i need help indoubly linked list please

[xandra]

hello:
i'm not sure what the operations that would be affected if we didn't maintain a tail pointer in doubly linked list?

so why is it important?

your help is appreciated
thank you

 

[goofolution]

this is the concept of a linked list:

NULL<----
        |     
        Node 1<----
          |        |
           ---->Node 2<----
                |          |
                 ---->Node 3
                           |
                            ---->NULL

All Nodes contain two Node pointers:
- nextPtr
- previousPtr

To identify the tail of the list the last nodes nextPtr is set to NULL, as with the first node the previousPtr is set to NULL. You can create a circular list by setting the first nodes previousPtr to the last node and the last nodes nextPtr to the first node.

 

[Jairus]

A tail pointer:
- will help you add nodes faster
- might help when you want to use a FIFO system
- might help when you want to sort
- might help tell the end when you traverse your list to the end