Stacka Collection Of Data With Operations That Access Data

Stacka Collection Of Data Long With Operations That Access That Data

Develop a stack data structure using linked lists in C, including functions to initialize the stack, check if it is full or empty, push and pop elements, and display its contents. The stack operates on a last-in, first-out (LIFO) basis, with each node containing an integer data item and a pointer to the next node. Implement the following subroutines:

1. Initialization of the stack by setting the top pointer to NULL.
2. Function to check if the stack is full by attempting to allocate memory for a new node.
3. Function to determine if the stack is empty by checking if the top pointer is NULL.
4. Push function to add new items to the top of the stack, ensuring the stack is not full before pushing.
5. Pop function to remove and return the top item from the stack, ensuring the stack is not empty before popping.
6. Recursive function to list all items in the stack without modifying it.

Simulate the stack's behavior with test cases to demonstrate its operations, including pushing and popping items, listing the contents, handling empty stacks, and invalid operations. Provide appropriate messages for each operation as shown in the test case scenario.

Paper For Above instruction

The implementation and testing of a stack data structure using linked lists in C provides a practical example of dynamic memory management and pointer operations. The stack, as a fundamental data structure, follows the last-in, first-out (LIFO) principle, and understanding its implementation deepens comprehension of memory handling and recursion in C programming.

Defining the stack involves creating a node structure that includes an integer data item and a pointer to the next node, effectively linking each node in a chain. The top of the stack is managed using a pointer to the node at the top, which is dynamically adjusted during push and pop operations. The typedef statement simplifies pointer declaration (`typedef struct stacknode *stack;`), allowing cleaner function interfaces.

The initialization function, init_stack, sets the top pointer to NULL, indicating an empty stack. Checking if the stack is full involves attempting to allocate memory for a new node. If it fails, the stack is considered full, reflecting a memory exhaustion scenario. The is_full function handles this by trying to allocate memory and freeing it immediately if successful.

The is_empty function determines whether the stack has any elements, simply by checking if the top pointer is NULL. This is a quick and efficient check that prevents errors during push or pop operations.

The push function adds new data to the stack by allocating a new node, setting its data, linking it to the current top, and updating the top pointer. It first confirms that the stack isn't full to prevent memory errors. The pop function removes and returns the data from the top node, freeing the associated memory to prevent leaks. Both functions include checks to ensure they operate safely.

Listing the contents of the stack without modification utilizes recursion through the print_stack function. This approach traverses each node from the top to the bottom, printing data in order, and naturally terminates when reaching a NULL pointer, confirming the end of the stack.

Testing the stack involves simulating the sequence described in the instructions. Starting with an empty stack, attempts to pop from the empty stack should display an "empty" message. Pushing five elements, then listing, should display them in reverse order of insertion: 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. Following successful pops, messages indicating the removed data should appear, and the list should reflect the new top of stack. Attempting to pop beyond empty should again display the "empty" message. Error handling for invalid menu options is also essential in real user interaction but can be simplified for this implementation.

This implementation emphasizes proper memory management, control flow, and recursive traversal in C. It demonstrates how linked lists can effectively implement stacks, providing flexibility over static array-based stacks, especially regarding dynamic memory allocation and size management, which is crucial in embedded systems and applications where memory efficiency is key.

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