A data structure is a method of properly organizing and storing data so that the necessary operations on them may be carried out in a time and memory-efficient manner. Data structures and algorithms simplify programming, especially in terms of time complexity.
There are two data structures:
1. Static Data Structure
2. Dynamic Data Structures.
Static Data Structure: What Is It?
1. The size of a static data structure is predetermined. Although the data structure's allotted memory space cannot be changed, it is content can.
2. Static data structures are defined as those with a fixed size. Static data structures are allocated memory at compile time; after compiling, the user cannot change the size of these structures but can change the data stored within them.
3. The constant size of static data structures has a lot of advantages but also a lot of disadvantages. Although the fixed memory allocation eliminates the need to worry about overflow and underflow when adding or removing elements from static data structures, it is not space-efficient and wastes a lot of memory.
4. The finest example of a static data structure is an array because its data can be modified later and has a fixed size.
5. Since all of the memory allocated for static data structures is contiguous because it is provided at compile time, the user only has to retain the address of the first element, and the location of the following components may be quickly determined.
An array is an example of a static data structure.
Here are some key characteristics of static data structures:
1. Arrays: The most common static data structure is an array. Arrays allocate memory for a fixed number of elements of the same data type.
2. Fixed Size: The size of a static data structure is determined at the time of declaration and cannot be changed during runtime.
3. Memory Efficiency: Static data structures are memory-efficient since they allocate a fixed amount of memory in advance.
4. Fast Access: Accessing elements in a static data structure is fast, as it involves simple pointer arithmetic.
5. Limitations: The main limitation of static data structures is that they cannot grow or shrink dynamically, so you need to know the maximum size required in advance.
Static Data Structure Example: Static Array
A static array is a fixed-size data structure where the size is known at compile time. Let's consider an example of a static array to store the scores of students in a class:
Code Example:
#include <stdio.h>
int main() {
// Static array of size 5 to store the scores of 5 students
int scores[5] = {85, 92, 78, 95, 88};
// Accessing elements in the static array
printf("Student 1 score: %d\n", scores[0]); // Output: Student 1 score: 85
printf("Student 3 score: %d\n", scores[2]); // Output: Student 3 score: 78
return 0;
}Dynamic Data Structure: What Is It?
1. The size of a dynamic data structure is not fixed and might change when operations are carried out on it. Dynamic data structures are created to make it easier to update data structures while programs are running.
2. Dynamic data structures are defined as data structures that change in size. For dynamic data structures, memory is allotted at runtime, and the size of the dynamic data structures changes as the code is executed. Additionally, changes can be made to the dynamic data structure's size and elements while the code runs.
3. While dynamic data structures have many advantages, they also have many disadvantages. Dynamic memory allocation prevents memory loss and allows us to allot space for the necessary number of elements. For the dynamic data structure to be safe from overflow and underflow situations, users must carefully review and insert or delete data.
4. There are countless examples of dynamic data structures, including trees and linked lists, which are common examples.
5. Dynamic data structures' allocated memory is non-contiguous because it is allocated at runtime, which reduces their performance. After all, we have to create another variable to store the address of their allocated memory.
Linked List is an example of a dynamic data structure.
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| Linked List |
Here are some key characteristics of dynamic data structures:
1. Linked Data Structures: Dynamic data structures commonly use linked lists, trees, graphs, and other similar structures that use pointers to connect elements.
2. Dynamic Memory Allocation: Memory for dynamic data structures is allocated during runtime using functions like malloc() and new (in languages like C and C++).
3. Flexible Size: Dynamic data structures can grow or shrink as needed, making them suitable for situations where the exact size is not known beforehand.
4. Slower Access: Accessing elements in dynamic data structures might be slower compared to static data structures due to the need for traversing the links.
5. Memory Overhead: Dynamic data structures have some memory overhead due to the pointers used for linking elements.
A dynamic linked list is a data structure that can grow or shrink during program execution. Each element in the linked list (commonly called a node) contains both data and a pointer to the next node.
