Introduction
A stack is a data structure that follows the Last In, First Out (LIFO) principle. In simple terms, this means the last item added to the stack is the first one to be removed. Imagine a stack of plates: the last plate placed on top is the first one you take off.
In this guide, we'll build a stack using a linked list in JavaScript. If you're new to JavaScript and data structures, don't worry! We'll break down each step in a beginner-friendly way.
Key Stack Operations
- Push - Add an item to the top of the stack.
- Pop - Remove and return the item at the top of the stack.
- Peek - Return the top item without removing it.
- isEmpty - Check if the stack has any items.
- size - Return the number of items in the stack.
- clear - Remove all items from the stack.
Stack Implementation Using a Linked List
Since linked lists are built with nodes, we’ll start by creating a Node
structure. Each node has two parts: the value
it stores and a next
pointer that points to the next node.
Explanation of Each Operation
- Push(10), Push(20), Push(30): Adds 10, then 20, and finally 30 to the stack. Stack state:
30 -> 20 -> 10
.
- Pop(): Removes and returns 30, the current top of the stack. Stack state:
20 -> 10
.
- Peek(): Returns 20, the current top of the stack without removing it.
- isEmpty(): Checks if the stack is empty. Returns
false
because the stack has items.
- getSize(): Returns the stack size, which is
2
after the pop.
- Clear(): Empties the stack, resetting it.
isEmpty()
now returns true
.
Conclusion
Using a linked list to implement a stack provides flexibility and efficiency, especially for dynamic operations. Each operation on the stack is optimized for adding and removing items from the top, following the LIFO (Last In, First Out) principle. With these operations, you now have a complete stack implementation ready for various problem-solving scenarios.