Generic collections part 2: Stack and Queue

Stack

A Stack is a linear data structure that follows the Last-In-First-Out (LIFO) principle. It's like a stack of plates: the last plate you put on is the first one you take off.

Key Operations:

• Push: Adds an element to the top of the stack.

• Pop: Removes and returns the element from the top of the stack.

• Peek: Returns the element at the top of the stack without removing it.

• IsEmpty: Checks if the stack is empty.

Example:

Stack<int> numberStack = new Stack<int>();

// Push elements onto the stack
numberStack.Push(10);
numberStack.Push(20);
numberStack.Push(30);

// Pop elements from the stack
int topNumber = numberStack.Pop(); // Removes and returns 30
topNumber = numberStack.Pop(); // Removes and returns 20

// Peek at the top element
int topElement = numberStack.Peek(); // Returns 10 without removing it

Queue

A Queue is a linear data structure that follows the First-In-First-Out (FIFO) principle. It's like a queue of people waiting for a ticket: the first person in line is the first one to be served.

Key Operations:

• Enqueue: Adds an element to the rear of the queue.

• Dequeue: Removes and returns the element from the front of the queue.

• Peek: Returns the element at the front of the queue without removing it.

• IsEmpty: Checks if the queue is empty.

Example:

Queue<string> taskQueue = new Queue<string>();

// Enqueue elements into the queue
taskQueue.Enqueue("Task 1");
taskQueue.Enqueue("Task 2");
taskQueue.Enqueue("Task 3");

// Dequeue elements from the queue
string firstTask = taskQueue.Dequeue(); // Removes and returns "Task 1"
firstTask = taskQueue.Dequeue(); // Removes and returns "Task 2"

Real-world Applications:

• Stack:

  • Undo/Redo functionality in text editors

  • Function call stack in programming languages

  • Backtracking algorithms

• Queue:

  • Print queue in operating systems

  • Task scheduling in computer systems

  • Breadth-first search algorithm

By understanding these fundamental data structures, you can effectively solve a variety of problems.

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