Linked List

What is Linked List?

When we want to work with an unknown number of data values, we use a linked list data structure to organize

that data. The linked list is a linear data structure that contains a sequence of elements such that each element

links to its next element in the sequence. Each element in a linked list is called "Node".

What is Single or Singly Linked List (SLL)?

Simply a list is a sequence of data, and the linked list is a sequence of data linked with each other.

The formal definition of a single linked list is as follows...

Single linked list is a sequence of elements in which every element has link to its next element in the

sequence.

 In any single linked list, the individual element is called as "Node".

 Every "Node" contains two fields, data field, and the next field.
 The data field is used to store actual value of the node and next field is used to store the address of next
node in the sequence.

The graphical representation of a node in a single linked list is as follows...

Important Points to be remembered

 In a single linked list, the address of the first node is always stored in a reference node known as "front"
(Sometimes it is also known as "head" or “start”).

 Always next part (reference part) of the last node must be NULL.
Example

Operations on Single Linked List

The following operations are performed on a Single Linked List

 Insertion
 Deletion
 Display

Before we implement actual operations, first we need to set up an empty list. First, perform the following steps
before implementing actual operations.

 Step 1 - Include all the header files which are used in the program.
 Step 2 - Declare all the user defined functions.
 Step 3 - Define a Node structure with two members data and next
 Step 4 - Define a Node pointer 'head' and set it to NULL.
 Step 5 - Implement the main method by displaying operations menu and make suitable function calls in
the main method to perform user selected operation.

Insertion
In a single linked list, the insertion operation can be performed in three ways. They are as follows...

1. Inserting At Beginning of the list

2. Inserting At End of the list
3. Inserting At Specific location in the list

Inserting At Beginning of the list

We can use the following steps to insert a new node at beginning of the single linked list...

 Step 1 - Create a newNode with given value.

 Step 2 - Check whether list is Empty (head == NULL)
 Step 3 - If it is Empty then, set newNode→next = NULL and head = newNode.
 Step 4 - If it is Not Empty then, set newNode→next = head and head = newNode.

Inserting At End of the list

We can use the following steps to insert a new node at end of the single linked list...

 Step 1 - Create a newNode with given value and newNode → next as NULL.
 Step 2 - Check whether list is Empty (head == NULL).
 Step 3 - If it is Empty then, set head = newNode.
 Step 4 - If it is Not Empty then, define a node pointer temp and initialize with head.
 Step 5 - Keep moving the temp to its next node until it reaches to the last node in the list (until temp →
next is equal to NULL).
 Step 6 - Set temp → next = newNode.
Inserting At Specific location in the list (After a Node)
We can use the following steps to insert a new node after a node in the single linked list...

 Step 1 - Create a newNode with given value.

 Step 2 - Check whether list is Empty (head == NULL)
 Step 3 - If it is Empty then, set newNode → next = NULL and head = newNode.
 Step 4 - If it is Not Empty then, define a node pointer temp and initialize with head.
 Step 5 - Keep moving the temp to its next node until it reaches to the node after which we want to insert
the newNode (until temp1 → data is equal to location, here location is the node value after which we
want to insert the newNode).
 Step 6 - Every time check whether temp is reached to last node or not. If it is reached to last node then
display 'Given node is not found in the list!!! Insertion not possible!!!' and terminate the function.
Otherwise move the temp to next node.
 Step 7 - Finally, Set 'newNode → next = temp → next' and 'temp → next = newNode'

Deletion
In a single linked list, the deletion operation can be performed in three ways. They are as follows...

1. Deleting from Beginning of the list

2. Deleting from End of the list
3. Deleting a Specific Node

Deleting from Beginning of the list

We can use the following steps to delete a node from beginning of the single linked list...

 Step 1 - Check whether list is Empty (head == NULL)

 Step 2 - If it is Empty then, display 'List is Empty!!! Deletion is not possible' and terminate the
function.
 Step 3 - If it is Not Empty then, define a Node pointer 'temp' and initialize with head.
 Step 4 - Check whether list is having only one node (temp → next == NULL)
 Step 5 - If it is TRUE then set head = NULL and delete temp (Setting Empty list conditions)
 Step 6 - If it is FALSE then set head = temp → next, and delete temp.

Deleting from End of the list

We can use the following steps to delete a node from end of the single linked list...

 Step 1 - Check whether list is Empty (head == NULL)

 Step 2 - If it is Empty then, display 'List is Empty!!! Deletion is not possible' and terminate the
function.
 Step 3 - If it is Not Empty then, define two Node pointers 'temp1' and 'temp2' and initialize 'temp1'
with head.
 Step 4 - Check whether list has only one Node (temp1 → next == NULL)
 Step 5 - If it is TRUE. Then, set head = NULL and delete temp1. And terminate the function.
(Setting Empty list condition)
 Step 6 - If it is FALSE. Then, set 'temp2 = temp1 ' and move temp1 to its next node. Repeat the same
until it reaches to the last node in the list. (until temp1 → next == NULL)
 Step 7 - Finally, Set temp2 → next = NULL and delete temp1.

Deleting a Specific Node from the list

We can use the following steps to delete a specific node from the single linked list...

 Step 1 - Check whether list is Empty (head == NULL)

 Step 2 - If it is Empty then, display 'List is Empty!!! Deletion is not possible' and terminate the
function.
  Step 3 - If it is Not Empty then, define two Node pointers 'temp1' and 'temp2' and initialize 'temp1'
with head.
 Step 4 - Keep moving the temp1 until it reaches to the exact node to be deleted or to the last node. And
every time set 'temp2 = temp1' before moving the 'temp1' to its next node.
 Step 5 - If it is reached to the last node then display 'Given node not found in the list! Deletion not
possible!!!'. And terminate the function.
 Step 6 - If it is reached to the exact node which we want to delete, then check whether list is having only
one node or not
 Step 7 - If list has only one node and that is the node to be deleted, then set head = NULL and
delete temp1 (free(temp1)).
 Step 8 - If list contains multiple nodes, then check whether temp1 is the first node in the list (temp1 ==
head).
 Step 9 - If temp1 is the first node then move the head to the next node (head = head → next) and
delete temp1.
 Step 10 - If temp1 is not first node then check whether it is last node in the list (temp1 → next ==
NULL).
 Step 11 - If temp1 is last node then set temp2 → next = NULL and delete temp1 (free(temp1)).
 Step 12 - If temp1 is not first node and not last node then set temp2 → next = temp1 → next and
delete temp1 (free(temp1)).

Displaying OR Traversing a Single Linked List

We can use the following steps to display the elements of a single linked list...

 Step 1 - Check whether list is Empty (head == NULL)

 Step 2 - If it is Empty then, display 'List is Empty!!!' and terminate the function.
 Step 3 - If it is Not Empty then, define a Node pointer 'temp' and initialize with head.
 Step 4 - Keep displaying temp → data with an arrow (--->) until temp reaches to the last node
 Step 5 - Finally display temp → data with arrow pointing to NULL (temp → data ---> NULL).

Implementation of Single Linked List using C Programming

#include<stdio.h>
#include<conio.h>
#include<stdlib.h>
//FUNCTION PROTOTYPES OR FUNCTION DECLARATION
void insertAtBeginning(int);
void insertAtEnd(int);
void insertBetween(int,int);
void display();
void removeBeginning();
void removeEnd();
void removeSpecific(int);

