{"id":16658,"date":"2023-06-02T07:03:30","date_gmt":"2023-06-02T07:03:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.prepbytes.com\/blog\/?p=16658"},"modified":"2023-07-04T09:36:05","modified_gmt":"2023-07-04T09:36:05","slug":"print-reverse-of-a-linked-list-without-actually-reversing-in-c","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/prepbytes.com\/blog\/print-reverse-of-a-linked-list-without-actually-reversing-in-c\/","title":{"rendered":"Print Reverse of a Linked List Without Actually Reversing in C"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Linked lists are fundamental data structures used in computer science and programming. They provide a flexible way to store and manipulate collections of data. One common task when working with linked lists is to print the elements in reverse order. While reversing the linked list itself is a straightforward solution, it involves modifying the original structure, which may not always be desirable or efficient.<\/p>\n

In this article, we explore an alternative approach to print the reverse of a linked list in C without actually reversing the list itself. We will leverage the power of stacks, a popular data structure that follows the Last-In-First-Out (LIFO) principle. By utilizing a stack, we can achieve the desired outcome efficiently while preserving the original order of the linked list.<\/p>\n

How To Print Reverse of a Linked List without Actually Reversing it in C?<\/h2>\n

Let us understand this problem with an example:
\nLet\u2019s say we have the given linked list as,<\/p>\n

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According to the problem we need to print it in reverse order. Reverse order means we have to print the values of nodes from right to left.
\nSo the desired output for this linked list will be 5 4 3 2 1.
\nWe need to do this without reversing the given linked list.
\nHope that you have understood the problem. Now try to come up with an approach.
\nIf we were allowed to reverse the linked list, then it would be simple. But here we aren\u2019t allowed to do so. So, try to think how we should approach this problem?<\/p>\n

Approach 1: Print Reverse of a Linked List Without Actually Reversing in C Using Stack<\/h2>\n

Let\u2019s see how a stack works.<\/strong>
\nThe LIFO (last in, first out) principle is used. This indicates that the element that was most recently inserted will appear first. Likewise, if we take pieces out of the stack, we will receive them in the opposite order from when they were inserted. This is just what we require.
\nTherefore, a stack can be utilized to solve our problem because of its LIFO attribute, which allows it to store elements in the reverse order of their entry.
\nSimply go over the linked list and insert each node’s value into the stack one at a time. The linked list’s data would be in reverse order in the stack once the traversal is finished. We can now take each element out of the stack one at a time, print it, and then remove it by popping it.<\/p>\n

Algorithm<\/h3>\n
    \n
  1. Make an empty stack<\/li>\n
  2. Push the value in the nodes of the linked list to the stack as you traverse it.<\/li>\n
  3. After iteration, remove each piece from the stack one at a time and print it.<\/li>\n
  4. We would flip the order of printing our linked list.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

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    Stack Code Implementation<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t