CODEWITHSUNDEEP
clinked-listnodes
Naufil Muhammad
Naufil Muhammad

Reputation: 59

Difference between Node->next!=NULL and Node!=NULL in C

This function doesn't work if I make a modification in while condition and change temp != NULL to temp->next = NULL. Why is that?

void Print() {
     printf("\n");
     printf("The Library data is as follows: \n");
     struct Node *temp = head; // where head is a global variable
     printf("\n");
     while (temp != NULL) {
         printf("%25s", temp->name);
         printf("%25s", temp->author);
         temp = temp->next;
         printf("\n");
     }
}

Plus if I modify the while loop condition under else block, from temp1->next = NULL to temp1 != NULL, it doesn't work. Why is that?

void Insert(char q[50], char r[50]) {
    struct Node *temp = (struct Node*)malloc(sizeof(struct Node));
    temp->next = NULL; // Since we are adding a node to the end, we are linking it to NULL.
    strcpy(temp->name, q); // copying the contents of "q" to "temp->name"
    strcpy(temp->author, r); // same
    if (head == NULL) {
        head = temp;
    } else {
        struct Node *temp1 = head;
        while (temp1->next != NULL)
            temp1 = temp1->next;
        temp1->next = temp;
    }
}

Upvotes: 0

Views: 6925

Answers (4)

rajeev dubey
rajeev dubey

Reputation: 1

Its very simple

  1. In function print() when you use while(temp->next!=null) then it will not print last node because when pointer temp is at last node temp->next is null and while condition become false and it come out of while loop.
  2. In function insert() if you change while(temp1->next!=NULL) to while(temp1!=NULL) then when it come from while loop temp1 points to null means no memory is allocated . hence writing temp1->next in after while loop shows error as you cannot excess next part of temp because memory is not allocated.

Hope this will help you!

Upvotes: 0

chqrlie
chqrlie

Reputation: 144770

In the Print function, you want to enumerate all nodes in the list, and you want to handle an empty list (head = NULL) gracefully. Hence the loop iterates while (temp == NULL) and temp skips to the next node with temp = temp->next;.

In the Insert function, a new node is allocated and initialized. There is a special case for the empty list (head == NULL) where head just receives the pointer to the new node. Conversely, if the list is not empty, you want to find the last node of the list to append the new node by setting its next pointer to point to the new node. The loop iterates from the first to the last node, the test temp1->next != NULL succeeds if the node is not the last one. Hence temp points to the last node after the while loop and the new node can simply be appended with temp1->next = temp;.

Note the following remarks:

  • the prototype void Insert(char q[50], char r[50]) should be improved as int Insert(const char *name, const char *author) because:
    • the strings passed as arguments are not modified by the function
    • the argument names would be clearer
    • the array sizes specified are ignored by the compiler and seem inconsistent with the actual structure members.
    • the function can fail. It should at least return a success indicator.
  • memory allocation should be tested for success and failure should be reported
  • strcpy will cause undefined behavior if the arguments strings are too long.
  • There is no need to cast the return value of malloc in C.

Here is an improved version:

#include <stdio.h>
#include <stdlib.h>

struct Node {
    char name[50];
    char author[50];
    struct Node *next;
};

struct Node *head = NULL;

void Print(void) {
     printf("\nThe Library data is as follows:\n\n");
     struct Node *temp = head; // where head is a global variable
     while (temp != NULL) {
         printf("%25s  %-25s\n", temp->name, temp->author);
         temp = temp->next;
     }
}

int Insert(const char *name, const char *author) {
    struct Node *temp = malloc(sizeof(struct Node));
    if (temp == NULL)
        return -1;
    temp->next = NULL;
    snprintf(temp->name, sizeof(temp->name), "%s", name);
    snprintf(temp->author, sizeof(temp->author), "%s", author);

    if (head == NULL) {
        head = temp;
    } else {
        struct Node *temp1 = head;
        while (temp1->next != NULL)
            temp1 = temp1->next;
        temp1->next = temp;
    }
    return 0;
}

int main() {
    if (Insert("Flowers for Algernon", "Daniel Keyes")
    ||  Insert("Blade Runner", "Philip K. Dick")
    ||  Insert("2001, a Space Odyssey", "Arthur C. Clarke")) {
        printf("out of memory\n");
        return 1;
    }
    Print();
    return 0;
}

Upvotes: 2

anoopknr
anoopknr

Reputation: 3355

In the first case You are traversing through the entire linked list.End of linked list is denoted by NULL pointer as per your code so while(temp!=NULL) is used.This will work with temp1->next!=NULL if there are more than 2 nodes by skipping the last one.

In second case you add new node to the end of the last node.So you have to use temp1->next!=NULL. so that the last node's next pointer can point to the newly added node.If you use temp!=NULL in this case, Then temp becomes NULL. So the next statement temp1->next=temp; cannot work.

  • If you make change in first case, it will only cause program to skip printing the last node in the linked list.

  • If you make change in second case, this will cause your code to get terminated (runtime error).

Upvotes: 0

NecroMancer
NecroMancer

Reputation: 636

When change that to node->next in while loop its mean this loop loops while node->next is null so u miss last node of your linked array because this node's-next is null so loop is break in this time.And only write temp to your while u dont need temp != NULL this loop breaks when temp is null so only put

while(temp){
//your code
}

I hope this will be help you. :-)

Upvotes: 1

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