How to use a Linked List in Go

A linked list is a linear data structure in computer science that consists of a sequence of nodes, where each node contains a data element and a reference (or pointer) to the next node in the sequence. Unlike arrays, linked lists do not have a fixed size and can be dynamically resized during runtime. Linked lists are commonly used in computer science for implementing various data structures such as stacks, queues, and hash tables. The main advantage of linked lists is their ability to efficiently insert and delete elements from the list, as well as their flexibility in terms of size and structure. Keep reading below to learn how to use a Linked List in Go.

How to use a Linked List in Go with example code

A linked list is a data structure that consists of a sequence of nodes, where each node contains a value and a reference to the next node in the sequence. In Go, we can implement a linked list using structs and pointers.

To define a node in our linked list, we can create a struct that contains a value and a pointer to the next node:


type Node struct {
value int
next *Node
}


We can then define our linked list as a struct that contains a pointer to the first node:


type LinkedList struct {
head *Node
}


To add a new node to the linked list, we can define a method on the LinkedList struct that takes a value and creates a new node with that value:


func (list *LinkedList) AddNode(value int) {
newNode := &Node{value: value}

if list.head == nil {
list.head = newNode
} else {
current := list.head
for current.next != nil {
current = current.next
}
current.next = newNode
}
}


This method first checks if the linked list is empty (i.e. if the head pointer is nil). If it is, it sets the head pointer to the new node. If it isn’t, it traverses the linked list until it finds the last node (i.e. the node whose next pointer is nil) and sets its next pointer to the new node.

To print out the values in the linked list, we can define another method on the LinkedList struct:


func (list *LinkedList) PrintList() {
current := list.head
for current != nil {
fmt.Println(current.value)
current = current.next
}
}


This method simply traverses the linked list and prints out the value of each node.

Here’s an example of how we can use our linked list:


func main() {
list := LinkedList{}

list.AddNode(1)
list.AddNode(2)
list.AddNode(3)

list.PrintList()
}


This code creates a new linked list, adds three nodes to it with values 1, 2, and 3, and then prints out the values in the linked list. The output should be:


1
2
3


What is a Linked List in Go?

In conclusion, a linked list is a fundamental data structure in computer science that is used to store and manage collections of data. In Go, a linked list is implemented using pointers and nodes, which allow for efficient insertion and deletion of elements. Linked lists are particularly useful when dealing with large amounts of data that need to be accessed and modified frequently. By understanding the basics of linked lists in Go, developers can create more efficient and effective programs that can handle complex data structures with ease. Whether you are a beginner or an experienced programmer, learning about linked lists in Go is an essential skill that can help you build better software applications.