struct Node
{
int data;
struct Node *next;
}
*head = NULL;
void main()
{

int choice,value,choice1,no;
clrscr();
while(1){
mainMenu:
printf("\n\n****** MENU ******\n1. Insert\n2. Display\n3. Delete\n4. Exit\nEnter your
choice: ");
scanf("%d",&choice);
switch(choice)
{
case 1: printf("Enter the value to be insert: ");
scanf("%d",&value);
while(1){
printf("Where you want to insert: \n1. At Beginning\n2. At End\n3. Between\
nEnter your choice: ");
scanf("%d",&choice1);
switch(choice1)
{
case 1: insertAtBeginning(value);
break;
case 2: insertAtEnd(value);
break;
case 3: printf("Enter the values after which you wanto insert: ");
scanf("%d",&no);
insertBetween(value,no);
break;
default: printf("\nWrong Input!! Try again!!!\n\n");
gotomainMenu;
}
gotosubMenuEnd;
}
subMenuEnd:
break;
case 2: display();
break;
case 3: printf("How do you want to Delete: \n1. From Beginning\n2. From End\
n3. Specific\nEnter your choice: ");
scanf("%d",&choice1);
 switch(choice1)
{
case 1: removeBeginning();
break;
case 2: removeEnd();
break;
case 3: printf("Enter the value which you wanto delete: ");
scanf("%d",&no);
removeSpecific(no);
break;
default: printf("\nWrong Input!! Try again!!!\n\n");
gotomainMenu;
}
break;
case 4: exit(0);
default: printf("\nWrong input!!! Try again!!\n\n");
}
}
}
//INSERTION AT THE BEGINNING OF SLL
void insertAtBeginning(int value)
{
struct Node *newNode;
newNode = (struct Node*)malloc(sizeof(struct Node));
newNode->data = value;
if(head == NULL)
{
newNode->next = NULL;
head = newNode;
}
else
{
newNode->next = head;
head = newNode;
}
printf("\nOne node inserted!!!\n");
}
//INSERTION AT THE END OF SLL
void insertAtEnd(int value)
{
struct Node *newNode;
newNode = (struct Node*)malloc(sizeof(struct Node));
newNode->data = value;
newNode->next = NULL;
if(head == NULL)
head = newNode;
else
{
struct Node *temp = head;
while(temp->next != NULL)
temp = temp->next;
temp->next = newNode;
}
printf("\nOne node inserted!!!\n");
}

//INSERTION AFTER SPECIFIC ELEMENT IN A SLL

void insertBetween(int value, int no)

{
struct Node *newNode;
newNode = (struct Node*)malloc(sizeof(struct Node));
newNode->data = value;
if(head == NULL) //EMPTY LIST
{
newNode->next = NULL;
head = newNode;
}
else
{
struct Node *temp = head;
while(temp->data != no)
temp = temp->next;
newNode->next = temp->next;
temp->next = newNode;
 }
printf("\nOne node inserted!!!\n");
}
//DELETION OF A NODE FROM THE BEGINNING OF SLL

void removeBeginning()
{
if(head == NULL)
printf("\n\nList is Empty!!!");
else
{
struct Node *temp = head;
if(head->next == NULL) // only one node
{
head = NULL;
free(temp);
}
else // more than one node
{
head = temp->next;
free(temp);
printf("\nOne node deleted!!!\n\n");
}
}
}
//DELETION OF A NODE FROM THE END OF SLL
void removeEnd()
{
if(head == NULL)
{
printf("\nList is Empty!!!\n");
}
else
{
struct Node *temp1 = head,*temp2;
if(head->next == NULL) //ONLY ONE NODE
head = NULL;
else
{
while(temp1->next != NULL)
 {
temp2 = temp1;
temp1 = temp1->next;
}
temp2->next = NULL;
}
free(temp1);
printf("\nOne node deleted!!!\n\n");
}
}
//DELETION OF A SPECIFIC NODE IN SLL

void removeSpecific(int delValue)

