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CS204-lec01 - Intro, Array, Array List

The document discusses data structures and introduces concepts like arrays, dynamic arrays, lists, and common list operations. It explains how to select appropriate data structures based on the problem constraints and needed operations like insertion, deletion, and random access. Arrays and lists are covered as fundamental data structures.

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anasmajeed2627
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12 views

CS204-lec01 - Intro, Array, Array List

The document discusses data structures and introduces concepts like arrays, dynamic arrays, lists, and common list operations. It explains how to select appropriate data structures based on the problem constraints and needed operations like insertion, deletion, and random access. Arrays and lists are covered as fundamental data structures.

Uploaded by

anasmajeed2627
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Lecture No.

01

Data Structures

VU
Data Structures
 Prepares the students for (and is
a prerequisite for) the more
advanced material students will
encounter in later courses.
 Cover well-known data structures
such as dynamic arrays, linked
lists, stacks, queues, tree and
graphs.
 Implement data structures in C++
Need for Data Structures
 Data structures organize data 
more efficient programs.
 More powerful computers  more
complex applications.
 More complex applications
demand more calculations.
Organizing Data
 Any organization for a collection
of records that can be searched,
processed in any order, or
modified.
 The choice of data structure and
algorithm can make the difference
between a program running in a
few seconds or many days.
Efficiency
 A solution is said to be efficient if
it solves the problem within its
resource constraints.
– Space
– Time

 The cost of a solution is the


amount of resources that the
solution consumes.
Selecting a Data
Structure
Select a data structure as follows:
1. Analyze the problem to determine
the resource constraints a
solution must meet.
2. Determine the basic operations
that must be supported. Quantify
the resource constraints for each
operation.
3. Select the data structure that
best meets these requirements.
Some Questions to Ask
• Are all data inserted into the data
structure at the beginning, or are
insertions interspersed with other
operations?
• Can data be deleted?
• Are all data processed in some
well-defined order, or is random
access allowed?
Arrays
 Elementary data structure that exists
as built-in in most programming
languages.

main( int argc, char** argv )


{
int x[6];
int j;
for(j=0; j < 6; j++)
x[j] = 2*j;
}
Arrays
 Array declaration: int x[6];
 An array is collection of cells of the
same type.
 The collection has the name ‘x’.
 The cells are numbered with
consecutive integers.
 To access a cell, use the array name
and an index:
x[0], x[1], x[2], x[3], x[4], x[5]
Array Layout
x[0]
Array cells are
x[1]
contiguous in
computer x[2]
memory
x[3]
The memory can
x[4]
be thought of as
an array x[5]
What is Array Name?
 ‘x’ is an array name but there is no variable x. ‘x’ is not
an lvalue.
 For example, if we have the code

int a, b;

then we can write

b = 2;
a = b;
a = 5;

But we cannot write

2 = a;
Array Name
 ‘x’ is not an lvalue
int x[6];
int n;
x[0] = 5;
x[1] = 2;
x = 3; // not allowed
x = a + b; // not allowed
x = &n; // not allowed
Dynamic Arrays
 You would like to use an array data
structure but you do not know the size of
the array at compile time.
 You find out when the program executes
that you need an integer array of size
n=20.
 Allocate an array using the new operator:

int* y = new int[20]; // or int* y = new


int[n]
y[0] = 10;
y[1] = 15; // use is the same
Dynamic Arrays
 ‘y’ is an lvalue; it is a pointer that holds the
address of 20 consecutive cells in memory.
 It can be assigned a value. The new operator
returns as address that is stored in y.
 We can write:

y = &x[0];
y = x; // x can appear on the
right
// y gets the address of the
// first cell of the x array
Dynamic Arrays
 We must free the memory we got
using the new operator once we are
done with the y array.

delete[ ] y;

 We would not do this to the x array


because we did not use new to create
it.
The LIST Data Structure
 The List is among the most generic of
data structures.

 Real life:

a. shopping list,
b. groceries list,
c. list of people to invite to dinner
d. List of presents to get
Lists
 A list is collection of items that are all
of the same type (grocery items,
integers, names)

 The items, or elements of the list, are


stored in some particular order

 It is possible to insert new elements


into various positions in the list and
remove any element of the list
Lists
 List is a set of elements in a linear
order.
For example, data values a1, a2, a3, a4
can be arranged in a list:

(a3, a1, a2, a4)

In this list, a3, is the first element, a1 is


the second element, and so on

 The order is important here; this is not


just a random collection of elements, it
is an ordered collection
List Operations
Useful operations
• createList(): create a new list (presumably
empty)
• copy(): set one list to be a copy of another
• clear(); clear a list (remove all elements)
• insert(X, ?): Insert element X at a particular
position
in the list
• remove(?): Remove element at some position in
the list
• get(?): Get element at a given position
• update(X, ?): replace the element at a given
position with X
• find(X): determine if the element X is in the list
• length(): return the length of the list.
List Operations
 We need to decide what is meant by
“particular position”; we have used
“?” for this.

 There are two possibilities:

1. Use the actual index of element: insert


after element 3, get element number 6.
This approach is taken by arrays
2. Use a “current” marker or pointer to refer
to a particular position in the list.
List Operations
 If we use the “current” marker, the
following four methods would be
useful:

 start(): moves to “current” pointer to the


very first element.
 tail(): moves to “current” pointer to the
very last element.
 next(): move the current position forward
one element
 back(): move the current position
backward one element

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