C++ Linked List Implementation

This project implements a custom doubly-linked list data structure in C++. The implementation provides a robust foundation for linked list operations with comprehensive memory management.

Overview

The custom linked list is implemented through a Node class template that supports bidirectional linking. Key features include:

• Template-based implementation supporting any data type
• Doubly-linked structure with previous and next pointers
• Memory-efficient node management
• Support for both copy and move semantics
• Comprehensive node manipulation utilities

Class Structure

Node<T>

The main node class template with one parameter:

• T: Type of element stored in the node

Key attributes:

• data: The stored element
• pNext: Pointer to the next node
• pPrev: Pointer to the previous node

Node Operations

The implementation includes several utility functions:

Core Operations

• insert(): Insert a new node before/after a given position
• remove(): Remove a node from the list
• copy(): Deep copy a list
• assign(): Copy values while reusing existing nodes
• clear(): Delete all nodes in a list
• swap(): Exchange two lists
• size(): Count nodes in a list

Memory Management

• Efficient node reuse in assignment operations
• Proper cleanup of unused nodes
• Prevention of memory leaks

Usage Example

#include "node.h"

// Create nodes with integers
Node<int>* head = new Node<int>(1);
insert(head, 2, true);  // Insert after
insert(head, 0, false); // Insert before

// Copy a list
Node<int>* newList = copy(head);

// Clean up
clear(head);
clear(newList);

Testing

The implementation includes comprehensive unit tests in testNode.h that verify:

• Node creation and deletion
• Insert and remove operations
• Copy and assignment operations
• Memory management
• Edge cases

Files

• node.h: Main node implementation with utility functions
• testNode.h: Unit tests
• unitTest.h: Unit testing framework

Building

The project includes Visual Studio solution files for building on Windows. Open LabLinkedList.sln and build using Visual Studio 2019 or later.

Notes

• This is an educational implementation focused on demonstrating linked list concepts
• The implementation provides a foundation for more complex data structures
• Special attention is paid to memory management and edge cases
• The node structure supports both forward and backward traversal

License

This code is provided for educational purposes. See included license file for terms of use. [TODO: add LICENSE]

Authors

Nathan Bird
nathanbirdka@gmail.com

Brock Hoskins