Moving first item in linked list to end C++ - c++

Question

I need to move the first item in a linked list to the end of the list. My problem is I'm going in to an infinite loop. When I remove the cause for the infinite loop (tail -> link != NULL; in the for loop), I get a seg fault. So, looking for ideas on how to get this code to work.
#include <iostream>
#include <string>
using namespace std;
struct Node
{
string data;
Node *link;
};
class Lilist
{
public:
Lilist() {head = NULL;}
void add(string item);
void show();
void move_front_to_back();
Node* search(string target);
private:
Node *head;
};
int main()
{
Lilist L1, L2;
string target;
L1.add("Charlie"); //add puts a name at the end of the list
L1.add("Lisa");
L1.add("Drew");
L1.add("Derrick");
L1.add("AJ");
L1.add("Bojian");
cout << "Now showing list One:\n";
L1.show(); // displays the list (This function displayed the list properly)
cout << "\n";
L1.move_front_to_back();
L1.move_front_to_back();
L1.show();
cout << "\n";
return(0);
}
void Lilist::add(string item)
{
Node *temp;
if(head == NULL)
{
head = new Node;
head -> data = item;
head -> link = NULL;
}
else
{
for(temp = head; temp -> link != NULL; temp = temp -> link)
;
temp -> link = new Node;
temp = temp -> link;
temp -> data = item;
temp -> link = NULL;
}
}
void Lilist::show()
{
for(Node *temp = head; temp != NULL; temp = temp -> link)
std::cout << temp -> data << " ";
}
void Lilist::move_front_to_back()
{
Node *temp;
Node *tail;
temp = head;
for(tail = head; tail != NULL; tail = tail -> link)
;
head = head -> link;
tail -> link = temp;
temp -> link = NULL;
}

Answer 1

The problem is in how you compute tail. Notice this (unrelated lines omitted for brevity):
for(tail = head; tail != NULL; tail = tail -> link)
;
tail -> link = temp;
Notice that the for loop will only terminate once tail is NULL. Then, you dereference tail ... which is null.
So change the for loop condition:
for (tail = head; tail->link != NULL; tail = tail->link)
;
This will find the last element in the list, instead of flowing off the end.
[Live example]

Answer 2

Angew already explained why your original code was failing. I would suggest an alternative approach - give Lilist a tail member that is managed alongside its head member. Then you don't have to hunt for the tail whenever you need it, you always know exactly which Node is the current tail, eg:
#include <iostream>
#include <string>
using namespace std;
struct Node
{
string data;
Node *next;
Node(string s);
};
class Lilist
{
public:
Lilist();
~Lilist();
void add(string item);
void show();
void move_front_to_back();
Node* search(string target);
private:
Node *head;
Node *tail;
};
Node::Node(string s)
: data(s), next(NULL)
{
}
Lilist::Lilist()
: head(NULL), tail(NULL)
{
}
Lilist::~Lilist()
{
for(Node *temp = head; temp != NULL; temp = temp->next)
delete temp;
}
void Lilist::add(string item)
{
Node *temp = new Node(item);
if (head == NULL)
head = temp;
if (tail != NULL)
tail->next = temp;
tail = temp;
}
void Lilist::show()
{
for(Node *temp = head; temp != NULL; temp = temp->next)
cout << temp->data << " ";
}
void Lilist::move_front_to_back()
{
if (head == tail)
return;
Node *temp = head;
head = temp->next;
temp->next = NULL;
tail->next = temp;
tail = temp;
}
Node* Lilist::search(string target)
{
for(Node *temp = head; temp != NULL; temp = temp->next)
{
if (temp->data == target)
return temp;
}
return NULL;
}