Re: Linked Lists part 2

["James Munro" <jimmn@xnet.com>]

>He then said that the following segment creates a dynamic linked list with
>the values
>12.8
>45.2
>70.1
>
>head=new nodeType; // Huh?

You're creating the the first element which is a pointer to the entire list.
This is how you will refer to the link list in future.

>head->component=12.8; // Isn't this just *head.component=12.8;

Basically, but since head is a pointer you can use the -> operator.  I'm not
sure if you can do it the other way or not.

>newNodePtr=new nodeType; // Again Huh?
get the first element in the link list.  Head points to here.  An empty list
is just a head that doesn't point anywhere, anytime you add an element you
have to dynamically create the next element so it can resize and hold your
item.

>newNodePtr->component=45.2;
>head->link=newNodePtr; // Is this referring the link on??

Yep. Referring it to the next element
>newNodePtr=new nodeType; // Why again??
>newNodePtr->component=70.1; // Okay

Same as above.
>currPtr->link=newNodePtr; // Huh, where did currPtr come into things

I assume currPtr is defined in the .h file as some pointer to node.  If not,
it appears to declare the next node in the list (?).
>newNodePtr->link=NULL; // Okay, help

Setting the last node's link to the next link to NULL or 0 which will
signify the end of the list so when you traverse it in some loop you have an
exit condition (eg do until node->link != NULL)

>currPtr=newNodePtr; // Lost again
Again I'm not sure if I have everything here, not sure.

I'm fairly new to the LList myself but I figured I'd take a stab at the few
parts I am familiar with.  Hopefully I'm not too far off with this.  If I am
someone will surely tell me. ;)

You might want to get a basic C++ book to make this easier on you.  There
are many examples of linked lists on the 'net and a book on data structures
would probably go into exhaustive detail on the subject.

Good luck,

Jim

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