Introduction To Single Linked List

Description 

• In a single-linked list every element contains some data and a link to the next element(link), which allows to keep the structure.

• In this type of Linked List two successive nodes are linked together in linear fashion.

• Each element of the list is called a "node".

• First node is called "head" and it's a dedicated node. By knowing it, we can access every other node in the list. 

• Last node of the list is called "Tail",By knowing it we can perform add operation.

• Each Node contain address of the next node to be followed.

• In Single Linked List only Linear or Forward Sequential  movement(traversal) is possible.

• Elements are accessed sequentially, no direct access is allowed.

Structure of single linked list

• Every node of a singly-linked list contains following information
• A value (primitive data/user define data).
• A link to the next element (pointer data).
• Sketchy, it can be shown like this...

Example 1:   primitive data type single lined list

                             struct single_link_list

                               {

                                        int data;

                                        struct slink*next;

                                };

Example 2:   User define data type single lined list

                              struct emp

                                {

                                         int id;

                                         char name[36];

                                         int sal;

                                 };

                                 struct single_link_list

                                  {

                                        struct emp data;

                                        struct slink*next;

                                  };

Single linked list Internal representation

• In Singly-linked list implementation First node called head and no other node points to it. 

• Link to the head is usually stored its data and information of next data structure(Next link). For empty list, head initial value is set to "NULL".

• in Single linked list Last node called "Tail" usually stored its data and Next link data value is set to "NULL" because it is terminal node.

• Below you can see another picture, which shows the whole singly-linked list internal representation..

Operations on Single Linked List

• Adding node
• Inserting  node
• node Count
• Traversal
• Deletion node
• Updating node data