Corning Community College
CSCS2320 Data Structures
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This section will document any updates applied to the project since original release:
We've commenced on our list explorations, implementing some of the core functionality (adding nodes to a list through insertion or appending) as well as some helper functionality to make our list transactions even more effective (displaying, getting node positions, setting node positions).
In this project, we continue our list implementation by exploring the removal of nodes from a list, searching for nodes within a list, clearing a list, and swapping two nodes within an existing list.
In src/inc/ is the list header file: list.h
For this project, we're going to be implementing the following functions:
Node *searchlist(List *, int); // locate node containing value List *obtain (List *, Node ** ); // obtain/disconnect node from list List *rmlist(List *); // remove all nodes from list List *swapnode(List *, Node *, Node *); // swap positions of given nodes in list
As a suggestion, I'd recommend implementing them in the order listed above, starting with searchlist() and then obtain(). By doing this, you get to review a bit from the previous weeks (searchlist()) and then continue with base functionality (obtain()), which will help you in your implementation of the other functions.
An important perspective to keep when implementing these list functions is to be mindful of what functionality can be a unit of something else. Do not reinvent the wheel- utilize functions you've written- it will shorten your code, and reduce the chance of error. Plus, that IS the intent.. to have each function be specific and focused on its particular task; to do one thing, and do that one thing extremely well. We can then use them as base units to build more sophisticated functionality.
In this project, searchlist() and obtain() are those basic operations, where rmlist() and swapnode() can be build using various functions you'll be writing in this project and in previous projects.
In src/list/, you will find 4 new C files:
Take a look at the code there. These are the files that contain functions which will be compiled and archived into the node library (liblist.a) we will be using in this and future projects.
Figure out what is going on, make sure you understand it.
NOTE: None of these files denote an entire runnable program. These are merely standalone functions. The various programs under the testing/ directory will use these functions in addition to their application logic to create complete executable programs.
You will also notice there are function prototypes for these list library functions in the list.h header file, located in the inc/ subdirectory, which you'll notice all the related programs you'll be playing with in this project are #includeing.
In testing/list/unit/, you will find these new files:
These are complete runnable programs (when compiled, and linked against the list library, which is all handled for you by the Makefile system in place).
Of particular importance, I want you to take a close look at:
To be successful in this project, the following criteria must be met: