addLastLinknTail.cpp

//
//  main.cpp
//  LinkedList - addLast with Tail
//
//  Created by David P. Lopez on 4/10/15.
//  Copyright (c) 2015 David P. Lopez. All rights reserved.
//

#include <iostream>

using namespace std;

const int SIZE = 35;

struct Entry
{
    char name[SIZE];
    int age;
    Entry *next;
};


Entry* getNewEntry()
{
    char name[SIZE];
    
    cout << "Enter a new name or press ENTER to quit.";
    cin.getline(name,SIZE);
    
    if(strlen(name) == 0)
    {
        cout << "You pressed ENTER" << endl;
        return NULL;
    }
    
    Entry *newOne = new Entry;
    strcpy(newOne->name, name);
    
    cout << "Age: ";
    cin >> newOne->age;
    cin.ignore(1024,'\n');
    
    newOne->next = NULL;
    
    return newOne;
}

// a pointer is passed to this function and this function will print the
// attributes of each node that the pointer being passed to the function
// is pointing to when it is called.
void displayEntry(Entry *e)
{
    cout << e->name << " " << e->age << endl;
}

bool addFirst(Entry *newEntry, Entry* &head)
{
    /* this function takes in a pointer to a node of type Entry
     and the function will point newEntry->next to the address of
     the node that that the pointer called head is currently being
     pointed to. Basically, The pointer of type Entry being passed
     to the function will first be added as the new head of the linked list.
     It will be pointed to the head instead of its default NULL value.
     The pointer designated to head from the old node will then be reassigned and it
     will now point to the node passed as newEntry. So now we know
     that the head node's pointer points to the head, and the old head
     node and its next pointer will now point to the new node which is the
     new head of the linked list.
     */
    
    if (newEntry == NULL)//a node was not passed into the function
        return false;//therefore head points to the last node entered as the head of the list
    
    newEntry->next = head;
    head = newEntry;
    return true;
}

bool addLast(Entry *newEntry, Entry* &head, Entry* &tail)
{
    if(newEntry == NULL)
        return false;
    else
    {
        Entry *current;
        current = head;
        
        if(head == NULL)
        {
            head = newEntry;
            tail = newEntry;
        }
        else
        {
            tail->next = newEntry;
            tail = newEntry;
        }
    }
    return true; //this return tells the buildList function to keep creating nodes.
}

Entry* buildList()
{
    Entry *listHead = NULL; //start of the list
    Entry *listTail = NULL;
    
    while(true)
    {
        Entry *newOne = getNewEntry();//creates a new node every time a user enters data for the new node
        
        //add to end
        if(!addLast(newOne, listHead, listTail))
            break;
    }
    return listHead;
}

void displayList(Entry *list)
{
    //a pointer to a list of type Entry is passed into this function and it iterates
    // over the list using a new pointer called current which begins its search at
    // list. current will continue to iterate over the list until it reaches a NULL
    // or a node of nothing. on each iteration current will be passed to the displayEntry
    // function and be printed to the screen and it will then point to the next node
    // using the nodes pointer to repeat the process until the loop reaches NULL
    
    for (Entry *current = list; current != NULL; current = current->next)
        displayEntry(current);
}

int main() {
    
    // new pointer of type Entry that points to the data in a
    // new node whose pointer points to null
    
    Entry *listHead = buildList();
    displayList(listHead);
    
    return EXIT_SUCCESS;
    
}