* &head,Node* &tail, int data) {
// creating new node called temp of type Node
Node* temp = new Node(data);
temp -> next = head;
if (head == nullptr)
tail = temp; //inializing tail
head = temp;
}
void insertAtTail(Node* &head, Node* &tail, int data) {
// //New node create
// Node* temp = new Node(data);
// tail -> next = temp;
// tail = temp;
Node* temp = new Node(data);
if (head == nullptr) { // If this is the first node of the list
head = temp;
} else { // Only when there is already a tail node
tail -> next = temp;
}
tail = temp;
}
void insertAtPosition(Node* &tail, Node* &head, int position, int data) {
// Insert at starting
if(position == 1) {
insertAtHead(head,tail, data);
return;
}
// Code for inserting in middle
Node* temp = head;
int cnt = 1;
while(cnt < position-1) {
temp = temp -> next;
cnt++;
}
// Creating a node for data
Node* nodeToInsert = new Node(data);
nodeToInsert -> next = temp -> next;
temp -> next = nodeToInsert;
// Inserting at last position (tail)
if(temp -> next == NULL) {
insertAtTail(head,tail, data);
return;
}
}
void deleteNode(int position, Node* &head) {
//deleting first or starting node
if(position == 1) {
Node* temp = head;
head = head -> next;
//memory free start node
temp -> next = NULL;
delete temp;
} else {
// deleting any middle node
Node* curr = head;
Node* prev = NULL;
int cnt = 1;
while(cnt <= position) {
prev = curr;
curr = curr -> next;
cnt++;
}
prev -> next = curr -> next;
curr -> next = NULL;
delete curr;
}
}
void print(Node* &head) {
Node* temp = head;
while(temp != NULL) {
cout << temp -> data << " ";
temp = temp -> next;
}
cout << endl;
}
int main() {
Node* head = nullptr; // A list has a head
Node* tail = head; // a tail.
insertAtHead(head,tail, 10); // pass the head
insertAtTail(head, tail, 20);
insertAtTail(head, tail, 30);
insertAtHead(head,tail, 5);
print(head); // Print the whole list
cout << "head" << head -> data << endl;
cout << "tail" << tail -> data << endl;
deleteNode(1, head);
print(head);
}

Answer 2

The segfault is actually in the function insertAtTail(), and is because, while you handle the case where head is a null pointer, you do not handle the case where there is a head node but no tail node. The following code fixes this issue:
void insertAtTail(Node* &head, Node* &tail, int data) {
// //New node create
Node* temp = new Node(data);
if (head == nullptr) { // If this is the first node of the list
head = temp;
} else if (tail == nullptr) { // if there's a head but no tail
head -> next = temp;
} else { // Only when there is already a tail node
tail -> next = temp;
}
tail = temp;
}

Answer 3

If you have a look at this part of your code:
int main()
{
Node* head = nullptr; // A list has a head
Node* tail = head; // a tail.
insertAtHead(head, 10); // pass the head
insertAtTail(head, tail, 20);
return 0;
}
tail is a nullptr as you pass it into insertAtTail(head, tail, 20);
Then in insertAtTail you are going to access this nullptr:
void insertAtTail(Node* &head, Node* &tail, int data) {
// //New node create
// Node* temp = new Node(data);
// tail -> next = temp;
// tail = temp;
Node* temp = new Node(data);
if (head == nullptr) {
head = temp;
} else {
// here you have nullptr access resulting in your segmentation fault
tail -> next = temp;
}
tail = temp;
}