Singly-Linked Lists

© 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Data Structures and Algorithms Using Python, by Rance D. Necaise. Modifications by Nathan Sprague
 Linked Structure

Constructed using a collection of objects called
nodes.

Each node contains data and at least one
reference or link to another node.

Linked list – a linked structure in which the nodes
are linked together in linear order.

© 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Data Structures and Algorithms Using Python, by Rance D. Necaise. Linked Structures – 2
 Linked List

Terms:

head – first node in the list.

tail – last node in the list; link field has a null
reference.

self._

© 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Data Structures and Algorithms Using Python, by Rance D. Necaise. Linked Structures – 3
 Linked List

Most nodes have no name; they are referenced
via the link of the preceding node.

head reference – the first node must be named or
referenced by an external variable.

Provides an entry point into the linked list.

An empty list is indicated by a null head reference.
self._

© 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Data Structures and Algorithms Using Python, by Rance D. Necaise. Linked Structures – 4
 Singly Linked List

A linked list in which

each node contains a single link field and

allows for a complete linear order traversal from
front to back.

self._

© 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Data Structures and Algorithms Using Python, by Rance D. Necaise. Linked Structures – 5
 Node Definition

The nodes are constructed from a simple storage
class:
class ListNode:
def __init__(self, data, next_node):
self.data = data
self.next = next_node

© 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Data Structures and Algorithms Using Python, by Rance D. Necaise. Linked Structures – 6
 Prepending Nodes


Example: add value 96 to the sample list.

self._

© 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Data Structures and Algorithms Using Python, by Rance D. Necaise. Linked Structures – 7
 Prepending Nodes

Create a new node for the new item.
new_node self._


Connect the new node to the list.
new_node self._

© 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Data Structures and Algorithms Using Python, by Rance D. Necaise. Linked Structures – 8
 Prepending Nodes

The resulting list.
self._


Python code
# Given the head reference and the new item.
new_node = ListNode( new_item, self._head )
self._head = new_node

© 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Data Structures and Algorithms Using Python, by Rance D. Necaise. Linked Structures – 9
 Removing The First Node


The head reference must be reposition to
reference the next node in the list.

self._

© 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Data Structures and Algorithms Using Python, by Rance D. Necaise. Linked Structures – 10
 Linked Stack...

© 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Data Structures and Algorithms Using Python, by Rance D. Necaise. Linked Structures – 11
 Using a Tail Reference

Some applications require items be appended to
the end of the linked list.

tail reference – a second external reference
indicating the tail or last node in the list.

self._ self._

© 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Data Structures and Algorithms Using Python, by Rance D. Necaise. Linked Structures – 12
 Appending Nodes

Example: append 21 to the list.

self._ self._ new_node

self._ self._

© 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Data Structures and Algorithms Using Python, by Rance D. Necaise. Linked Structures – 13
 Appending Nodes

Given the head and tail reference, we can add an
item to a linked list.
new_node = ListNode(item, None)
if self._head is None: # list is empty
self._head = new_node
else :
self._tail.next = new_node
self._tail = new_node

© 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Data Structures and Algorithms Using Python, by Rance D. Necaise. Linked Structures – 14
 Linked Queue...

© 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Data Structures and Algorithms Using Python, by Rance D. Necaise. Linked Structures – 15
 Traversing the Nodes

We can traverse the nodes using a temporary
external reference variable.
self._


Initialize a temporary reference to the head node.
self._ cur_node


Visit the node.

© 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Data Structures and Algorithms Using Python, by Rance D. Necaise. Linked Structures – 16
 Traversing the Nodes

Advance the temporary reference to the next node
using the link field and visit that node.
self._ cur_node

© 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Data Structures and Algorithms Using Python, by Rance D. Necaise. Linked Structures – 17
 Traversing the Nodes

Repeat the process until the reference falls off the
end of the list.
self._ cur_node

self._ cur_node

© 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Data Structures and Algorithms Using Python, by Rance D. Necaise. Linked Structures – 18
 Traversing the Nodes

Repeat the process until the reference falls off the
end of the list.
self._ cur_node

self._ cur_node

© 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Data Structures and Algorithms Using Python, by Rance D. Necaise. Linked Structures – 19
 Traversal Code

Given the head reference, we can traverse the
nodes.

def print_list(self):
cur_node = self._head
while cur_node is not None :
print(cur_node.data)
cur_node = cur_node.next

© 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Data Structures and Algorithms Using Python, by Rance D. Necaise. Linked Structures – 20