Link List

Link List

A linked list is consists of a sequence of data records such that in each record there is a field that contains a reference (i.e., a link) to the next record in the sequence. the linked list is a useful data structure that can dynamically grow according to data storage requirements. This is done by viewing data as consisting of a unit of data and a link to more units of data. Linked list is useful in the implementation of dynamic arrays, stack, strings and sets. The link list is the basic ADT in some languages. Linked lists are most useful in environments with dynamic memory allocation.with dynamic memory allocation dynamic arrays can grow an shrink with less cost than in a static memory allocation environment. Linked lists are also useful to manage dynamic memory environments. Dramatically a linear linked list can be viewed as in Fig. Each data element has an associated link to the next item in the list. The last item in the list has no link. The first element of the list is called the head;the last element is called the tail. In circular linked list the last node of a list contains a reference to the first node of the list. These lists are also called circular lists.