{
struct Node *temp1 = head, *temp2;
while(temp1->data != delValue)
{
if(temp1 -> next == NULL){
printf("\nGiven node not found in the list!!!");
gotofunctionEnd;
}
temp2 = temp1;
temp1 = temp1 -> next;
}
temp2 -> next = temp1 -> next;
free(temp1);
printf("\nOne node deleted!!!\n\n");
functionEnd:
}
//TRAVERSAL OR DISPLAY ELEMENTS OF A SLL
void display()
{
if(head == NULL)
{
printf("\nList is Empty\n");
}
else
{
struct Node *temp = head;
printf("\n\nList elements are - \n");
 while(temp->next != NULL)
{
printf("%d --->",temp->data);
temp = temp->next;
}
printf("%d --->NULL",temp->data);
}
}
//SEARCHING AN ELEMENT IN A SLL
void search()
{
struct Node *temp = head;
int no,flag=0;
if(head == NULL)
{
printf("\nList is Empty\n");
}
else
{
printf(“enter the element to search\n”);
scanf(“%d”,&no);
while(temp != NULL)
{
if(temp->data == no)
{
flag=1;
break;
}
temp=temp->next;
}
if(flag==1)
printf("found\n”);
else
printf("not found\n”);
}
}
Output

NOTE :

IN EXAMINATION, NORMALLY SPECIFIC FUNCTIONS ARE ASKED FOR IMPLEMENTATION. BUT IF COMPLETE
PROGRAM IS ASKED THEN ALWAYS WRITE A SIMPLE MAIN() FUNCTION UNLIKE WHAT WE DISCUSSED ABOVE. THE
ABOVE MAIN() FUNCTION WAS WRITTEN TO MAKE THE PROGRAM USER FRIENDLY.

SAMPLE MAIN FUNCTION

main()

int no;

clrscr();

printf(“enter the element to insert at beginning\n”);

scanf(“%d”,&no);

insertAtBeginning(no);

getch();

void insertAtBeginning(int no)

{
---
---
---
}

Circular Linked List(CLL)

What is Circular Linked List?

In single linked list, every node points to its next node in the sequence and the last node points to NULL. But in

circular linked list, every node points to its next node in the sequence but the last node points to the first node in

the list.

A circular linked list is a sequence of elements in which every element has a link to its next element in

the sequence and the last element has a link to the first element.

That means circular linked list is similar to the single linked list except that the last node points to the first node in

the list

Example

//IMPLEMENTATION OF CLL
#include<stdio.h>
#include<conio.h>

void insertAtBeginning(int);
void insertAtEnd(int);
void insertAfter(int,int);
void deleteBeginning();
void deleteEnd();
void deleteSpecific(int);
void display();

struct Node
{
int data;
struct Node *next;
}*head = NULL;

void main()
{
int choice1, choice2, value, location;
clrscr();
while(1)
{
printf("\n*********** MENU *************\n");
 printf("1. Insert\n2. Delete\n3. Display\n4. Exit\nEnter your choice: ");
scanf("%d",&choice1);
switch(choice1)
{
case 1: printf("Enter the value to be inserted: ");
scanf("%d",&value);
//while(1)
//{
printf("\nSelect from the following Inserting options\n");
printf("1. At Beginning\n2. At End\n3. After a Node\n4. Cancel\nEnter
your choice: ");
scanf("%d",&choice2);
switch(choice2)
{
case 1: insertAtBeginning(value);
break;
case 2: insertAtEnd(value);
break;
case 3: printf("Enter the location after which you want to insert:
");
scanf("%d",&location);
insertAfter(value,location);
break;
case 4: goto EndSwitch;
default: printf("\nPlease select correct Inserting option!!!\n");

}
break;
//}
case 2: //while(1)
//{
printf("\nSelect from the following Deleting options\n");
printf("1. At Beginning\n2. At End\n3. Specific Node\n4. Cancel\nEnter
your choice: ");
scanf("%d",&choice2);
switch(choice2)
{
case 1: deleteBeginning();
break;
case 2: deleteEnd();
break;
case 3: printf("Enter the Node value to be deleted: ");
scanf("%d",&location);
deleteSpecific(location);
break;
case 4: goto EndSwitch;
default: printf("\nPlease select correct Deleting option!!!\n");
break;
}
//}
EndSwitch: break;
case 3: display();
break;
case 4: exit(0);
default: printf("\nPlease select correct option!!!");
}
}
}

void insertAtBeginning(int value)

