Reading link list backwards.

[agsupriya86]

Hello,

Can anyone tell me how to read a link list backwards?? The link list is single link list not a doubly one..

[mac11]

Hello,

Can anyone tell me how to read a link list backwards?? The link list is single link list not a doubly one..

I suppose you could traverse the list starting at the head and put everything into a stack as you go. That way when you get to the end of the list you can pop from the stack to get everything in reverse.

The list won't really be reversed though, you'd have to change the links to do that. This just allows you to print (whatever) your elements in reverse order.

[weaknessforcats]

Another approach is to create a new empty list.

Read the first list and insert each node read from the first before the first node of the second list.

When you get to the last node of the first list, it will be inserted before the first node of the second list.

The second list is now the reverse of the first list.

[InvalidPointers]

Aren't those two answers kind of the same, though?
Without it being doubly-linked and assuming you aren't using any other lists, it's impossible directly.

[weaknessforcats]

Yes. A stack can be implemented as a linked list where the new element is "pushed" in front. However, a stack can also be implemented where the new element is "pushed" at the end. The ""pop" removes the first (or last) element. All that is required is that the "pop" remove the last element added.

This is functionally the same as a reversed linked list, but with a stack you are supposed to only "push" and "pop" elements. You are not supposed to fiddle with the underlying linked list.

If you need to reverse a linked list then you need to reverse it as a linked list.

[svlsr2000]

i think you can do something like this using recursion

 
void printreverse(Node * nodeptr)
{
if(node)
{
printreverse(nodeptr->next)
process(nodeptr)
}
}
 

[weaknessforcats]

i think you can do something like this using recursion

I agree. But if the recursion is deep you could exceed stack memory limits and crash the program. However, for a trial problem or a homework assignment, this is a reasonable approach.