Let's create a dynamic linked list to store integers:
Code Example:
#include <stdio.h>
#include <stdlib.h>
// Define the structure for a linked list node
struct Node {
int data;
struct Node* next;
};
// Function to create a new node
struct Node* createNode(int value) {
struct Node* newNode = (struct Node*)malloc(sizeof(struct Node));
newNode->data = value;
newNode->next = NULL;
return newNode;
}
int main() {
// Creating a dynamic linked list with three nodes
struct Node* head = createNode(5);
head->next = createNode(10);
head->next->next = createNode(15);
// Accessing elements in the dynamic linked list
struct Node* current = head;
while (current != NULL) {
printf("%d ", current->data);
current = current->next;
}
// Output: 5 10 15
// Don't forget to free the allocated memory to avoid memory leaks!
current = head;
while (current != NULL) {
struct Node* temp = current;
current = current->next;
free(temp);
}
return 0;
}
In this example, we create a dynamic linked list to store integers (5, 10, and 15). The linked list grows as we add new nodes, and we can easily remove nodes if we want to shrink it. The dynamic nature of the linked list allows it to handle varying numbers of elements during program execution.
Features of Static and Dynamic Data Structures
Static Data Structures' Features
Static data structures have a variety of features:
Let's talk about the most well-known among them:
1. Static memory is allocated for static data structures at compile time by the compiler and is kept in the program's stack memory.
2. When the application stops or the memory allotted to the static data structures is no longer needed, it is released.
3. There is no need to record the internal details of the data structure or an explicit data variable to keep the information about memory placement because, as we have already established, persistent memory is allotted to static data structures.
The Characteristics of Dynamic Data Structures
Dynamic data structures have a variety of features:
Let's talk about the most well-known among them:
1. Dynamic memory is allocated for dynamic data structures at runtime and is kept in the program's heap memory.
2. The dynamic data structures' memory allocations don't deallocate when they are no longer needed, which may be the root of the memory leak issue.
3. Only when the program terminates, or the user manually deallocates the memory using the free() method in C, the delete() function in C++, etc., does a dynamic data structure's memory get released.
4. Since the memory allotted to dynamic data structures is not contiguous, users must store explicit data variables or the structural information of the data structure to store the contents of each memory region.
Static Data Structures: Benefits and Disadvantages
Advantages: Programmers can benefit significantly from static data structures in various ways.
Here are a few of its benefits:
1. Because the compiler performs all allocation and deallocation operations, handling static data structures is simple.
2. There is no need to keep the data structure's structure or any other explicit variables to store the memory location because memory is allocated in a contiguous form.
3. The user won't have to worry about overflow or underflow situations while adding or removing any member from the relevant data structure because of the fixed size.
4. It's simple to program, and random access is provided via data structures like arrays.
5. Static data structures are tremendously helpful for programmers. However, everything that is excellent also has drawbacks.
Here are a few drawbacks of static data structures:
1. Users must calculate the maximum amount of memory that static data structures will use, which may be higher than what is needed and result in memory loss.
2. It is only possible to insert a new element between two existing ones in a static data structure if there is a gap between them; otherwise, the operation would take a long time.
3. Eliminating one element may leave a gap between two other elements, and filling that gap takes time.
What Benefits and Drawbacks Come with Dynamic Data Structures?
Benefits: Dynamic data structures provide many excellent features and are much easier to use than static data structures in terms of memory usage.
Here are a few of its benefits:
1. Users don't need to be concerned about the maximum or minimum size needed because the application handles everything at runtime.
2. The placement and removal of pieces are often best in terms of time and space.
3 Due to the user's ability to deallocate memory when not required, We can use the same memory for different purposes. If, after use, a linked list of character data types is no longer needed, it can be released from memory and used to build a linked list of double data types.
4. The construction of dynamic data structures may be complex, making them difficult for beginners to handle.
Here are a few of their drawbacks:
1. The performance of dynamic data structures is decreased because we have to establish another variable to store the address of their allocated memory. After all, memory for dynamic data structures is allocated at runtime, making allocated memory non-contiguous.
2. A memory leak could happen if the user forgets to deallocate the allocated memory because it only releases when the program terminates or when the user manually deallocates it.
3. In this situation, overflow or underflow issues could occur since the data structure size is not fixed.
Difference Between Static and Dynamic Data Structure
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