{
struct Node *newNode;
newNode = (struct Node*)malloc(sizeof(struct Node));
newNode -> data = value;
if(head == NULL)
{
head = newNode;
newNode -> next = head;
}
 else
{
struct Node *temp = head;
while(temp -> next != head)
temp = temp -> next;
newNode -> next = head;
head = newNode;
temp -> next = head;
}
printf("\nInsertion success!!!");
}
void insertAtEnd(int value)
{
struct Node *newNode;
newNode = (struct Node*)malloc(sizeof(struct Node));
newNode -> data = value;
if(head == NULL)
{
head = newNode;
newNode -> next = head;
}
else
{
struct Node *temp = head;
while(temp -> next != head)
temp = temp -> next;
temp -> next = newNode;
newNode -> next = head;
}
printf("\nInsertion success!!!");
}
void insertAfter(int value, int location)
{
struct Node *newNode;
newNode = (struct Node*)malloc(sizeof(struct Node));
newNode -> data = value;
if(head == NULL)
{
head = newNode;
newNode -> next = head;
}
else
{
struct Node *temp = head;
while(temp -> data != location)
{
if(temp -> next == head)
{
printf("Given node is not found in the list!!!");
goto EndFunction;
}
else
{
temp = temp -> next;
}
}
newNode -> next = temp -> next;
temp -> next = newNode;
printf("\nInsertion success!!!");
}
EndFunction:
}
void deleteBeginning()
{
if(head == NULL)
printf("List is Empty!!! Deletion not possible!!!");
else
{
struct Node *temp = head,*temp1=head;
 if(temp -> next == head)
{
head = NULL;
free(temp);
}
else{
head = head -> next;
while(temp1->next != head)
temp1=temp1->next;
temp1->next=head;
free(temp);
}
printf("\nDeletion success!!!");
}
}
void deleteEnd()
{
if(head == NULL)
printf("List is Empty!!! Deletion not possible!!!");
else
{
struct Node *temp1 = head, *temp2;
if(temp1 -> next == head)
{
head = NULL;
free(temp1);
}
else{
while(temp1 -> next != head){
temp2 = temp1;
temp1 = temp1 -> next;
}
temp2 -> next = head;
free(temp1);
}
printf("\nDeletion success!!!");
}
}
void deleteSpecific(int delValue)
{
if(head == NULL)
printf("List is Empty!!! Deletion not possible!!!");
else
{
struct Node *temp1 = head, *temp2;
while(temp1 -> data != delValue)
{
if(temp1 -> next == head)
{
printf("\nGiven node is not found in the list!!!");
goto FuctionEnd;
}
else
{
temp2 = temp1;
temp1 = temp1 -> next;
}
}
if(temp1 -> next == head){
head = NULL;
free(temp1);
}
else{
if(temp1 == head)
{
temp2 = head;
while(temp2 -> next != head)
temp2 = temp2 -> next;
head = head -> next;
 temp2 -> next = head;
free(temp1);
}
else
{
if(temp1 -> next == head)
{
temp2 -> next = head;
}
else
{
temp2 -> next = temp1 -> next;
}
free(temp1);
}
}
printf("\nDeletion success!!!");
}
FuctionEnd:
}
void display()
{
if(head == NULL)
printf("\nList is Empty!!!");
else
{
struct Node *temp = head;
printf("\nList elements are: \n");
while(temp -> next != head)
{
printf("%d ---> ",temp -> data);
temp = temp -> next;
}
printf("%d ---> %d", temp -> data, head -> data);
}