All you need to know about Stack!! in depth : data structures and algorithms.
Abstract Data Type (ADT): In the world of programming, an abstract data type (ADT) is a concept that hides away the implementation details and exposes only its use to the user. Think of it as a black box where the user knows what it does but not how it does it. An ADT has two sides: the logical side, which covers the basic blueprint of the logic that can be used to build a system, and the implementation side, which contains the code that brings the ADT into action to build a real-world system.
Discussing Data Structures:
Stack Data Structure: A stack data structure is an abstract data type with a predefined capacity (the space it can hold). Imagine a stack of books placed on top of each other one by one. The book you place first on the ground is topped by other books in sequence. To retrieve the book placed first on the ground, you need to remove all the books above it one by one. This concept is what defines a stack data structure.
The stack data structure piles up data one by one, following the concept of "first in, last out" (FILO) or "last in, first out" (LIFO). This means that the item placed at the beginning can only be extracted at the end after removing all other items. Similarly, the item placed last on top can be immediately accessed, known as "last in, first out." Hence, addition and removal can only occur in a particular order.
Stack Operations: A stack data structure supports various operations:
Push(): This operation pushes an element onto the stack.
Pop(): It removes an element from the stack.
isEmpty(): This method returns true if the stack is empty.
isFull(): It returns true if the stack is full.
Peek(): This operation tells you the top element in the stack at the moment.
Display(): It displays all the elements in the stack.
Count(): This method counts all the number of elements present in the stack.
Change(): This is not a standard operation and is something you can implement customarily if needed. The stack typically follows a particular order (LIFO) and doesn't provide direct access to an element for modification, which is more common in arrays.
Applications of Stack: Stacks find exciting real-world applications, some of which include:
Undo and Redo Feature in Video and Photo Editors: The undo and redo functionality in editing software often uses stacks to keep track of changes and enable users to revert or redo their actions.
Back and Forward Buttons in Browsers: Web browsers use stacks to navigate backward and forward through web pages, maintaining a history of visited pages.
Infix to Postfix/Prefix Conversion: Stacks are employed to convert mathematical expressions from infix notation to postfix or prefix notation, making them easier to evaluate.
Stack Implementation: Here's an example of implementing a stack in C++:
// Define a Stack class
class Stack {
private:
int top;
int arr[5];
public:
Stack() {
top = -1;
for (int i = 0; i < 5; i++) {
arr[i] = 0;
}
}
bool isFull() {
return top == 4;
}
bool isEmpty() {
return top == -1;
}
void push(int value) {
if (isFull()) {
cout << "Stack is full" << endl;
return;
} else if (isEmpty()) {
top++;
arr[top] = value;
}
}
void pop() {
if (isEmpty()) {
cout << "Stack is underflow" << endl;
return;
} else {
int popValue = arr[top];
arr[top] = 0;
top--;
return popValue;
}
}
int count() {
return top + 1;
}
int peek(int pos) {
if (isEmpty()) {
cout << "Stack is underflowed" << endl;
return;
} else {
return arr[pos];
}
}
void display() {
for (int i = 0; i < 5; i++) {
cout << arr[i] << endl;
}
}
}
int main() {
Stack s1; // Create an instance of the Stack class
int value, pos, option;
do {
cout << "Enter any of the options:" << endl;
cout << "1. Push" << endl;
cout << "2. Pop" << endl;
cout << "3. Display" << endl;
cout << "4. Peek" << endl;
cout << "5. Count" << endl;
cout << "6. Exit" << endl;
cin >> option;
switch (option) {
case 1:
cout << "Enter a value to push: ";
cin >> value;
s1.push(value);
break;
case 2:
s1.pop();
break;
case 3:
s1.display();
break;
case 4:
cout << "Enter the position to peek: ";
cin >> pos;
cout << "Element at position " << pos << ": " << s1.peek(pos) << endl;
break;
case 5:
cout << "Number of elements in the stack: " << s1.count() << endl;
break;
case 6:
cout << "Exiting the program." << endl;
break;
default:
cout << "Invalid option. Please try again." << endl;
}
} while (option != 6);
return 0;
}
Conclusion: Stacks are a fundamental data structure with various real-world applications. Understanding the concept of stacks and their operations can be valuable in programming and problem-solving.
Main Function Example: In the main function, you can interact with the stack and perform operations such as push, pop, display, and more based on user input.
Now, you have a comprehensive understanding of stack data structures, their abstract nature, and their practical applications.